Guidebook for San Francisco
Shopping
This Middle Eastern specialty shop has been in Brooklyn for 65 years. They have so much to offer—fresh spices, barrels of coffee, olive oils, cheeses, a pickle and olive bar—the list goes on. I go there for the delicious dried fruits and nuts, but I usually walk away with something I didn’t plan on buying, too.
They give samples, so ask to try something before you fill your bag from the big bulk bins.
130 warga lokal merekomendasikannya
Sahadi's
187 Atlantic AveThis Middle Eastern specialty shop has been in Brooklyn for 65 years. They have so much to offer—fresh spices, barrels of coffee, olive oils, cheeses, a pickle and olive bar—the list goes on. I go there for the delicious dried fruits and nuts, but I usually walk away with something I didn’t plan on buying, too.
They give samples, so ask to try something before you fill your bag from the big bulk bins.
It’s a wonderland with floor-to-ceiling shelves of ingredients from around the world. You can wander through Kalustyan’s aisles of hard-to-find grains and Indian spices for hours. Everything is in clear, labeled packages, which makes it easy to navigate. It’s where I go when I need a really particular ingredient, or if I want to discover something new.
They have a cafe upstairs where you can get a filling Indian lunch after you shop.
21 warga lokal merekomendasikannya
Kalustyan's
123 Lexington AveIt’s a wonderland with floor-to-ceiling shelves of ingredients from around the world. You can wander through Kalustyan’s aisles of hard-to-find grains and Indian spices for hours. Everything is in clear, labeled packages, which makes it easy to navigate. It’s where I go when I need a really particular ingredient, or if I want to discover something new.
They have a cafe upstairs where you can get a filling Indian lunch after you shop.
Chef April Bloomfield told me that local was more important to her than organic. I couldn’t get more local if I had my own backyard garden. Four days a week, upstate vendors take over the park with fresh produce, meat, wine, and more. I shop for whatever fresh produce is in season, and sometimes treat myself to blue-shelled heritage chicken eggs.
Depending on what day it is, there is a lot to see and taste, so visit one of the bakeries and pick up something sweet for a snack while you shop.
987 warga lokal merekomendasikannya
Union Square
Chef April Bloomfield told me that local was more important to her than organic. I couldn’t get more local if I had my own backyard garden. Four days a week, upstate vendors take over the park with fresh produce, meat, wine, and more. I shop for whatever fresh produce is in season, and sometimes treat myself to blue-shelled heritage chicken eggs.
Depending on what day it is, there is a lot to see and taste, so visit one of the bakeries and pick up something sweet for a snack while you shop.
Besides the usual pantry items, this Japanese grocery store has snacks like dried, sweet cuttlefish and mochi. They also carry sushi grade fish if you want to practice your knife skills, and have a full kitchen where they prepare bento boxes to eat in-store. I like to get their marinated mackerel to broil in my toaster oven at home.
I always go back to their prepared salmon salad. It’s reasonably priced and comes with their delicious house-made carrot ginger dressing.
Sunrise Mart 日本local food
12 E 41st StBesides the usual pantry items, this Japanese grocery store has snacks like dried, sweet cuttlefish and mochi. They also carry sushi grade fish if you want to practice your knife skills, and have a full kitchen where they prepare bento boxes to eat in-store. I like to get their marinated mackerel to broil in my toaster oven at home.
I always go back to their prepared salmon salad. It’s reasonably priced and comes with their delicious house-made carrot ginger dressing.
When I first went to this bookstore to drop off copies of my magazine, I was taken by the independent, cheerful vibe. It’s colorful and unpretentious. The owners are passionate food lovers who carefully curate books and magazines on food and drink so that the small shop covers best-sellers, what’s new and good, and hard-to-find titles.
If you’re looking for something rare or out of print, ask! They have a basement where they store thousands of books.
Kitchen Arts & Letters
1435 Lexington AveWhen I first went to this bookstore to drop off copies of my magazine, I was taken by the independent, cheerful vibe. It’s colorful and unpretentious. The owners are passionate food lovers who carefully curate books and magazines on food and drink so that the small shop covers best-sellers, what’s new and good, and hard-to-find titles.
If you’re looking for something rare or out of print, ask! They have a basement where they store thousands of books.
I started going here when I was testing recipes for a cookbook and discovered it was the only place I could get many of the unusual spices I needed. It looks like a local deli, but the shelves are well-stocked with international ingredients. The focus is Indian, but they carry ingredients from around the world, and a good amount of it is organic.
Their international beer selection is also massive.
10 warga lokal merekomendasikannya
Dual Specialty
91 1st AvenueI started going here when I was testing recipes for a cookbook and discovered it was the only place I could get many of the unusual spices I needed. It looks like a local deli, but the shelves are well-stocked with international ingredients. The focus is Indian, but they carry ingredients from around the world, and a good amount of it is organic.
