It's really hard to pick one for Kyoto ... :) It's my second hometown after Tokyo. I recommend Nishiki Market. It is a 500m street with full of small local stands.
Some shops are touristy but most are popular among locals too. It was my hobby to visit there time by time. It is amazingly crowded in the end of the year but it is one of my favorite time to visit the market :)
One another recommendation: Padma Zen Food. I wrote about the restaurant recently on steemit.
https://steemit.com/japan/@akipponn/my-favorite-restaurant-in-kyoto-japan-padma-zen-food
(Excuse me for this looooong comment. I cannot stop talking/writing about Kyoto ... ;) )
@boxcarblue thank you for inspiring me to start writing about Kyoto :) Please don't mind about upvote or anything. Just I'm happy to write about my favorite Kyoto and make stock for my friends and future visitors. Here is another recommendation. Daimonji mountain is grate!
https://steemit.com/travel/@akipponn/kyoto-guide-1-mt-daimonji-hike
Thank you so much for this loooong comment. It's very helpful! I seem to recall Nishiki Market being closed when I was in Kyoto years ago. It was right after New Year's on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd when many things in Japan either close or reduce business hours. Someday I'll go back.