Quality food shopping for the home cook?

[hillvalley]

JPW thanks for the great list. I have printed it out and plan to check out many of the places this summer, when my days are free. Welcome to egullet from one newbie to another. You are off to a great start!

I would like to add 2 more:

Farmers Market-36th and Alton (at the Sheridan School)

Mozzerrella cheese-Marcella's on Conn. Ave in Chevy Chase

Edited December 16, 2003 by hillvalley (log)

[Malawry]

There is a place in Hyattsville that makes tortillas. There was a story in the Post Food section on this several years ago. An archive search on washingtonpost.com may turn it up.

Pupuseria Vanessa is a pupusa truck, BTW. There's a lot of them around Langley Park. Erin, have you ever picked up a pupusa from them? They look...cleaner than most of the trucks I've seen, especially the scuzzy looking one near Baskin Robbins on Piney Branch.

[hannnah]

Heidelberg Pastry Shoppe in Arlington for all kinds of baked goods.

I'll second the recommendation for Heidelberg - we got our wedding cake and favors (marzipan fruit) from there, and their breads and cookies are also excellent.

Also, for baked goods I'd add Patisserie Lille in Herndon. They've been open about 3 months now, and they do wonderful things with croissants and puff pastry, including a puff-pastry-cased hot dog.

[edemuth]

Pupuseria Vanessa is a pupusa truck, BTW. There's a lot of them around Langley Park. Erin, have you ever picked up a pupusa from them? They look...cleaner than most of the trucks I've seen, especially the scuzzy looking one near Baskin Robbins on Piney Branch.

Good point about the truck (or is it a trailer?); it's not the usual storefront. It does look very clean, especially in relation to most everything near B&R... and it's almost always busy; that's why I suggested Vanessa's in particular. I haven't stopped there yet because whenever I drive by, I think I should just wait and have a meal at Samantha's soon. I am curious about the goods, though, so I will try to get over there this weekend and post my findings.

[JPW]

To revive this thread, (and perhaps we will have to add the new Wegmans' to the list), it appears that someone has gone ahead and stolen my magnificent idea -- albeit before I even came up with it.

FOOD

[MichelleW]

I'll second the recommendation for Heidelberg - we got our wedding cake and favors (marzipan fruit) from there, and their breads and cookies are also excellent.

In addition to Heidelberg (which is fabulous), Pastries by Randolph (who I believe was once a Watergate pastry chef) on Old Dominion, and Brenner's Bakery, on South Glebe, at Columbia Pike are also great.

Arrowine, next to Pastries by Randolph, is great for cheeses and, of course, wine.

[Busboy]

Anybody seen a fish market where you can get fresh sardines in DC? It's my new craving.

[hillvalley]

I found a wonderful little gourmet shop in Bethesda today. Cornucopia on Norfolk Ave. across from the Duron Paint store.

They have an amazing selection of pasta and canned tomatoes from Italy. There are a variety of Italian meats, as well as a Duck Proscuitto that I have to go back and try. The pastries looked beautiful, and I imagine that if you get there earlier there is a good selection of fresh baked breads. The cheese selection was smaller, but still very nice. They also have an olive bar.

As I type I am eating a procuitto and provolone sandwhich. There are about 1/2 dozen different "specialty" sandwhiches. There is a roast beef and gorganzola and I will be trying in the next few weeks.

A block or two down there is a new chocolate shop, but I haven't check it out yet. Anyone tried it?

[butterfly]

About Pupuseria Vanessa--

They load up at Ercilia's on Mount Pleasant street in DC. Ercilia's has the best pupusas in town, so I would think that they are very good for truck fare.

[cjsadler]

Has anyone had any experience dealing with the People Garden, a CSA group in Mount Pleasant. They provide a mixed bag of fresh produce each week. Looks interesting.

[slarochelle]

People Garden sound similar to http://www.washingtonsgreengrocer.com

I've been getting fruit and veg from them for over a year now and have been pleased w/everything; quality, service, price.

Steve

[frogprince]

i would also add the glut food co-op in mt.rainier, pg county. it is, unfortunately, a vegetarian store so no meat/seafood but they have an astounding array of fresh fruit and veg, much of it local when possible (tuscarora supplies the majority). lots of other little things plus they have firehook bakery bread delivered everyday, which is nice. a respectful cheese selection though its already precut and wrapped and suffocating. think of takoma park co-op only smaller and cheaper (with nicer folks in my opinion).

[foodgeek]

Among the things that I have been unable to find at WholeFoods SS more than once (even with asking the quite good staff)

1 - Flat leaf parsley

2 - Basil

3 - Any mushroom that is not button or portobello

4 - Fennel

5 - Any semi-hot long pepper (e.g Anaheim)

Is that because they were out, or because they don't carry it? Even the Rockville Whole Foods, which I hate, has 6-7 kinds of mushrooms and flatleaf parsley isn't a specialty item by any means.

The arlington whole foods has basil (and a good selection of herbs). And they ahve a larger selection of mushrooms than just two, maybe six. I'm guessing they have flat leaf parsley as well.

[foodgeek]

I'll second the recommendation for Heidelberg - we got our wedding cake and favors (marzipan fruit) from there, and their breads and cookies are also excellent.

In addition to Heidelberg (which is fabulous), Pastries by Randolph (who I believe was once a Watergate pastry chef) on Old Dominion, and Brenner's Bakery, on South Glebe, at Columbia Pike are also great.

Arrowine, next to Pastries by Randolph, is great for cheeses and, of course, wine.

The fish store behind the strip mall with Arrowine is good, and has good looking prepared safood (that I haven't tried yet.) And Lebanese Taverna market sia a block from that stripmall. I like Arrowine as well.

Also, yesterday's washington post food section had an article on El Savadorian markets in Arlanria (Alexandria)....including a butcher that cuts meat to order, and a place that has a good selection of salt dried seafood.

[hillvalley]

Literri's is worth the trip. Just the smell of the place is worth the drive. I will be eating well for the next week or so.

I didn't have time to check out any of the other stores around there. What's worth it?