Big John's PFI

A fun shop to explore! Many Italian, Middle Eastern, etc. specialties like pasta, sauces, olives, candies. And much more! Not a large shop, but well organized with vegetarian salami or pork salami, fancy cheeses and meats in deli case. Green peppercorns for your steak sauce recipes, pizza flour for your baked goods, wines, plus cocktail bitters of all sorts. Take your time and wander through. Not a bargain hunter's shop, but more of an upscale gourmet happy place. Friendly staffing. Helpful to know: Free parking garage is convenient, if a little tight getting around a corner into it. And watch for two way traffic going up or out of the ramp.

I have been coming here with my family since I was little back when they were a hole in the wall on the outskirts of the ID. This place has the best products sourced from Italy you can find in Seattle. Amazing cheese selection as well. Staff is always friendly and welcoming.

Great wines- brands and varietals that you don't see anywhere else for really great prices! Staff is not particularly friendly- they seem to actively avoid customers and I've had 3 separate experiences where 3 different staff members completely ignored me when I asked them how they were while checking out, which was strange. 🤷‍♀️ So, don't go for the customer service, but do go for great affordable wine and interesting imported mediterranean food. They also have parking available underground, but it's pretty tight and often full, so I recommend parking on the street.

Knowledgeable staff, huge selection. They even have Wisconsin brick cheese which I've never been able to find anywhere else in Seattle! They'll let you sample a bunch of olive oils and balsamic and they have a huge selection of wine and sweets.

I watch you tube italian cooking videos & then come here to get ingredients. Shout out to @PastaGrammar.... today I was able to get everything for "pasta con la sarde" (except the raisins & fresh wild fennel... (but i grow that))... also... is weird to say ...but this grocery is my happy place.

Wonderful little shop for specialty goods - imported high quality olive oils, French butter, confiture and European chocolates like Venchi, Droste and Valrhona.

New updated review. I've been coming to PFI for 11 years and it always been one of my favorite hidden quirky places. I always enjoyed the fact that unless someone took you to the old location you would never find it, it the back of a parking lot, in a warehouse by the railroad tracks. The new location is completely different and while I miss the clandestine charm of the old spot the new location has so many modern amenities it's hard to argue for any reason other than being an old Seattle elitist that it's not a huge upgrade. The selection is the same and at least for the time being they are open on Sunday now!?!?! What reality am I even in? The nostalgic in me likes to think that even know the shiny new building that has a better location it still has some old PFI charm to find the shop. From the parking lot its in a door, up an elevator, through a door, down another hallway and another door. Wouldn't be PFI if you didn't have to work for it at least a little.

When you binge watch every episode of Stanley Tucci in Italy and crave a copious supply of gourmet Italian meats and cheeses, you should drive as fast as you can to the PFI and let them guide you to tasty bliss.

My Italian friend has been a fan of PFI for years. She finally sent me there to pick up a few supplies for a party she was catering on my behalf. Unfortunately I wanted to ( and did) buy many more (potentially) unnecessary things while I was there. They really have so many tempting imports from various countries. They carry a puff pastry that is not Pepperidge Farms, and once you use it you may never go back to the regular store bought ones. Service was wonderful, and free parking in their garage.

PFI is a unique store for Seattle, as you will find many Italian items that are otherwise hard to find here. For that reason I would give it 5 stars, but this was my first back to PFI in the years since they moved, and I was a little disappointed by the sterility of the new space. It didn't quite feel like adventure of the old space. Nevertheless, this is a must visit place, especially if you grew up Italian American on the east coast where a lot of these items are more common (Hello Lupini beans and La Florentine torrone!) Great selection of meats, cheeses, dried pasta, cakes, candies and other delights. If you are entertaining, this is a smart place to put on your shopping list. Service is helpful if you ask. Parking is available in a garage under the building.

Every time I go here, I'm more and more enamored of the goodies that can be found at Big John's PFI. Reasonably priced castelvetrano olives in bulk - both pitted and whole? Picholine olives? Greek olives? Soooo many choices and well priced too. Fennel salami? yes! Amazing walnut leaf-wrapped pecorino? Delicious! Came here before the holidays to look for panforte for a dear relative who loves this chewy, nutty, fruit and honey Italian dessert - and they had so many possible options. They also had torrone, panettone, pandoro, gianduiotti - all things on my personal holiday shopping list. And I couldn't resist picking up some calissons, some pate de fruits, and cassis syrup for New Year's kir royales. And a bag of Kolsvart Swedish Fish that was elderflower-flavored and pike shaped. I also come here for my favorite Hengstenberg German pickles, French mustard, and a 5 kilo bag of Italian "00" pizza flour. They also have many specialty flours in bulk, a huge variety of malt balls, that divisive (either you love it or you don't) salted black licorice, bulk spices, and so much more. The only con: parking is extremely difficult and some things are seasonal, so, patience and timing is sometimes required.

