SF Visit: Bulk Foods Market

[Reddyrat]

I'm a Minneapolois 'hound and will be visiting SF for a few days in June. I've recently become a big fan of Heidi Swanson's blog www.101cookbooks.com and her cookbooks. Many of her recipes call for unusual flours, such as mesquite flour, quinoa flour, teff flour, and amaranth flour, to name a few. She also lists exotic grains such as red quinoa and red rice.

Since she lives in the SF area, I'm assuming there are some natural foods markets with a large supply of diverse flours and grains. I would like to find some of these places.

What are the best gourmet and/or natural foods markets in the area? Is it worthwhile to go to a Whole Foods in SF or is the store just like all the other Whole Foods? I've heard about a Rainbow market. Is that good? What are some other well-known and well-respected markets.

Thanks in advance.
Alison

[rworange]

Rainbow market is probably your best source of those odd items in the city of SF. For VERY gourmet ($$$) check out Boulette's Larder at the Ferry Building. If you can't get it there, you can't get it anywhere.

As far as SF, the Whole Foods are like anywhere else. There's a mega WF in Oakland, but for the items you are interested in no better than the rest. Out of your range, the largest WH and the most novel is in Napa ... but mainly for the wine bar and the large selection of local produce.

You really should consider a trip to Berkeley and the Berkeley Bowl which has a spectacular selection of items that you are looking for. There are at least a dozen types of rice. If they have the jade green rice, I recommend it. If you go to Berkeley on Tuesday there is a local organic rice company that sells at the Tuesday Market (they also sell at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on Saturday).

Driving over to the East Bay the Flour Mill (I think that's the name) might also interest you.

But Berkeley Bowl ... that's the important stop.

[sydthekyd]

Actually it's the good old "Food Mill" in Oakland I think you're referring.

[Xiao Yang]

I hope the Food Mill's QC has improved since the 60's. We'd make pilgrimages there in our Adele Davis days, only to end up throwing out moldy or weevily grains. I think we defected to the Westbrae Market the minute it opened. Is it still around in any guise?

[wally]

The Natural Grocery Company is on Gilman where I think that used to be.

[Joel]

Both Whole Foods and Berkeley Bowl carry many varieties of Bob's Red Mill products. They are not sold in bulk, but are packed in very well sealed containers and are very fresh -- many of these products go stale or rancid on storage.
If you scroll down on the page linked below you will find many of these items.
https://www.bobsredmill.com/catalog/i...

[rworange]

Yes, but I would not want to give the OP the impression that Berkeley Bowl is limited to Bob's Red Mill which lots of markets carry ... at least in the Bay Area.

There are two whole rows of bulk grains and items at BB in addition to lots and lots ... and lots ... of packaged things.

Milan on University in Berkeley is another interesting place to check out for bulk items. It is an Indian Market.

[Robert Lauriston]

Good call on Milan. It has the widest selection of any Indian market in Berkeley or SF.

[rworange]

Any Asian markets that might have a nice and varied bulk selection?

In terms of Mexican, none of the small mercados in the area is worth a special visit or anything you couldn't get at Berkeley Bowl.

[Robert Lauriston]

Definitely Rainbow. You might check out Berkeley Bowl as well. You can get teff at Brundo (Ethiopian deli).

I'm not sure that the Whole Foods bulk section is any bigger in the SF stores than it is in Minneapolis.

[virtualguthrie]

It's already been said but worth saying again. Rainbow Grocery and Berkeley Bowl are what you are looking for and you should try to make it to both of them if you can. They are quintessentially bay area in their own ways. Both have fantastic bulk departments.

[ML8000]

I like Rainbow for many reasons like when I want some bulk items or that special pre-dot com, slackeresque, angry hipster/boho vibe. Perhaps I'm weird but I sometimes find the nice-nice cheeriness, of say a WF, a drag. I appreciate the old school detachment and whatever attitude refreshing. Plus International Workers Day is a holiday...so bag your own crud yuppie scum!

[Xiao Yang]

Not to mention the 10% across-the-board discount for Seniors (that's me) and card-carrying bicyclists (BABC members).

[ML8000]

So does that mean you get 20% off, or just one at a time? Still, nice to know.

[Xiao Yang]

I have no idea, not being a bicyclist. If I can double down, I'l be happy to join BABC nonetheless.

[heidihi]

Hope you have a great trip! I was referring to Rainbow in the intro of the book. The mesquite flour is sometimes tricky to find there, but it is typically in the big jars on the wall in the flour bin sections. They have an outrageous spice section as well. Safe travels, -h

[Robert Lauriston]

I just noticed today that Koreana Plaza has 20 or so esoteric flours: mung bean, green bean, roasted soy, etc. Probably any big Korean supermarket would have a similar selection.