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Sources of High-Quality Online/Mail-Order Food

MarkIsCooking

By MarkIsCooking
in Kitchen Consumer

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MarkIsCooking

MarkIsCooking

Posted
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Most online sites seem very consumer oriented, meaning mediocre quality at high prices. I'm looking for great sources of very high quality stuff online / mail order. I don't need fancy pictures; just the best stuff at a fair price. Please share!

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"If you don't want to use butter, add cream."

Julia Child

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mharpo

mharpo

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Most online sites seem very consumer oriented, meaning mediocre quality at high prices.  I'm looking for great sources of very high quality stuff online / mail order.  I don't need fancy pictures; just the best stuff at a fair price.  Please share!

Seafood: Catalina Offshore Products, Browne Trading, Marky's. A quick Google will get you to them. :smile:

Michael Harp

CopperPans.com

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Alex

Alex

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Zingerman's, which is mentioned several times throughout the Heartland forum. Just Google or site search...

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

A king can stand people's fighting, but he can't last long if people start thinking. -Will Rogers, humorist

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AK@Spicehouse

AK@Spicehouse

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:raz: Can we toot owr own horns ? www.Spicehouseint.com...

Hope Its okay.. Free stuff for Egulleters with every order when mentioned..

Most online sites seem very consumer oriented, meaning mediocre quality at high prices.  I'm looking for great sources of very high quality stuff online / mail order.  I don't need fancy pictures; just the best stuff at a fair price.  Please share!

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edsel

edsel

Posted
Posted
Most online sites seem very consumer oriented, meaning mediocre quality at high prices.  I'm looking for great sources of very high quality stuff online / mail order.  I don't need fancy pictures; just the best stuff at a fair price.  Please share! ←

I don't know that "consumer oriented" necessarily means mediocrity (or inflated prices). There are purveyors that sell to restaurants that also have consumer-oriented sites - Dartagnan and Niman Ranch come to mind. I'm sure that their prices to "the trade" are substantially lower than what we see on their retail sites. I doubt that "fancy pictures" have much to do with it.

I started ordering from Dartagnan back before they had a web site. The prices ain't cheap, but I like being able to order raw foie gras and moulard duck meat. Stuff I can't get locally.

As an example of sites that don't cater to amateurs like me, check out Pastry Chef Central. I found them when searching for Isomalt (I was curious about it and thought I'd get a small amount to play with). How does fifteen pounds for $69 grab you? A professional pastry chef buys ingredients in quantities that would be absurd for someone like me.

Here are some places I've ordered from recently:

Rancho Gordo (nice beans and posole)

The Spice House (vanilla beans and fresh spices)

Sweet Maria's (green coffee beans and roasting supplies)

There seems to be a "bean" theme developing here... :laugh:

My Photo Sets (mostly food!) :: Heartland Gathering Photos

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edsel

edsel

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AK, I think that there are guidelines about self-promoting links in the user agreement and policies area. As far as I'm concerned, it's OK to mention your business in an appropriate context. I never would have found Ranch Gordo's site if he hadn't mentioned it here. If the site managers think you've stepped over the line I'm sure they'll let you know. :biggrin:

Interesting that I was posting about another business called "the spice house". I'm assuming you're not related to them.

My Photo Sets (mostly food!) :: Heartland Gathering Photos

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docsconz

docsconz

Posted
Posted (edited)

Gourmet Mushrooms Inc. for mushrooms. They sell two or four pound gift baskets of exceptional quality to consumers.

igourmet, Artisanal and Murray's Cheese are all excellent for cheeses.

Buckskin Orchards has great washington State cherries in season. Rising C Ranch ships great citrus in many varieties from California. Frog Hollow Farm ships superb California stone fruit.

I concur with Browne Trading Co. for impeccable seafood.

Some of my favorite meat producers can be ordered online such as 3 Corner Field Farm for amazing NY State lamb and Flying Pigs Farm for great heirloom breed pork. I'm not sure if their chickens are available online, but they are wonderful, too. Lobel's carries their pork.

Tienda.com is an excellent source for Spanish products including piquillo peppers and ventresca tuna amongst other items. I have been pleased with Gustiamo.com for select Italian products.

The above sources, while not necessarily the cheapest, all provide superb quality product with excellent service. If I have an option I prefer to buy locally, so I generally shop online for products that I can't match locally. For those special products I don't mind spending a little more.

Edited by docsconz (log)
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John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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AK@Spicehouse

AK@Spicehouse

Posted
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:raz: Nah, thanks, I am sure they will tell me./.