Located near the international district/Chinatown in Seattle. This place carries a difficult to find fish roe called Tarama, used to make a Greek dip called Taramasalata. I have not been able to find this fish roe at most international markets and it is very expensive to purchase online. Excellent selection of imported, European cheeses, olive oil, tahini etc. They do not have hard liquor at this time, however, such as Ouzo. There is convenient parking for the store. The service is excellent. The staff even offered my mother a chair, as she waited for me to finish shopping.

My go to local shop for chocolates, pastas, and cheeses! This place is walking distance from our apartment, which makes it dangerous considering they have lots of yummy chocolate brands. The staff are nice and you can get authentic and excellent quality products that you won't normally get from your grocery store. One thing I have to say is that since these products are authentic, do expect them to be on the pricier side. I would pay $13-$14 for a high quality vanilla extract and I'm happy to do so. As for their pastas, they have a lot of varieties, even the hard-to-find tagliatelle (tried to find it at my local Safeway and couldn't). If you need to find international products that you couldn't find anywhere else and want to support a small and local business, visit here!

Good place for hard to find gourmet ingredients. Has a great olive and cheese counter, though I can't say I peruse it too much. My only quibble is that moving to their current location meant that their merchandise footprint was reduced. There's definitely a few things I used to be able to find at their former location that didn't survive the move. Ah well. Still glad to have somewhere I can get specialty French, Italian, and German ingredients. They still carry Dutch licorice too, so that's something.

If you are a cook and love Italian food this is the place you've been looking for! They have all of the important imports for your perfect meal. The employees are so helpful and even give you extra tips for preparing your feast. I definitely will be back again! Thank you so much

If you're looking for a specific Italian or European good, this is one of your better chances to find it. Especially if you're looking for fine cheeses. Wine selection is okay, meats are okay, but specialty imported candies and cheeses are where Big John's shines. Not low-quality, low-price items. But, if you're just browsing or looking for something generally, the extremely cramped parking lot, narrow but heavily trafficked store, and high prices (they're specialty importers, so they're reasonable for that category of good) should scare you away. Know what you're looking for before venturing in.

It's so easy to spend way too much money here. It's like Target or Costco: you go in for just one item and come out a full basket and $100+ later... But every time it's a treat! Looking to put together an enviable cheese plate, charcuterie board, or picnic basket? Big John's PFI has exactly what you need to make an impression! Excellent international wine selection that won't break the bank, reasonably priced bulk olives, and incredible cheeses clearly indicating cow/sheep/goat and including taste profile. Plus the staff is always happy to offer samples of cheeses you're deciding between. Their minimum for cheese and olives is 1/4 pound, but I'm honestly fine with that. Others have complained about parking, but I've never really had a problem in their cozy underground garage. Maybe the trick is to go later in the day. Or maybe it's just my parking luck. Anyway, Big John's is my happy place!

My friend took me here for the first time and wow! They have an underground parking lot which is handy since parking can be hard to find sometimes in the downtown/central area. The store was just beyond fabulous! They have specialities from all over the world. As a vegan and a baker, I was able to find so many special things, including my favorite chocolates Valrhona and Callebeaut! I got so much! I can't wait to go back for the holidays and see what type of special holiday stuff they have. I also purchased some cool drink mixes for my neighbors- bitters, etc, and gingerbread mix!

I admit, I love to cook and one thing you learn quickly is great ingredients go a long way to making great food. One of those ingredients is Cascioppo Italian Sausage. I make trips here just to load up on it. That is my main draw but my second love of this place is just browsing all the imported items. Anneto broths are absolutely amazing and I have filled up a cart with just those. They are as close as I can get to making it myself and, arguably even better. Maybe they are better because I don't want to spend the time cutting out chicken breasts and vacuum sealing those and then using the rest to make broth. I do it, but I'd rather be sailing :-). The cheese selection will nearly kill anybody with lactose intolerance and thrill the taste buds of everyone else. The bad... Parking is terrible and don't have a full size anything if you want to stop here. I've tried and the last three trips I was not able to park in the garage or find anything nearby. Which, has made my monthly trips into bi-yearly. But, I still go of I am in the area and in a smaller vehicle.