Their international beer selection is also massive.
This kitchen supply store is warmer than others, with colorful, mismatched shelves and a tin-style ceiling. It’s where I go before photo shoots for housewares, tabletop decorations, and fun props. Last time I came home with triangular plastic bags with a slice of pizza printed on them—to store leftover pizza?—and unicorn toothpicks.
Almost everything they have comes in an array of colors, so this is the place to get that thing that must match your kitchen just so.
13 warga lokal merekomendasikannya
Whisk
North 4th StreetThis kitchen supply store is warmer than others, with colorful, mismatched shelves and a tin-style ceiling. It’s where I go before photo shoots for housewares, tabletop decorations, and fun props. Last time I came home with triangular plastic bags with a slice of pizza printed on them—to store leftover pizza?—and unicorn toothpicks.
Almost everything they have comes in an array of colors, so this is the place to get that thing that must match your kitchen just so.
It’s a patchwork of rooms full of kitchen supplies, cured meats, and of course, cheese. They’ve got a deli counter, too, but some of their best sellers are in the fridge. I love that every label tells the story of the cheese, with its origin and tasting notes. They also sell crackers, jams, olives—anything you could want to eat with cheese.
There’s an under-$10 basket in a refrigerated case near the cash register with smaller portions of cheeses leftover from the cheese slicers behind the counter. It’s a great way to sample something you’ve never tried before.
179 warga lokal merekomendasikannya
Murray's Cheese Bar
28-30 Jackson AvenueIt’s a patchwork of rooms full of kitchen supplies, cured meats, and of course, cheese. They’ve got a deli counter, too, but some of their best sellers are in the fridge. I love that every label tells the story of the cheese, with its origin and tasting notes. They also sell crackers, jams, olives—anything you could want to eat with cheese.
There’s an under-$10 basket in a refrigerated case near the cash register with smaller portions of cheeses leftover from the cheese slicers behind the counter. It’s a great way to sample something you’ve never tried before.
Food Scene
It’s a tiny shop with a French-Moroccan vibe that has shelves stacked to the ceiling. They wholesale their gourmet and rare ingredients to some of the best chefs around the world, and their retail selection is really well curated. Chefs David Chang and Gabrielle Hamilton are also customers, which says a lot about the quality and depth of their products.
They have a selection of vinegars they make in-house with unusual flavors like star anise and beer.
SOS Chefs of New York, Inc.
104 Avenue BIt’s a tiny shop with a French-Moroccan vibe that has shelves stacked to the ceiling. They wholesale their gourmet and rare ingredients to some of the best chefs around the world, and their retail selection is really well curated. Chefs David Chang and Gabrielle Hamilton are also customers, which says a lot about the quality and depth of their products.
They have a selection of vinegars they make in-house with unusual flavors like star anise and beer.
Cookie cutters, bonbon molds, and tubs of sanding sugar and frosting—this no-frills place has everything for baking and candy making. It’s a pre-photo shoot go-to if I’m photographing anything sweet, or run out of my supply of cartoon eyes made out of sugar. I’ve spent plenty of time staring at their collection of edible iridescent dusts.
They also have a program there where you can take a class and then follow up with video tutorials from home.
6 warga lokal merekomendasikannya
New York Cleaners
104 W 17th StCookie cutters, bonbon molds, and tubs of sanding sugar and frosting—this no-frills place has everything for baking and candy making. It’s a pre-photo shoot go-to if I’m photographing anything sweet, or run out of my supply of cartoon eyes made out of sugar. I’ve spent plenty of time staring at their collection of edible iridescent dusts.
They also have a program there where you can take a class and then follow up with video tutorials from home.
From the green and red neon sign out front to the black and white tile floor, this modern deli has so much old school New York appeal. They carry an impressive selection of savory smoked fish and caviar, plus the sweet, cinnamon babka they make in-house is amazing. It’s crowded at peak hours, but I just take a number and scan the counters.
They have a sweet and sour, quick-pickled cabbage salad that’s not behind the counter, but prepackaged in their refrigerated section that I sometimes dream about.
251 warga lokal merekomendasikannya
Russ & Daughters
179 E Houston StFrom the green and red neon sign out front to the black and white tile floor, this modern deli has so much old school New York appeal. They carry an impressive selection of savory smoked fish and caviar, plus the sweet, cinnamon babka they make in-house is amazing. It’s crowded at peak hours, but I just take a number and scan the counters.
They have a sweet and sour, quick-pickled cabbage salad that’s not behind the counter, but prepackaged in their refrigerated section that I sometimes dream about.