10 Bay Area Specialty Grocers Delivering Wagyu and More

Here’s how to patronize Northern California’s best independent vendors

April 29, 2020 10:24 am
A-Five Meats
A-Five Meats
Instagram/@gozu.sf

Forget delivery slots. 

Some of Northern California’s best independent growers and makers are still cranking out food that beats the hell out of Whole Foods. You won’t find Raisin Bran Crunch or paper towels (though if you have either, we’re making offers), but if you’re in need of top-grade wagyu, award-winning cheese, marrow bones, white truffle olive oil or fresh-caught California halibut, you’ve come to the right place.

It pays to live in one of the world’s great food baskets. Now it’s our turn to ensure they’ll get to keep doing what they’re doing for many years to come. 

Belcampo


Vegetarians will definitely want to look elsewhere, but the meat-centric home cook will find everything from chicken wings and grass-fed ground beef to marrow bones and oxtail. Shipping overnight to the Lower 48.

Mt. Tam from Cowgirl Creamery

Cowgirl Creamery


Everyone’s favorite Marin cheesemakers now offer delivery throughout the North Bay and in S.F. (the latter by Mercato, or pick-up at the Ferry Building) — not just the award-winning Mt. Tam and Red Hawk, but cheese-centric meal kits like vegetarian lasagna and mac and cheese, as well. 

A-Five Meats Pop-Up Butcher Shop


Looking to upgrade your steak game? Marc Zimmerman, chef/owner of GOZU, is offering two options of wagyu pick-up boxes: Highlights of the Essential Butcher Pack include Miyazaki strip, Duroc pork chops, jidori eggs and wagyu tallow, while the Wagyu Exploration Pack “features Wagyu from four global locations.” Limited delivery within S.F. via Tock; other options are available if you’re sheltering in place across city limits. 

Bariani Olive Oil


It might be time to up your olive oil game — maybe with the White Truffle Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2019, suitable for adding to soups, pasta and more, with white truffles coming to you straight from northern Italy. Shipping from Yolo County via UPS. 

Phat Beets Produce


If you can get yourself to Omni Commons in Oakland, consider Phat Beets as your CSA box of choice — their “BeetBox” offers fruit ‘n’ veg from “small farmers and farmers of color that grow the freshest pesticide free and organic produce.” (They’ll try to deliver if you’re part of a vulnerable population.) 

Far West Fungi


Maybe you want to go 100% self-supplied mushrooms, in which case you’ll want a mini-farm, hand-assembled in Moss Landing and available in yellow tree oyster, Lion’s Mane shiitake, pink tree oyster and blue tree oyster. Also offering black garlic bulbs, black trumpet powder and tree oyster jerky. 

The Spanish Table


If you’re working your way through an Iberian cookbook, try here for hard-to-find ingredients: alcaparrones, aged manchego, Portuguese sea salt and saffron threads for your next paella ($149 for a single ounce). 

Real Good Fish

Real Good Fish


Real Good Fish ships the best of the Monterey Bay catch across the West Coast and neighboring states from its HQ in Moss Landing. Their Best Coast Box mixes seafood and local meat and poultry, while the Seafood Lovers’ Box offers “four different species of premium seafood,” depending on what’s in season. 

Ocean2Table


While O2T’s “Fish & Farm” boxes are currently sold out, they’re still offering shares of fish like sablefish, California halibut, and rainbow trout. 

Mama Cho’s


For a handful of Korean grocery items, Mama Cho’s can help: kimchi, sliced Kurobuta pork belly and thinly sliced rib eye, suitable for bulgogi (or cheesesteaks). Delivering to S.F. and select counties (San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda and Contra Costa). 

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