Nice Italian Market...decent selection of reasonably priced wines...many types of Italian Cheeses, good Italian Canned Goods, good Olive Oil selection...most of the olives were sold out last time I went but it is what it is...not cheap but this IS Seattle and it's honestly a pleasure to have a market like this at any price... even on a budget there are bargains to be had... or at least things you can splurge on reasonably :-)

If you're searching for a great selection of meats and cheeses, this is definitely the place to go. Parking is a little challenging, but, the selection of ALL items is worth it - especially for those of us who were only visiting Seattle for a short time. Great customer service, too!

I can see how this place has hidden in plain sight all these years. Glad to see it getting some local press. But it is certainly tucked away in a hard to find place. If you go, know that you will need to go around the back to find the entrance and parking. If you go around the south side through the paid parking lot, you will get to the free lot for the store. You will also realize you could have entered from the street on the north side, and you can use that entrance once you realize it's there. This kind of reminded me of a lower rent, slightly smaller version of DeLaurenti Food & Wine. It's more basic and definitely less fancy in its digs, but it's good. They have a good selection of the items they carry. They do not carry as broad a selection as DeLaurenti. In some cases, their depth of selection is deeper than DeLaurenti's, in other cases it is not close. It's an interesting assortment of things. The packaged specialty foods selection here is great, but I need to compare prices with DeLaurenti to see if it's worth the trip or not. The cheese counter is impressive and has more cheeses than just about any other place in Seattle. Maybe Metropolitan Market or Central Market have a bit more, but I doubt it. And the cheeses they carry are stellar. The cheese counter is reason enough to return. Deli meat selection is lacking a bit. Chocolate section is tiny. Overall, this is a great place and worth a return visit (or two, or ten, or a hundred).

LOVE Big John's for all the cheese plate needs. They have a great selection of cheeses and charcuterie. Also olives and other perishables. Excellent selection of dried goods and imported items. Wine selection is quirky but fun. Don't miss the back area up the stairs with lots of cooking and baking items.

Today I visited the new location for the first time, what a nice upgrade! Spacious, bright, big windows and clean. There are so many hidden gems at BJ PFI. I usually get Italian pasta, San Marzano tomato cans, Italian rice, cookies, pan di stelle cream, beverages, cheese, flour, panettone/pandoro (Christmas time), and more. New location is great, parking is a bit limited. Go and get inspired! So many delicious things to choose from!

Having shopped at their old location for many years, I loved the "Old Seattle" charm and character of the old brick building. Inside, it was funky, spacious, and the bulk goods section had quaint hand-written signs. I was sad to learn it had relocated. Once you find it, the new location lacks any of quaintness of the old place. It's slick and sterile, located on the street level of an unimaginative developer's new trendy building. Another stark building that has invaded a once pleasant neighborhood of single-family homes. Pity. Parking for Big John's is underground and I was reminded of visiting a phyisician at a huge medical center. Creepy! From the parking lot, one takes an elevator and then, meanders down lengthy hallways to the backdoor entrance to Big John's. Numeous signs help. If you're temporarily, or permanently, struggling in this economy and you have Food Assistance, forgettabout it. Although it's not even mentioned on their extensive website, once you trek through the maze and finally arrive at the steel back door, there's a sign stating..."NO EBT CARDS ACCEPTED". "Surprise!" I hope you don't travel 20 miles, as I did, and then you are greeted by this disappointing revelation. "Thanks for the warning!" None! Although very bummed by this revolting development, I decided to at least check-it-out. Upon entering, a women with green hair welcomed me. "Oh! Is it St.Patrick's Day?" (Inside Voice) Thank the powers that be...the "mile long" cheese case was somehow translocated to the new boring premises. Yayyyy! Other than that pleasant surprise, it's like any other trendy nouveau shop. 《SNORE!》 I purchased a whole lot of nothing and managed to retrace my steps to my sled. I "relieved myself" in the creepy parking lot and fled the scene. I plan on returning on the12th of Neverary. Arrivaderci, Giovanni il Grande! Buona fortuna!

Great selection of cheese and charcuterie meats. We love the wine choices, interesting pastas, sweet treats, carefully selected. There's so much more, but you will have to look for yourselves.

Clean and well organized. Excellent cheese counter. Imported foods. Spices, flour, beans, and candy in bulk. People who like to cook or eat should check out this place.

Nice selection however the minimum requirement is 1/2-1lb. I won't be going back until I can order the amount of cheese I want.

Always great selection of Italian and European products. Love their pasta, cheeses, wines and biscotti. I would say it's a bit difficult to order the cheese at the counter. As far as I can tell you ask for a cheese and they give you about what they think is the right size for you. In other words not much control over weight.