AK, I think that there are guidelines about self-promoting links in the user agreement and  policies area. As far as I'm concerned, it's OK to mention your business in an appropriate context. I never would have found Ranch Gordo's site if he hadn't mentioned it here. If the site managers think you've stepped over the line I'm sure they'll let you know. :biggrin:

Interesting that I was posting about another business called "the spice house". I'm assuming you're not related to them.

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Mayhaw Man

Mayhaw Man

Posted
Posted

Gourmetfoodmall.com is an excellent and growing resource for all kinds of stuff-from high quality coffee, high end chocolates and pastries, sauces, salsas, jellies, spreads, to cheeses to breads.

Once again, just as a disclosure, I work for them-BUT I make nothing off of transactions as the stores on the mall are owned by the vendors themselves, so I am just offering this as an option that you may not be familiar with it

Brooks Hamaker, aka "Mayhaw Man"

There's a train everyday, leaving either way...

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Peter

Peter

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I have to second Zingermans.

www.zingermans.com

They scour the world for great products taht I just don't see anywhere else.

We are using Violet Mustard (made with grape must) and French artisinal olive oil tonight! :biggrin:

Man, some of this stuff is just incredible...

I believe they ship breads and cheeses too...

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M. Lucia

M. Lucia

Posted
Posted

for baklava and middle eastern sweets:

Rafaat Hallab

for petit fours:

Divine Delights

to boil your own peanuts:

Lee Bros. Boiled Peanuts

I'm lucky to be in New York, with lots of things available, but I would also add Murrays Cheese and Penzeys Spices. And this pasta place on Spring Street you could order from, can't remember the name.

Desert Candy
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Abra

Abra

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Wow, I've found some neat new sites already on this thread - thanks!

I like Shatila for baklava of all sorts. Each shape has a different filling, and the flavors and textures are all distinct. And inexpensive for what you get!

I too get a lot of stuff from igourmet, Zingerman's, and Sweet Maria's.

I also like Adriana's Caravan for unusual spices and all sorts of neat ingredients (thanks to the Rosengarten newsletter for introducing me to this place)

Another great place (local here in Seattle) is The Spanish Table for Spanish ingredients, an incredible collection of inexpensive cazuelas, and a huge assortment of paella pans.

Abra

Blogging our French adventures at French Letters

My first eG foodblog

My second eG foodblog

Chufi and I blog in France

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docsconz

docsconz

Posted
Posted

Rosengarten's Table is a great source for quality internet vendors. My mushroom and citrus sources were taken from there.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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Susan in FL

Susan in FL

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I have ordered from some of those already listed, and in addition: Lotus Foods for rice -- it's where I buy most of my carnaroli rice for risotto; and for some of my Thai ingredients, ImportFood.com and Temple of Thai. Besides those, recently I have ordered most often from Marky's and iGourmet. I have never encountered mediocre products when ordering online.

Life is short; eat the cheese course first.

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slbunge

slbunge

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Formaggio Kitchen is a fantastic cheesemonger that is local for me but sells on the web (click).

We have had excellent luck with the 'small-batch artisan roasted' coffee from Ancora Coffee Roasters in Madison, WI (click).

Have purchased specialty grains and items for baking at King Arthur's online store (click).

Stephen Bunge

St Paul, MN

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highchef

highchef

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slbunge can walk to Formaggio's ..I am totally gonna use them as a mail order source. This has been a good month for me, I also rediscovereed creole cream cheese at the farmer's market in Baton Rouge along with a fine hunk of butter. John Folse's web site http://www.jfolse.com/ sells the cheese. It makes a fine cheesecake, beautiful texture, rich, tart. lovely.

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sparrowgrass

sparrowgrass

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How 'bout Missouri grown rice? Their basmati and jasmine are sooo good--fragrant and tasty. I ran out of jasmine, and bought some "aged Thai" (Royal Thai? something like that) rice at the store--the Thai rice cooked up lighter and more separate, but was flavorless compared to the Martin rice.

Martin Rice Company located in Missouri's bootheel country.

sparrowgrass
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rooftop1000

rooftop1000

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O H bakery for the best Danish .....in the new world :raz:

http://www.ohdanishbakery.com/

got these for Christmas

tracey

The great thing about barbeque is that when you get hungry 3 hours later....you can lick your fingers

Maxine

Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them while you chop away.

"It is the government's fault, they've eaten everything."

My Webpage

garden state motorcyle association

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