Saturday is a lot like Sunday in terms of free food—there really isn't any in restaurants and bars. Instead, you have to hunt for free taste samples at EatZi's, Whole Foods, Central Market, or local farmer's markets. Luckily, the selections there are best on the weekend anyway!
Dallas Farmer's Market
A trip to the Dallas Farmer's Market on a weekend in the summer is by far the most nutritional and widest selection of free food you can eat all week. It's 100% free food, and you can get comfortably full from it, too. Vendors are standing by eager to cut you a fresh slice of whatever they're selling. In some areas, the peddlers are standing so close together that you haven't finished eating one sample by the time the next one is trying to hand you theirs! It's like being on a beach in Mexico.
In the outdoor produce stalls you will find free fruit and vegetable samples of peaches, watermelon, yellow watermelon, cantaloupe, exotic melons, plums, black plums, cucumbers, tomatoes, oranges, mangos, onions, sweet corn, cherries, blueberries, and jicama (depending on the season). I can vouch for eating all of that for breakfast today. :-) You will find that peak season items are sampled by multiple vendors, for example, today I had many types of peaches, oranges, watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes and cucumbers. Pro foodie tip: try them all, and then go back and buy the best one.
In the air conditioned indoor building you won't find as many vendors or free samples, but today I had butter cake, cinnamon roll, gluten free brownie, spice rub, and five kinds of sausage.
No one seems offended if you don't buy whatever you eat as a sample, but some of this food is so amazingly fresh and tasty that you will be hard-pressed to leave without buying something (bring cash). I also love that you can park your car in total shade just 2 feet away from the food. It's so much faster than produce shopping at the grocery store. :-)
farmers market rocks always a good time for chefs
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