The Grocery List: Bi-Rite Market, San Francisco
Bi-Rite is a San Francisco institution. Open since 1940, it has been under current family ownership since 1964. This is a unique store, where most of the products are locally sourced, organic and sustainable. I appreciate their help in finding some perfect Italian pantry items for my kitchen though! I found delicious local organic early girl tomatoes, along with made in Italy Savoiardi for tiramisu’. Thanks Bi-Rite!
Other items worth stopping at Bi-Rite for: Capers in salt, as opposed to in vinegar. If you haven’t tried them, they’re worth your time! And just next to them, green pepper in brine, the cornerstone ingredient for Filetto al Pepe Verde!
The artisanal production of Columbus salumi got me completely hooked. Here you can find a Tuscan special, Finocchiona- salame with fennel seeds. Delicious!
Cannellini beans are great- but you don’t always feel like soaking them overnight and then cook them for a few hours! In Italy, I would buy cannellini in glass jars like these, and then either rinse them and pour them over salads or warm them up (in the sauce) with a bit of sage and serve them over a chunk of roasted bread, soup-style. Yummy!
Dried porcini: not as good as fresh ones, but meglio che niente! (bettere than nothing!)
Last- a wonderful mozzaerlla di Bufala Campana sporting the DOP seal on the label. It’s also called Gustosella- you can’t miss!
Bi-Rite Market
3639 18th Street
San Francisco CA 94110
415-241-9760
PS: Bi-Rite is running a Holiday special on all wines- - 20% on cases for two weekends: Nov 13th to the 16th and December 11th to the 14th.
Filed under: San Francisco, The Grocery List