It is a hidden gem on the outskirts of the international district. Excellent shop to find whatever cheese you want! They even had the elusive mimolette cheese. I love the fact you can also sample most of the cheeses, spices and candies. The only downside is that you have to buy at least 1/2 a pound of whatever cheese you want unless it's already precut. Their wine selection is also impressive and inexpensive. They also have an impressive array of sauces, noodles, soups, mixes and snacks, which brought back memories of my previous travels.

I have been shopping at BJ PFI for years. Outstanding selection and value for super high quality staples. However, I've attempted several times to visit their new location on S Dearborn while on downtown errands and have been unable to find parking. The new location has only a couple parking spots. This is a real bummer for anybody who uses a car or motorcycle for transport. Maybe during the mid-day hours there are more spots available.

My friend from Italy was looking for a place where she could buy food products from Italy. The last time I was at Big John's was when John was around and the shop was located off of Dearborn. We went in and I was surprised at the selection of food. We walked around and she found a lot of food that she used to buy back home in Italy. We bought several different cheeses, linguine and some cookies (which are called biscuits in Italy). Amazing flavor from the cheese! The linguine tasted so much better than the US made pasta and held the sauce so much better. If you want authentic Italian products in the Seattle area, Big John's is the place to go.

This is a food lover's dream store! They have hard-to-find items, amazing fresh cheeses, wonderful pastas and sauces. So many excellent ideas for a special occasions or just to stock your pantry for a quick weekday meal. The staff is super friendly and their behind the counter recommendations are spot on.

Premium Italian grocery. Going back to slow try everything they have. Great customer service and very knowledgeable about what they carry

Expensive but can find a lot of Italian food items not always easily found in Seattle. The new location much more convenient.

I LOVE this resource and used to drive from Olympia to purchase items (cheese, pasta, goodies not found elsewhere). Haven't been there since before the pandemic and just found out from last week's Seattle Times about their new location. One of these days, I will be back! So hoping I will find delivery to Olympia!!!

Shopped at the old location often. Have tried to shop at the new location 3 times. The underground parking garage is so small you may win the lottery before you will find a parking space. If you find a parking space you better have a small car because they are small. Street parking next to impossible. Three times I gave up. Won't try again.

Let me begin by saying that I loved big John PFI when it was in it's old location in the international district. Having visited their new address, after today's visit I'm done. Used to have great people behind the counter who could cut cheese accurately. What an ordeal. Cuts amounts were repeatedly incorrect. And please take note, although they carry prosciutto di Parma, it's only sold by the piece, and there is no slicer in the store to slice the prosciutto or any of their cured meats. A slicer for cured meats, would provide better customer service and better sales. And the prices have escalated tremendously. What I liked about the former big John's PFI was how good the prices were.

After being away from Seattle for 13 yrs PFI was our go to place back in the day in their old location, we've been talking about going here for a while now so while in town we found there new upscale location,There was one young man working there who was very polite and helpful and made us feel comfortable shopping and asking questions all the female staff were cold and unfriendly like the salami's in the deli case ...hahahaha I notice the pricing on most items were certainly catering to that young upscale crowd , we did buy some cheeses which they have a great selection ,and a few other items , Still a great place ,but time moves on ........

The place to go for all things European! Good quality pastas and the cheese look all amazing. Most products are imported. I usually get my canned tuna (imported from Italy) from here which is sooo good!

My kind of Hole in the Wall-- featuring Traditional and Unique Mediterranean and European products--think the best of DeLaurfenti and PCC however more organic--Featured on King 5 Evening Magazine as one of the "hidden secrets" of Downtown Seattle--word of mouth advertising, old concrete broken down floors, peeling paint,food and Olives in bulk, all keep the prices somewhat reasonable-- Their claim to fame is a 30 foot long counter with wheels of cheese and meat galore--if someone complained about the old 1 lb minimum order for cheese--owner John Croce, who passed in 2016,(still family run by two daughters and one granddaughter), used to say "Well just have a Party"--new age--now down to 1/2 lb minimum as the cheese wheels are hard to cut down further--the saying now goes "just have a small party"-- You can get stuff like "Tasmanian Leatherwood Honey", Spicy Prosciutto spread, or "Black Forest Schinken" (Ham mported from the Black Forest in Germany) naturally smoked with tree wood, Also exquisite chocolate and caramel treats galore in bulk (think habit forming and you can just pick one--right?)--the Jacobsen Salty Caramels (from Oregon) are simply "THE BEST"of any I've tied--sugar is slowly toasted in rich, heavy cream and butter, then sprinkled with flaky sea salt (PLAIN OR WITH CHOCOLATE COATING) @ $23 per lb So with over 40 pastas imported from Italy, any spice in bulk imaginable, the place who originated imported "Extra Virgin Olive Oil" started in Seattle in 1971, practically before the "Godfather" started his business. And like the song says "you can get anything you want at Big John's Restaurant" excepting-- you gotta cook it yourself--so if you end up drinking too much of their fine wines, while cooking with Alice-- they have of course--imported "All Natural and Tested Hangover Drops"--cheers Al

