Looking for new places to find ingredients in Sacramento

[StephP]

Sacramento people,

Other than:
the farmer's market
Trader Joes
Italian Food Company
Corti Brothers

Where do you go for good ingredients and foodstuffs? Any recommended Mexican markets, Asian Markets, Eastern European, fish distributors or wholesalers???

Thanks in advance,
-s

[melly]

I stopped in at Mi Rancho Super Mercado on the 2200 block of Florin. Nice big Mexican market with a great butcher shop. Lots o stuff!

[Bcakes]

Denio's in Roseville for unique/new ingredients All kinds of dried beans, peppers and lovely fresh veggies and fruits, including many that you won't find in the grocery store. http://www.denios.org/

Orangevale Meat Shoppe has a great selection of different meats and really fresh fish. They don't have a large selection of fish but it is always top quality. Go on Wednesday. http://www.orangevalemeatshoppe.com/

[Sacto_Damkier]

Here are a couple of good places near the central core that I go to for those specialty items. SF Supermarket on Mack & Frankling will not display, but is also good.

-----
Oto's Japan Food
4990 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA

Taylor's Market
2900 Freeport Blvd, Sacramento, CA

[Mr Conlin]

I will try both Oto's and Taylor's this week and report back. Thanks for the info.

[Mr Conlin]

I hit both Oto's and Taylor's Market over the last week. Nothing at Oto's caught my eye.

Taylor's did, though. Picked up half a dozen langoustines and some Arctic Char, and both were great quality. Pricey, but quality.

We also picked up some live seafood from Shun Fat Market, and one can't get any fresher than that.

[Sacto_Damkier]

Fin's Market and Grill has some excellent fresh fish, including fresh ono and opah, on 19th & S. There are several locations throughout Sacramento.

[janetofreno]

Just had brunch with my son and his girlfriend (who is from Japan) and he mentioned that last weekend they drove to Sacramento from Reno with the specific goal of going to Oto's for Japanese ingredients. They were very impressed with the selections, FWIW. (At home they eat Japanese-style almost exclusively....). So at least for one Japanese national it is worth a 120 mile drive....

[ThisNThat]

I don't live there anymore so maybe someone else can vouch if this place is still open. There is/was a poultry store on Broadway around 5th Street. I think it was called New American poultry. The sign was so faded it always looked closed from the outside, but wasn't. They had the best chickens around and also squab and chicken feet for making stock. I talked to the owner one day and he told me he supplied to the Waterboy and Biba. Huge, moist, very fresh chickens to cook at home....

[melly]

They are still open...and the eggs are so fresh sometimes that they are still warm!!

[ThisNThat]

I'm glad to hear they are still there. I had forgotten about them until this post got me thinking. I'll have to bag a few birds the next time I'm in town. I think they close early on the weekends - maybe 2:00.

[Mr Conlin]

I'm still looking for fishmongers in Sacramento. Here is a list of my go-to places, but am quite dissatisfied with the selection and quality.

Corti Brothers
Sacramento Natural Foods Coop
Whole Foods
Fins
Shun Fat Grocery
Wing Wa
Tomales Bay Oyster Co. & The Salmon guy at the Farmer's Market

Its been a while since I have been to:
Oto's
David Berkeley
Taylor's

Anyplace new I should try? God I miss good langoustines, skate, fresh sardines, fresh spanish mackerel. Or does Sacramentans just not demand these?

[jRLuNAS]

La Esperanza does in fact have the most delicious Mexican breads and baked goods in Sacramento! It is a treasure for everyone who goes there! For a nice big Filipino marketstore go to Seafood City on Mack! Next to it is the bakeshop Valerios...very good and a wide range of baked goods! Any La Superior in Sacramento is great, they all have everything. My favorite small market however is Que Huong in North Highlands across from the airbase! They serve hot food to go (filipino) and have a GREAT store! Fresh fish, veggies, fruits everything! And they have baked goods from Goldilocks...I go there to pick up SUMAN when i dont have the time to drive south.

[Roberto]

Yes, that's the place, under the freeway. The oysters are great. Fresh from Tomalas Bay. Salmon, if it's still there, is great. I stay away from the fish stuff at the s/w corner, doesn't look too good to me. I'd like another opinion on that actually.

They still have peaches!!!

Yes, let's do another taco run. Actually I'm on my way to La Favorito for a couple of taco's right now.

Nice to see ya Nick. Have fun at Apple hill.

Roberto

[dimsumgirl]

I totally agree. That vendor on the southwest corner looks suspect to me. I have never bought from them and don't think I ever will. There's much better quality to be had from other vendors and from the Asian markets and even the supermarket.

[Roberto]

Nick, nice to see you again. Yes I too have found the place on Land Park and Sutterville has changed hands and it's not any good at all IMHO. Well ok, not so H. The seafood at the farmers market is the best deal so long as you stay away from the big booth on the south west corner. But the salmon, oysters and stuff from specialists is great. Too bad the salmon is over. Just too fished out. Hope to see you again sometime. That taco run you set up was memorable.

Robert

[nja]

We should do another chowdown when I'm in town. I'll actually be there this weekend (10/13-15) but I'm already booked up. I've doing an event tonight ( http://www.tastefirst.com ) then I'm going to Apple Hill on Saturday for some cider donuts.

This is the Sunday farmer's market under the freeway that you are speaking of, right? I'm supposed to help make a big birthday feast on Sunday afternoon and was thinking of doing some seafood.

