Source for good chickens? [SF, East Bay or Peninsula]

[cometraveler]

Saw this thread and was wondering if anyone had a reliable source for good chickens, either in the East Bay or Peninsula?

Getting ok chickens never used to be a problem, especially if you went for the free range ones. Lately, however, we have had a hard time finding anything good, ingredients wise. The chickens seem to (when cooked, of course) have a weird, mushy texture, and don't taste good at all. The Mary's chickens we have gotten have all been like this, and now that Mary's seem to be ubiquitous, we are having a hard time finding anything good. Seems crazy that it would be so tough to find something good in such a basic ingredient as chicken!

[ckshen]

I know u didn't ask about south bay. but you can try jidori chicken at Mitsuwa in San Jose.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/din...

[foodeye]

These from the Berkeley Farmer's Market have been great lately, though you need to be willing to buy the whole bird (w/ head/feet)

http://ecologycenter.org/bfm/vendors/... Hills Farm&id=10090

[wally]

Riverdog chickens are really good but they are very large.

[Robert Lauriston]

Riverdog's our go-to place for chickens. Best eggs at the market, too, though those tend to run out early.

[Spenbald]

We make special trips from SF to Berkeley just to get the Riverdog chickens. They're spectacular.

[daveena]

I get fresh Vikon chickens at T&S market in Oakland Chinatown (323 9th St). I remember spending a lot more for a Soul Food Farm chicken, roasting it, and thinking it didn't taste remotely as good as the much cheaper Chinatown Vikon. They also have crazy cheap frozen duck legs (maybe $2.50/lb).

[Melanie Wong]

I have a vague recollection of driving past a loading dock on 9th or 10th that had a bunch of Vikon chicken delivery trucks parked there. Maybe that's T & S? I thought it looked like a wholesale poultry mart.

[daveena]

That's it. The shop itself is pretty small and easy to miss.

[sundeck sue]

Just went on your recommendation. Frozen duck legs, now $4.50 a lb.--got a wonderful whole duck for something like $2.40 a pound--and the people behind the counter were really nice and helpful. Definitely going on my list as a keeper.

[Melanie Wong]

Since Fulton Valley closed its plant in Sonoma County and consolidated in the Central Valley, I hardly see them in markets any more. Shame, as they're also air-chilled and seemed fresher to me than Mary's.
http://www.fultonvalley.com/products.php

I was in Marina Foods in San Mateo recently to purchase a black silky chicken, available there fresh and not just frozen, and noticed that it also carries Vikon and Loong Kong chickens, which are free-range Chinese heritage birds.

[rubadubgdub]

You can buy Fulton Valley at Magnanis in Berkeley. They sell them with head and feet on. I've found that a salt cure can completely transform a chicken's texture and flavor from indifferent to delectable.

[cometraveler]

Thank you! This is a great list of other chickens to look for. I was beginning to think this did not exist any more. Maybe it's just me, but lately it seems that good ingredients are getting harder and harder to find.

[cometraveler]

One question though - found a place where we may be able get Riverdog chickens. Says that feet and heads are left on, but my question is - is the inside of the chicken cleaned out or do you need to do some extra cleaning there too ? As you can tell, am not the most experienced chef, so just want to know what to expect. Thanks!

[Robert Lauriston]

They're gutted, no extra cleaning. The feet and head are good for stock.