Good asian grocery at 29th/Mission San Francisco?

[bong]

Have recently moved to this area. Looking for advice on good quality asian grocery stores.

Along Mission st, from about 30th to about 21st st would be good.

I am looking for sources of good quality "ethnic" produce and fresh seafood.

There are plenty of small groceries around here (mostly latino), but which are the really good ones?

[eje]

Have recently moved to this area. Looking for advice on good quality asian grocery stores.

Along Mission st, from about 30th to about 21st st would be good.

I am looking for sources of good quality "ethnic" produce and fresh seafood.

There are plenty of small groceries around here (mostly latino), but which are the really good ones?

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Hi Bong!

Welcome to San Francisco generally, and Bernal specifically!

There are a few eGulleters in this neck of the woods.

Shopping advice:

First and foremost is the Saturday Farmers' Market at Crescent and Alemany. If you haven't been there yet, that should first on your list. I buy most of my produce, eggs, honey, olive oil, etc., from vendors there every Saturday.

I assume you have found Good Life Grocery on Cortland. Their produce is good and most things are fairly priced. They also have a good selection of bulk items and dry goods. Watch the quality and freshness of items from their meat counter. High volume items like chicken and ground beef are usually OK. Steaks, pork, and fish I buy at Drewes' Brothers on Church near 29th.

There are a couple other Butchers on Mission that are well thought of among some of my friends. I haven't tried them personally.

I've found El Ahora (sp?) on Mission near Cortland to be pretty good for dry goods and fresh tortillas. Their small selection of produce is OK, too. I haven't ever tried their meat or other items.

I don't know of any Asian Groceries and will be curious to try any which other folks might mention. I usually do my shopping for Asian items in the Sunset or Richmond neighborhoods.

-Erik

[bong]

Thanks for the reply.

First and foremost is the Saturday Farmers' Market at Crescent and Alemany.  If you haven't been there yet, that should first on your list.  I buy most of my produce, eggs, honey, olive oil, etc., from vendors there every Saturday.

Yes, I have checked out the Alemany Farmers' Market. Its pretty good, one complaint I have is there are very very few organic produce stalls here (yes, I am spoiled).

I assume you have found Good Life Grocery on Cortland.  Their produce is good and most things are fairly priced.  They also have a good selection of bulk items and dry goods.  Watch the quality and freshness of items from their meat counter.  High volume items like chicken and ground beef are usually OK.  Steaks, pork, and fish I buy at Drewes' Brothers on Church near 29th.

Havent checked out Good Life yet, was planning to. Thanks for the reminder. Thanks also for the info on Drewes, thats new to me.

There are a couple other Butchers on Mission that are well thought of among some of  my friends.  I haven't tried them personally.

I've found El Ahora (sp?) on Mission near Cortland to be pretty good for dry goods and fresh tortillas.  Their small selection of produce is OK, too.  I haven't ever tried their meat or other items.

Thanks for all of this info... Do you know of any Butchers on Mission who have good quality goat meat ("chivo")?

Thanks

[eje]

Yes, I have checked out the Alemany Farmers' Market. Its pretty good, one complaint I have is there are very very few organic produce stalls here (yes, I am spoiled).

Thanks for all of this info... Do you know of any Butchers on Mission who have good quality goat meat ("chivo")?

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Yeah, there could be more organic producers. However, if you ask, a lot of the Alemany purveyors are transitional, or at least no spray, if not "certified organic".

The two Mission butchers I know by reputation are Lucky Pork (23rd and Mission) and another at 22nd and Mission near La Altena Taqueria. Sorry, don't know the name of the one at 22nd and Mission. I have a friend who had a Goat-Q earlier this year, I will send a note and ask where they got it.

-Erik

[Margaret Pilgrim]

.... another at 22nd and Mission near La Altena Taqueria.

-Erik

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Yes! From Mission Street, walk into the mini-mall (Mission Market) that is behind La Altena. There are two large shops in the back, on the south side you'll find lots of pork and pork products plus a good selection of red meats. This is where I buy slab bacon. (It seems that today most bacon is presliced in the packing houses before it is shipped out to shops.) Lovely bone-in side meat for choucroute, etc. On the north side is a shop that specializes in poultry, rabbits, fish, etc. They sell two sizes rabbit: frying and stewing, nice touch. Specialty poultry looks good also. I would spend a lot more of my meat dollar between these two shops were they not so far from my house; as it is, I make special trips when I need one of their specialties.

[JAZ]

Drewe's doesn't have a huge selection in their shop, but they can (and will) order for you. I'm not sure about goat, but it's worth a call.

