Food & Drink shopping in San Francisco
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A
Le Sanctuaire
Mad scientists, thrill seekers and professional chefs are buzzed in speakeasy-style to this culinary curiosity shop selling anchovy juice, spherifiers to turn fruit into caviar, salt for curing meats, and of course that hallmark of molecular gastronomy: foaming agents. Check the website for classes on making smoked watermelon with vacuum sealers and using liquid nitrogen to make powdered lard – too bad suspending disbelief using gellants isn’t on the schedule.
reviewed
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B
Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Company
You too can say you made a fortune in San Francisco after visiting this bakery, where cookies are stamped out on old-fashioned presses and folded while hot – just as they were back in 1909, when they were invented in San Francisco for the Japanese Tea Garden. You can make your own customized cookies, or pick up a bag of the risqué ‘French’ fortune cookies – no need to add ‘in bed’ at the end to make these interesting.
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C
Nippon-Ya!
Tea, seasonal treats and omiyage (traveler's gifts) ranked by popularity make Nippon-ya! worthy of exclamation. There's a whole wall of tea and treats to accompany it, like green-tea mochi, the ever-popular strawberry mochi with chocolate filling and arare rice crackers basted with sweet soy sauce. Everything is so lavishly wrapped that that goldfish keychain looks fancier than one from Tiffany's.
reviewed
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D
Recchiuti Chocolates
No San Franciscan can resist Recchiuti: Pacific Heights parts with old money for its fleur de sel caramels; Noe Valley’s child foodie prodigies prefer S’more Bites to the campground variety; and the Mission splurges on chocolates designed by developmentally disabled artists from Creativity Explored – part of the proceeds benefit the nonprofit gallery.
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E
Coco-Luxe
The Gold Rush may be over, but the sugar rush is definitely on at this SF chocolate maker reinventing American dessert classics like devil’s food cake, malted milkshakes and banana splits as truffles. Cinnamon-candied almonds dunked in chocolate and dusted with cocoa make Block Party Almonds the kind of treat you might not be inclined to share with neighbors.
reviewed
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F
Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant
Stock up on California wines after you’ve sipped a few – start with viogniers, work your way to cabs, and swish and spit when you only want to taste. Savvy staff describe wines in a fun, informative way, making sure a fine time is had by all. The bar is jammed on Saturdays, but otherwise staff will take the time to suggest pairings and exciting new releases.
reviewed
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G
Red Blossom Tea Company
Think beyond the world of black and green teas to the universe of white teas, herbal infusions, and of course the signature blossom teas that unfurl in your pot like time-lapse photography of a dahlia in August. That pot-bellied 'dragon egg' Yixing teapot holds the flavor of the tea and gives just the right water-to-tea ratio for two cups.
reviewed
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H
New May Wah
No truly adventurous eater should leave town without a trip here. Flavored tapioca tea kits and stinky, acquired-taste durian are just the beginning: sharpen your stir-fry tasting skills with an array of fish sauce and bean pastes, and work your way through the shelves of chili sauce and soju (Korean rice wine) if you dare.
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I
Miette
Pure candy heaven: racks of licorice twists, a table of artisan chocolate bars and a fully stocked cupcake counter. Tots load up on Pixie Stix and chocolate fire trucks, while adults ogle salty French caramels and dark chocolates spiked with chili. Ask for help first, so that you don’t get caught with your hand in the candy jar.
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J
Cocoabella
This San Francisco chocolate purveyor commissions chocolate makers around the world to produce treats with delightful flavors and exotic good looks: a hazelnut chocolate mushroom, a chocolate peanut butterfly, a Russian tea-scented chocolate painted like a Kandinsky, and a confectionary cappuccino in a tiny chocolate cup.
reviewed
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K
Plumpjack Wines
Discover a new favorite organically grown California vintage under $30 at the distinctive wine boutique that won former owner Mayor Gavin Newsom respect from even Green Party gourmets. A more knowledgeable staff is hard to find anywhere in SF, and they’ll set you up with the right bottles to cross party lines.
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