San Francisco Groceries for Newcomers

I've had occasion over the last few months to meet several new residents of San Francisco, recently moved here from Britain and Australia. Foreign newcomers to San Francisco all seem to have received the message that this fair city offers a bountiful landscape of food and gourmet artistry, and as a result, they arrive at SFO with an expectation of ubiquitous freshness and local variety. But at first inspection of the nearest neighborhood market, new arrivals may be shocked to find that the most common grocery offerings in San Francisco are still the same chain-supermarket garbage as the rest of the States -- industrial, agenda-laden mediocrity.

Luckily, the blessings of the city aren't too far under the surface. For the recent newcomers I've met, I've written the following short list, and it's proven to be a helpful grocery orientation to buying food in SF. Geared towards the new resident with limited access to a car, it's brief and incomplete, and doesn't delve deeply into the food subcultures writhing throughout the Bay Area (ie, there's no nose-to-tail meat or black market raw milk cheese here), but as a quick start guide, it'll steer a newcomer away from Safeway and into the comforting arms of some simple stores selling simple and good food. For the sake of local authenticity, I've left off the venerable and indispensable Whole Foods, choosing instead to focus on more regional and local purveyors.

And now, the Quick Guide to San Francisco Groceries:

Rainbow Grocery

1745 Folsom Street

I buy almost all of my staples and bulk goods here. This a fully vegetarian grocery store; the only meat in the shop is in the pet food. The best thing about Rainbow is their bulk section. You can find herbs, spices, flours, salts, grains, cereals, coffees, etc, all in big bins. You get a small credit for using your own containers from home. They also have giant tanks of olive and nut oils, buckets of peanut butter, molasses, tahini, honey, dried fruit and countless other things. Massive selection of homeopathic and herbal stuff (some also in bulk containers, like shampoo, etc), and eco-friendly cleaning supplies. Produce can be a bit more expensive here, but it'll be meticulously identified with source, organic status, etc. If they can't find something in season, it simply won't be available. And the cheese...oh the cheese! In 2005, Saveur magazine said Rainbow is one of the top 20 places in the country to buy cheese, and they ain't lying. They also sell raw milk, biodynamic wine, and super-natural hippie chicken eggs. Huge selection amd a staff full of helpful little pierced anarchists.

Bryan's Quality Meats

3473 California Street

This is up in Laurel Heights, so a car is really the only practical way to get there, but it's the most competent and clean butcher shop I've found yet. They have an excellent selection of poultry, lots of fresh seafood, and well-sourced lamb and pork. My only disagreement with them is their staunch refusal to sell grass-fed beef, but otherwise, their name is completely appropriate. A picture-book butcher shop, white tiled walls and all. Surprisingly competitive prices. Good prepared food too - try a sandwich!

Andronicos

1200 Irving Street

This is in the Sunset District, so it's fairly accessible by Muni, but a car would be much easier. Andronicos also has locations all over the rest of the Bay Area, but just one in the city. A good all-round gourmet supermarket, where you could buy everything in one spot if you needed to. If American Safeway is Tesco, then Andronicos is Waitrose. Prices might be a little higher, but it's tough to find crappy food here. (Note for British expats - there's also a little British import section, if you're dying for a McVities or some Heinz Salad Cream)

Alemany Farmers Market

The Ferry Building Farmers Market is beautiful, and has boundless tourist appeal, but also has $4 artichokes. Alemany is the real deal, with actual farmers selling their produce out of trucks, driven into town from their farms early in the morning. Strictly car only, unless you really want to walk over Bernal Hill with armloads of groceries. Some things are organic, some things aren't, but everything is seasonal, and dirt cheap. I like to make a Saturday morning event out of it, and grab a tamale or some chilaquiles from one of the vendor stalls for breakfast while I gloat about scoring a huge bag of heirloom peppers for 75 cents. Artisanal olive oil and honey is usually available, as well as, depending on season, crabs, clams, oysters, and...if you walk down the street from the official market....live chickens. It's a fun place.

Trader Joe's

(at least three locations in SF)

Almost everything here is private-label Trader Joe's, but that's not a bad thing at all. It's all top quality and really good prices. I've never seen anything expensive here. If you want quick and natural convenience foods, this is the place to go. Also the home of the (in)famous Two Buck Chuck, a line of quite drinkable but completely unremarkable table wines that sell for $1.99 per 750ml bottle. Solid and reliable.

BevMo (aka Beverages and More)

(three locations in the city)

Not much to say here. Anywhere else you buy beer, wine or spirits will be more expensive (with the possible exception of Trader Joe's) and won't have nearly the selection (no exceptions at all). Good cheap glassware too.