Drewes Brothers

[eje]

I know there is a big asian supermarket somewhere around here. Daly City or South City, maybe. I can't remember the name at the moment.

Some googleing has turned up a 99 Ranch in Daly City that I didn't know about.

[ScorchedPalate]

I need to make a field trip to Ranch 99. I love the one in Seattle.

My favorite mexican grocery is Casa Lucas, on 24th Street. I originally went there because I was annoyed with the limp poblanos I was finding at other shops. Not only was their produce a LOT higher quality, it's dramatically cheaper.

Now I do the vast majority of my produce shopping here (which isn't all that much, since we subscribe to a weekly produce box). They also have an excellent selection of canned and boxed items, and a small housewares aisle in the back.

For cheeses and fresh lard and masa, I go to La Palma. (When I haven't remembered to pre-order fresh-ground masa from Rancho Gordo at the Ferry Plaza market.)

[eje]

Oh, and I know a lot of people my age and younger like to shop at Trader Joe's.

Both of the Trader Joe's in San Francisco are a pain to get to and park at.

From Bernal, if you have a car, the one in Daly City tends to be less crowded, has parking, and is a short hop South on 280.

Click here for a map.

And while you're in Daly City, for a trip back to the 50s complete with vinyl booths, stiff cocktails, and cranky senior citizen waiters, don't forget Joe's of Westlake. There is also a Todai across the freeway in the same mall with the Century 20 Theater.

[ScorchedPalate]

I forgot to be snide about Drewes!

The first time we went there, on the advice of friends who love to cook, I was really impressed. Not a huge selection, but everything we saw looked amazingly fresh. The baby-back ribs we bought for $4.99 a pound were awesome. The recommending friends tell us that the guys there are happy to accommodate special orders with advance notice, which is cool.

On our next visit, I was a LOT less impressed. We decided that their name should be "Drewes Bros Meats... but Only For Your Grill". We had gone in search of a top round to roast -- not exactly an exotic cut. The guy behind the counter gave us a sneer and said "we don't really, uh, sell top round."

Frankly, if you don't start your day with sides of beef -- or at least primal cuts -- you forfeit the right to call yourself a butcher. Those who buy meat in shrinkwrapped plastic chunks and repackage it for retail sale are merely "meat sellers" in my opinion.

I think I got spoiled by three years of Don & Joe's in Seattle.

Edited November 11, 2005 by ScorchedPalate (log)

[eje]

Frankly, if you don't start your day with sides of beef -- or at least primal cuts -- you forfeit the right to call yourself a butcher. Those who buy meat in shrinkwrapped plastic chunks and repackage it for retail sale are merely "meat sellers" in my opinion.

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True enough.

Though, when your choices are cryovac'd beef, lamb and pork cuts from Niman Ranch at Drewes' and cryovac'd beef, lamb and pork cuts from IBP/Tyson just about everywhere else...

Which is not to say, I don't find Drewes' small selection and limited options frustrating. They don't even normally carry T-bones fer cripes sake!

I just compare the service/price/quality of meat I get from them to the service/price quality of meat I get from the meat dept's at Whole Foods and Good Life.

I will be checking out the place at 22nd and Mission!

-Erik

added comments.

Edited November 11, 2005 by eje (log)

[ScorchedPalate]

Though, when your choices are cryovac'd beef, lamb and pork cuts from Niman Ranch at Drewes' and cryovac'd beef, lamb and pork cuts from IBP/Tyson just about everywhere else...

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True enough, also.

Although in terms of other options, I've been pretty happy with the butchers at Andronico's, and very much so at Mollie Stone's Twin Peaks location (aka Tower Market).

[rancho_gordo]

My favorite mexican grocery is Casa Lucas, on 24th Street. I originally went there because I was annoyed with the limp poblanos I was finding at other shops. Not only was their produce a LOT higher quality, it's dramatically cheaper.

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When I lived in the city, Casa Lucas was my main source of food. The 240 billion key limes for 99 cents was often reason enough but they also had almost all the local tortillas (Gran D'oro were the most popular) delivered and most of the (then) obscure Latin vegetables I was interested in. I became a yucca fanatic (deep fried or boiled and topped with chicharrones!) and learned how to use tamarind. It's so cheap you can experiment. I think this is where I discovered Huichol hot sauce. 69 cents worth of heaven in a bottle!

I also learned to say "a Usted!" when the clerk would say "Gracias". Made me feel swell!

[eje]

RE: Goat

I asked at Drewe's today, and they will special order goat, but, only if you take the whole carcass (about 25 pounds).

My friend who had the Goat-Q got his from the butcher near 22nd on Mission. Also a special order.