Tips for Dining, Eating, and Food Shopping in Washington, Oregon and Alaska (exc. Seattle and Portland)
Start New ThreadI'm looking for the best specialty food stores, those stores that sell wonderful treats - chocolate, cheese and the like, in the Pacific NW so I can fashion a tour of the best of the best. Doesn't have to be just in Portland and Seattle, am open to everywhere. Thanks!
By Dehilo
on Nov 26, 2009 12:18 PM
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The outlet called Big John's PFI is the retail arm of Pacific Food Importers, which supplies other retailers and restaurants with Mediterranean foods.
One of their retail customers is Delaurent's, in the Pike Place Market, which supplied Seattle's Italian-American community for decades. When it got all upscale, it got an even bigger selection of exotica. The baskets of Baccala and bins of ceci have been replaced by shelves of Blanxart and so-forth, but it remains a good place to find a few drams of anise oil. Also at Pike Place, find Market Spice, in the main arcade, and World Spice, 1509 Western. The Pike Place Market features dozens of such shops (no chains, by charter), so a tour is in order. Chinatown (International District) has numerous restaurants and specialty stores, including Uwajimaya, and several places where a person can pick up a few pounds of BBQ pork/duck/ribs. Specialty tea and specialty Chniese medicine shops
Get down to South Park and White Center/Burien to find the Mexi-Mart and Salvadoran bakery, and please remember to return to share discoveries.
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I second Mr. Nelso's suggestion of Big John's PFI. What a great store. Also recommended are the Spanish Table, Mutual Fish (for everything from sea urchin to brandizi.) Han's Deli in Burien sells terrific German imports (Chocolate, beer, spatzel, etc.) and features some of the best home cured deli meats in the Northwest. (Especially their ham hocks.) Salumi is a natural for cured meats and a terrific oxtail sauce. (Frozen so you can take it to go.) Bakery Nouveau in West Seattle for the very finest pastries and breads. (Boulangerie Nantaise in Belltown for French Bread runs a close second.) Al-Madina Grocery in Renton for fresh goat and mid-Eastern spices.
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