A few episodes back, I took a trip up North to experience San Francisco’s super fun Underground Market. The idea of the monthly event is to provide a place for up-and-coming Bay Area chefs and food vendors to sell their fare… even if they can’t yet afford to get health-code certified.

Alas, all the attention from media folk seems to have brought the event some less-desirable attention… from the likes of, yes, the health department. Today, event organizer Iso Rabins sent out a message to his email list:

“As many of you have heard, the health department came to the last Underground Market on June 11th and served us a cease and desist letter, stating they no longer considered the market a private event.

“The market was able to function to this point because it was considered a private event […] We organized it in this way following a suggestion by the health department. Everyone who walks through the door is a member who knows they are eating un-certified food , so technically the health department doesn’t have to be involved.

“This was not an unexpected event […] This shutdown is an opportunity to find a workable model that can help not only The Underground Market in SF, but similar markets all over the country. ”

Rabins is asking for folks with legal and political organizing expertise to email markets@foragesf.com. And he’s seeking investors, designers, contractors and lawyers to help him set up a new “incubator project” for fledgling food businesses — contact him at iso@foragesf.com.

As for me, I promise not to air anything that will cause them further hassles by The Man.