461601 Sat Nov 17 15:34:19 -0800 2007 34 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 3134494 Hi, Does anyone know where I can find a good selection of wild mushrooms in the bay area. I am in the peninsula (Menlo Park), so a store around there would be ideal. In SF or berkeley would be great as well. Thanks Chris Sat Nov 17 15:34:19 -0800 2007 143756 cschill 1 3134507 Hi - I can't help you in Menlo Park other than to suggest Whole Foods, but you will pay, dearly. Up here in Berkeley, the Monterey market on Hopkins St. has great prices on well selected mushrooms. The (infamous) Berkeley Bowl has a great selection, too, but higher prices and frustrating parking. Of course, even better, learn how to forage for your own ;) Like I have. the Mycological Society of SF is a great bunch of fungi friendly folks to learn from... mssf.org cacao Sat Nov 17 15:41:36 -0800 2007 3134494 20640 cacao 2 3134515 Yeah, I thought about Whole Paycheck, but Monterey market sounds good. Ill check that out. I also heard of the MSSF, I was looking forward to trying to get out to pick my own this year. I can't before thanksgiving though, so I will try to buy some. Sat Nov 17 15:44:33 -0800 2007 3134507 143756 cschill 3 3135131 Have you tried the Milk Pail in Mountain View? http://www.chow.com/places/12002 Sat Nov 17 21:59:00 -0800 2007 3134515 10264 rworange 4 3135294 I was just at Milk Pail today looking for mushrooms. Their selection was limited to white button, portobello, oyster and shitake. Sun Nov 18 00:48:27 -0800 2007 3135131 10832 Humbucker 2 3136054 I was at Berkeley Bowl yesterday and stopped for a few moments to gawk at the mushrooms -- they had some I'd never seen before (as usual). This time of year I don't bother with the parking lot -- I've yet to fail to find parking on the street within a block. And there aren't any barriers, so you can take your cart all the way to your car, if, like me, you "ran in" for six things and came out with six bags! Sun Nov 18 11:02:52 -0800 2007 3134507 10159 Ruth Lafler 3 3136393 Ruth: You don't say what kinds of mushrooms you got (if any). I was there early last week and was less than thrilled with the chanterelles. They looked limp and watery. Did they look good to you this week? Btw, you should get old and retarded, er, retired, like me and go to BB at 2:00 p.m. Sun Nov 18 13:30:21 -0800 2007 3136054 10245 oakjoan 4 3136418 ...or smart like me and go Friday or Saturday evening when most "normal" people are out "tying one on"! hee hee Sun Nov 18 13:39:25 -0800 2007 3136393 25012 chemchef 5 3136637 Actually, the very, very best time to go is between 4:30 and 5:00 on a weekday night. Nobody's gotten off work and all those who don't work have finished shopping. There are even parking spaces. Sun Nov 18 15:16:19 -0800 2007 3136418 10245 oakjoan 6 3136800 Not that it matters, but I get off work at 4, and have gone after work and still think that Friday/Saturday evening is better. Sun Nov 18 16:30:11 -0800 2007 3136637 25012 chemchef 4 3136432 I didn't get any -- I don't like mushroom, I just like to look at them. I didn't look closely, but I thought the chanterelles looked pretty good. They had something called "cauliflower mushrooms" that looked amazing. Sun Nov 18 13:46:34 -0800 2007 3136393 10159 Ruth Lafler 4 3136441 I saw on your other post that you didn't think much of the chanterelles at the Monterey market. I thought they looked pretty good when I was there last Wednesday. In fact, I made a mental note to get some once Thanksgiving madness is over. Sun Nov 18 13:50:31 -0800 2007 3136393 11231 Glencora 5 3136642 I haven't looked in the recent past. Will check them out tomorrow. Sun Nov 18 15:18:07 -0800 2007 3136441 10245 oakjoan 6 3136747 They were a little beat up yesterday but they were $9.00 a pound. Sun Nov 18 16:04:30 -0800 2007 3136642 10133 wally 5 3137023 Thanksgiving madness indeed. Even Raley's was mobbed today. Which brings up that if anyone gets desparate Raley's/Nob Hill had a nice little exotic mushroom package with a few types I haven't noticed before like clamshell mushrooms. I'd go to the farmers markets, Monterry Market or Berkeley Bowl, but it is a backup to consider. They actually looked pretty nice ... but mushrooms are a thing of timing ... you have to hit the market at the right time. Sun Nov 18 17:48:29 -0800 2007 3136441 10264 rworange 2 3141136 I tried to go to Monterrey Market Saturday but gave up - parking is too frustrating. I understand Friday is bad, too. Tue Nov 20 00:58:23 -0800 2007 3134507 13619 Sharuf 1 3135120 Far West Fungi in the Ferry Plaza building (http://www.farwestfungi.com/) typically has an excellent selection - their prices vary depending on availabilty, but last week they had some beuatiful porcinis for about $30 a pound. Sat Nov 17 21:50:09 -0800 2007 3134494 15463 BernalFarmer 2 3137403 I agree. They also sell at several local farmer's markets including Alemany and Civic Center. They are not all $30 a pound. The shitakes are very high quality and usually <$10 a pound. It looks like they go to the farmers markets in Mountain View and Palo Alto. http://www.farwestfungi.com/MarketLocations Sun Nov 18 20:15:03 -0800 2007 3135120 10966 Windy 1 3135305 I get my Shitaki, Trumpet, and Oyster mushrooms for $3/lb in the Sunset. Somewhere around 23rd and Irving, iirc. Don't know the name of the store. There is a great mushroom place in the ferry building for more 'upscale' wild mushrooms. Sun Nov 18 01:13:37 -0800 2007 3134494 