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foodfanUSA Sep 5, 2009 09:31 AM

Where to find a goose in the bay area?

Looking to prepare a eastern european meal and the centerpiece will be a roast goose. Any suggestions or hints would be welcome. I know its traditionally only sold around holiday times but I have seen the odd one here or there this summer.

  1. Robert Lauriston Nov 23, 2009 07:57 AM

    I noticed frozen geese at Berkeley Bowl yesterday.

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    Berkeley Bowl
    2020 Oregon St, Berkeley, CA 94703

    1. Kosmonaut Nov 4, 2009 11:08 AM

      Safeway has frozen goose in the freezer cases around the holidays only.
      I sometimes see them at Golden Gate Meats in the Ferry Building, and the Bristol Farms at the Westfield Center.

      Guerra's says they have them on their site: http://guerrameats.com/products2.aspx...
      Drewes Bros. also has them but you have to call 1 day in advance.

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      Golden Gate Meat
      Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111

      Bristol Farms
      845 Market Street, San Francisco, CA

      Ferry Building
      One Ferry Building, San Francisco, CA 94111

      1. s
        Sharuf Oct 22, 2009 01:25 AM

        You'll find lots of geese hanging out at the Marin County Civic Center lagoon. :-)

        1. s
          skwid Sep 8, 2009 07:53 AM

          I suspect that you will be able to get Goose in Chinatown in either Oakland or San Francisco. I do know that Polarica will definitely have Goose.

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          Polarica
          105 Quint St, San Francisco, CA

          2 Replies
          1. re: skwid
            Melanie Wong Nov 4, 2009 11:27 AM

            Polarica did not have any geese available when I called two weeks ago, but expected to have them for the holidays.

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            Polarica
            105 Quint St, San Francisco, CA

            1. re: Melanie Wong
              c
              celeryroot Nov 4, 2009 02:45 PM

              about 2 years ago I got at Polarica and it was frozen and rather "ribby". There used to be a farm outside of Sebastopol that had them fresh every year , I cant remember the name as it has been at least 5 years,

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              Polarica
              105 Quint St, San Francisco, CA

          2. rworange Sep 7, 2009 11:29 PM

            Raley's / Nob Hill has been carrying frozen goose.

            3 Replies
            1. re: rworange
              Melanie Wong Nov 22, 2009 05:50 PM

              In case anyone is looking for a goose for the holidays, this was a great tip. It saved me last month when I'd planned a wine dinner for 14 people around Julia Child's braised goose stuffed with sausage and chestnuts, then I couldn't find a goose!

              I would have preferred fresh, but the frozen goose that I bought from Nob Hill in Alameda was pristine, and it had all it's giblets. Price was higher than I expected costing me nearly $70 for a 9+ lb. bird.
              http://twitpic.com/mr863

              I talked to the meat guy in the store and he said that he gets a shipment of frozen geese once a year and once they're gone, that's it. At that time, there were about 6 in the case with weights between 9 and 10 lbs. I was in the Petaluma Raley's recently and noticed that it had several frozen geese, bigger ones around 12 lbs.

              Lucky for me I didn't buy a bigger one. Once I defrosted it, I tried to fit it in my covered roasting pan. If I cross the legs and cinched them up tightly with a firm trussing, I could close the lid. Whew!

              The recipe came out fantastic and that size bird was just right with many other dishes for that size of dinner party. I made some very rich stock with the carcass. The little bits of meat went into a bowl of goose rillettes and I had some very good gravy leftover. The 9+ lb bird rendered nearly a quart of goose fast.

              1. re: Melanie Wong
                rworange Nov 22, 2009 06:14 PM

                Glad that worked out. I was glancing at the Raley's frozen geese last week. The San Pablo store had quite a few in the freezer. The goose I looked at was $57 though I'm not sure the weight because it made me go 'wow'.

                1. re: rworange
                  Melanie Wong Nov 22, 2009 06:23 PM

                  Oh yeah, the checker did a major double take ringing up my purchase! The price as about $2 per pound more than I'm used to paying. I wonder if the Chinese butchers will have geese again after the holidays, maybe they only can get them in off season.

            2. Melanie Wong Sep 5, 2009 04:33 PM

              Cheung Hing on Clement St had fresh geese in the case when I was there in May. Many Chinese butchers in SF and Oakland have fresh geese available.

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              Cheung Hing
              323 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 94118

              2 Replies
              1. re: Melanie Wong
                s
                SteveG Sep 8, 2009 12:40 PM

                Cheung Hing still had geese recently, maybe in July when I stopped in to check them out. I think it's a year around thing for them.

                1. re: SteveG
                  Melanie Wong Oct 21, 2009 01:44 PM

                  I called Cheung Hing today to see about picking a goose and was told "no goose, no more".

              2. o
                OldTimer Sep 5, 2009 11:55 AM

                You might check Sonoma Poultry...they have some pretty big ducks.
                http://www.libertyducks.com/price.html

                1. Robert Lauriston Sep 5, 2009 10:43 AM

                  You can order goose from pretty much any full-service butcher. Polarica sells wild goose.

                  http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/32511

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