-Nick

[nja]

For general groceries and "one-stop-shop," I really like the Natural Foods Co-op at Alhambra and S.

On Franklin from Fruitridge to 12th are a whole slew of Mexican markets. Esperanza has the best Mexican baked goods (empanadas, churros, bolillos, etc.) in Northern California, and their prepared foods counter at the other end of the shopping center is also great.

I used to buy seafood and Asian foods at the big Chinese supermarket at Land Park and Sutterville, but last time I drove by there it looks like it has changed.

[melly]

Nja...I went into the place on Land Park and Sutterville and it looked kinda dirty to me..and no business when I was in there.

Melly www.sacramentofoodgroup.org

[nja]

That's too bad. They had a great seafood counter under the old ownership/management.

[dimsumgirl]

The Chinese market was great while it was Welco (IIRC, that was what it was called). But since it has changed hands, I've been in there a couple of times and left empty-handed as the place was not as clean nor offered the variety or freshness as before.

[jennyfur]

There are several Indian/Pakistani/Asian/Filipino/Mexican markets along Northgate between I-80 and the Garden Highway...including La Superior...and the papusa place that the SN&R loves...La Flor. Great food for cheap!
-jennyfur

[PeterL]

Asian markets along Stockton Blvd. Others will recommend SF Market, but I like the smaller places along the east side of Stockton Blvd. north of SF market.

[Roberto]

I agree, I like Wing WA on Stockton.

Roberto

[Mr Conlin]

These are all great sources. The farmer market fish mongers are the right choice. Great mussels from the oyster guy, and salmon fresh from Half Moon Bay or Noyo Harbor. Those are our standards

I also hear that Fins, the restaurant/fish monger in Fair Oaks and further out is coming downtown to 10th and S. Finally, good escolar on the way home from downtown. It is hard to find a good fish monger in sac. I have been craving monchong...

[sugit]

Fins is actually coming to 19th and S. Right accross the street from the Safeway. Very much looking forward to that.

[free sample addict aka Tracy L]

There's a Fins opening up at Munroe and Fair Oaks where Pescados (how appropriate) used to be. Could it be another branch? Thanks

[sugit]

Correct. They are opening two new locations, the one on Fair Oaks and the one on 19th and S.

I read they were only planning on opening the one on 19th, but when the Pescados location opened up, they felt they couldn't pass up the opportunity.

[free sample addict aka Tracy L]

Thanks, I was so curious that I decided to check it out today. My appetite was off so I opted for the crab sandwich. It had lots of crab and it wasn't too mayonaisey. They added sweet pickle relish and little pieces of processed american cheese, both of which IMHO did not add anything to the salad. The fish in the market part looked excellent. Nice selection without being excessive.

[free sample addict aka Tracy L]

A nice array of Middle Eastern groceries can be found at Mediterranean Market and Deli at 1547 Fulton Ave. It is in between Pier1 and Smart and Final.

http://yp.yahoo.com/py/ypMap.py?Pyt=Typ&tuid=11477271&ck=2696659941&tab=B2C&ycat=7766835&city=Sacramento&state=CA&zip=95864&uzip=95864&country=us&msa=6920&cs=5&ed=4fzBwK1o2TxIjm7YiD8pd9UT1qDv6ycRG1rteRjptHHjpA--&stat=:pos:0:regular:regT:20:fbT:0

I've perused the selection at the european market up the street but have not purchased anything there but it looks great its between El Camino and Marconi on the west side of the street.

As for mexican I was given the recommendation of the Lopez market in the attached link:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

Fish at reasonable prices can be had at the farmers market on Sunday. Perhaps Melly can chime in on some of her finds there.

[melly]

I am glad to know about the mid-Eastern grocer and Lopez. Dimsumgirl is the "go to girl" when it comes to the Sunday farmers market and she goes for Shogun salmon...and next Sunday will be the last call for salmon there till next season.

Oto's Japan Food on Freeport-nice store.

I skipped getting oysters Sunday cause didn't want to shuck em for just me. My husband is not a raw oyster fan...but I love em. It seems wrong to eat raw oysters all alone. I gotta hit the sack.

Melly www.sacramentofoodgroup.org

[dimsumgirl]

Try out the kumamotos. That's how I learned to shuck oysters. Now I like the Atlantics-- harder to shuck but so yummy!

Don't eat the oysters alone-- give me a call and we can shuck away! The guy that used to sell for the oyster company set me up with a glove. I have two oyster knives so anyway who wants to do an oysterfest, let me know!

[melly]

I know how to do it...and I do have a knife! I do much better with the larger ones, I must admit. Let's get it on! We better order oysters ahead of time then. We could go halfsies on Sunday at the market!

[dimsumgirl]

I know that we are meeting up soon for lunch. Let's make plans then. Or maybe we can order up some Chinese style oysters while we are at it!

[Roberto]

Yes, yes and yes. I hope some of these Sacto types check out Melly's site and try to make it to the lunch.

Roberto

[Maryelle]

when I first move here I could only find pine nuts in health food stores. It's much better now. Nugget in West sac has good produce and cheese as does Whole Foods.

[melly]

Taylor's Market on Freeport! Wonderful butcher shop and fresh fish...and many other great ingredients there. Love the place.

Melly http://www.sacramentofoodgroup.org

[Roberto]

SF Chinese market at 65th St and Stockton Blvd.

La Superior Mexican market on Stockton Blvd North of Fruitridge on the west side of the street.

Are both good choices.

Roberto