50041 whiner 1 3135839 You might try Draegers too since you are in Menlo Park. Also, the local farmers markets will have them. Sun Nov 18 09:25:42 -0800 2007 3134494 130031 Shane Greenwood 1 3135947 I usually buy them at the Berkeley Farmer's market (and other local farmer's markets have them as well). I only mention this because in the Bay Area there are usually farmer's markets nearly every day of the week. I should also mention that there is a mushroom festival going on at the Ferry Bldg next weekend. I'll be out of town, unfortunately, and won't be able to attend, but it looks interesting. Sun Nov 18 10:09:25 -0800 2007 3134494 25012 chemchef 2 3136395 Too bad it's after Thanksgiving! Sun Nov 18 13:31:00 -0800 2007 3135947 10245 oakjoan 1 3138996 Have you checked out any of the farmer's markets in this area? Palo Alto is on Saturday, Menlo Park and Mountain View are on Sunday. I'm not 100 percent certain about MP, but I think the same mushroom people have a stand at all three, or for sure at Palo Alto and Mountain View, at least. I was there yesterday, and they had chanterelles for $12/lb (that's the lowest I've ever seen them!), shiitake, king trumpets, oysters, lion's mane and the regular portabella, whites, and browns. They sometimes have maitake, but I didn't see any yesterday. Sigona's at the Stanford Shopping Center also has a bunch, but they are much pricier than the farmer's market, and I think less selection. Mon Nov 19 11:12:10 -0800 2007 3134494 116395 anzu 2 3139113 The mushroom man at the Menlo Park market usually has farm-fresh eggs too. Get there early because they sell out fast! Mon Nov 19 11:41:29 -0800 2007 3138996 130031 Shane Greenwood 2 3139458 I was at the MV farmer's market yesterday, too, and I noticed they also had truffles, two kinds, white and black. One was $400/lb, the other was $4/per little tiny mushroom. Also, they usually have "ugly" or "overripe" containers of many of their varieties which are much cheaper. All in all, the best price and selection of mushrooms I've seen around. These guys do sell at other Farmer's Markets, or maybe they distribute to other people, but they have the widest variety that I've seen only in MV. Mon Nov 19 13:14:42 -0800 2007 3138996 15228 JoyM 3 3139671 As noted above, this is Far West Fungi, the people who own the store in the Ferry Building. Mon Nov 19 14:06:05 -0800 2007 3139458 10966 Windy 1 3139834 Sigona's on Middlefield Rd. across from Costco in RWC had a bunch of porchinis and other mushrooms. I happened to be there when they got a delivery last week. Mon Nov 19 14:51:01 -0800 2007 3134494 15147 mochimunchie 1 3141125 Wow, I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet. Around SF peninsula, many of the restaurants that use wild mushrooms and some markets have been sourced for years by a tall guy with a van, known professionally if I remember as The Mushroom King. I have his card somewhere. Unless things have changed lately, he's still in business. (Even people who can't recall his business name remember him as the "tall guy.") He often delivers at night, the van is crammed with fresh seasonal local wild mushrooms in bins by type, from contracted gatherers. I've seen boletes the size of a large eggplant or pineapple. If you are seriously interested, you could probably get what you need directly from him, "the source." Check into this or ask the kitchen of a local restaurant of some kind that uses wild mushrooms. They are approaching their productive season locally now. Chanterelles are abundant in wet months from the local forests (and even back yards), multiple species: Cantharellus cibarius (the well known ones), C. subalbidus (white), Craterallus cantharellus. Also morels, the aforementioned boletes (cepes or "porcini"), shiitake, various others. Tue Nov 20 00:34:47 -0800 2007 3134494 69634 eatzalot 2 3141128 Here's a piece about him, http://www.examiner.com/a-1015947~Meet%20the%20Bay%20Area%E2%80%99s%20No.%201%20fungi%20fanatic.html Tue Nov 20 00:39:45 -0800 2007 3141125 10039 Melanie Wong 3 3141549 Thanks for that excellent link, Melanie. It seems that this specialty business has grown since I met the Mushroom King 6-7 years ago, introduced by the chef of a local restaurant that was buying his products. (From the photo it also looks like he shaved his beard.) It's probably good for anyone in the Bay Area with a serious or quantity interest in wild mushrooms to be aware of this source. Tue Nov 20 06:53:12 -0800 2007 3141128 69634 eatzalot 4 3141981 Any idea where his store is in DC? Is it open to the public? I have an old # for him, but I'd love to be able to go into a store whenever I needed mushrooms. Tue Nov 20 08:49:30 -0800 2007 3141549 11225 rabaja 5 3142035 I just created a Places entry for the King of Mushrooms, here's the link, http://www.chow.com/places/15921 Tue Nov 20 09:04:16 -0800 2007 3141981 10039 Melanie Wong 6 3145265 That's really good to know. Thank you very much! Wed Nov 21 08:38:13 -0800 2007 3142035 11225 rabaja 1 3142127 Go to the Ferry Building. We just went there for ingredients for a mushroom pate and were able to get everything we need. They also have a farmers market on the weekend which might afford some other selections. Tue Nov 20 09:25:00 -0800 2007 3134494 144420 hillarykb 1 3302941 Far West Fungi usually has a nice variety of fresh and dried. http://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/farwest_fungi.php Wed Jan 16 17:10:06 -0800 2008 3134494 158091 chetco