That is a really big pumpkin. Also, a hollow one. Photo: Twitter
While some restaurants had an enjoyable Halloween week, others did not.
Marketbar is in the latter category, mostly because a thieving rascal — or rascals — stole the seeds out of the ginormous pumpkin on the restaurant’s Embarcadero patio. It happened Saturday night, and when staffers came into work the next day, they found a hollowed-out pumpkin.
“First we thought it was vandalism,” Marketbar owner Doug Biederbeck tells Scoop. “But then, I noticed it was done in a way so as not to spoil the overall appearance, in the lower rear. It was clear to me that someone very consciously got into the pumpkin to get the innards out .”
See, the 1,400-pound gourd was kind of a big deal, having been grown by local grower Leonardo Urena, the same guy who set the giant pumpkin record last month.
The pumpkin even has a name (Disco Volant), and there was a sign advertising its pedigreed parents and grandparents. As Biederbeck points out, the seeds are incredibly important, because it takes years and years of cross-pollination for a pumpkin to grow that big in one season. Fortunately, they were able to salvage some seeds from the crime scene.
Will the thief try to use the seeds to grow his or her own giant pumpkin? Biederbeck says it’s doubtful, and they could even use DNA testing to see if it’s from the stolen lineage. And perhaps most importantly, it takes a lot of knowledge to get a massive gourd.
“I know no one has Leonardo’s skills of growing pumpkins.”
The giant pumpkin has become a tradition at Marketbar, and Biederbeck hopes that this incident won’t ruin next year’s fun.
In the meantime, chef Adam Mali says he was going to incorporate pumpkin seeds in a dish, but will no longer do so — out of solidarity and sympathy.
Marketbar: 1 Ferry Building, at the Embarcadero; (415) 434-1100 or marketbar.com