Big John's PFI is like the best of DeLaurenti, PCC, and the Cheese Cellar all wrapped up into one fabulous store. Their bulk goods have everything you'd want to get in bulk - need a pound of dried lentils? got 'em. Need 1/8 oz of truffle sea salt? Voila. A bit of perfect baking chocolate? You get the idea. Cheese-wise, there's no place better. I've described what kind of obnoxiously stinky cheese I liked and how I wanted to incorporate it into a recipe and they found the perfect cheese for me. They also have olives in the jar or in bulk and you can even get the brine if you bring your own container (squeeeee!!!). They have insanely fun stuff too, like a bunch of powdered chocolate milk flavors with fun names (chocolate moooose), a zillion types/flavors of mustard, and many other non-italian ingredients (curries, chutneys, honeys etc). And of course they have a huge selection of olive oils and vinegars. And more San Marzano tomatoes than you'd dreamed of finding. The 2 big surprises for me were their pasta and wine selections. It's hard to adequately describe their pasta shelves, I lived in NYC's Little Italy and never saw anything like PFI's offerings. From small bags of elbow macaroni to 5 lb bags of DeCecco rotini to bags of 18 inch squid ink pasta, they seem to have it all. And the wine selection isn't huge, it's just GOOD and really inexpensive. There are a few things that stop me from giving 5 stars - it's not the cleanest place and some of the employees are really nice while some are pretty rude/dismissive. But I'll keep coming back.

Big John's! Where have you been all my life? I live in the International District and am lucky to be surrounded by a ton of great Asian markets. When the hankering for antipasti hits, I walk two blocks south of Uwajimaya to this wonderful supermarket. Big John's is a great European grocery store. Here, you can find every type of pasta you can imagine and their cheese selection is the best! You can bag your own spices for reasonable prices too. Other things available at this place: licorice, pizza dough flour, German cookies, wine, olives! Great place for imported gifts as well!

My go to for quality Bulgarian Feta, Kalamatas, wine, Estrella Dam, and bulk spices. Loads of Southern European delights and always something new. Grabbed some Dorothea's potato chip cheese from the Netherlands and made Mac & potato chip cheese- kids loved it!

Been going here since I read a feature written by John Hintenberger many years ago about PFI. Kind of tucked between the International District and SoDo in the shadow of Century Link field. If you like to cook and entertain - EAT - and indulge in high quality ingredients in your culinary creations. visit PFI. It's the temple of tasty goodness. Salumi, cheese, olives, chocolate, candies, cookies, olive oils, balsamic vinegars, jams, jellies, coffee, tea, spices, puff pastry, tart shells, nuts, beans, flours, salts, rice, pasta, sauces, chutneys, butter, crackers, beverages, Essential Bakery artisan breads, et cetera. Great also for picnic inspiration, stocking stuffers or creating gift baskets. Yes, you can pay higher prices at Whole Foods, PCC, Trader Joe's, or Marx Foods for some of their product offerings....but love the wholesale, no frills aspect of their retail location. You can afford to treat yourself and before you know it, your cart or basket is full. Very helpful and knowledgeable staff!

Best kept secret for Italian and Mediterranean foods. Large selection of cheeses, affordable imported wines, specialty flours and spices. Employees very helpful and friendly.

Absolutely love this place, it has awesome imported products that I couldn't find elsewhere. I love their pasta and cheese selection. The only negative thing I have to say is about the charcuterie meat, they have a beautiful selection of imported meats... but no meat slicer! I came home with a piece of proscuitto that was impossible to slice thin enough so I used it differently. But it makes no sense to sell this by the chunk! Unless you have a meat slicer at home or are a gifted chef with the right knives... be ready for extra thick homemade cuts!

What a fun place to shop! I really love their new location, too. Bright, clean, easy to navigate, friendly/knowledgeable staff and jam-packed with grocery items. I love how many hard to find items they import; it's a great place to find oils, pastas, cheeses, meats and dessert items. Not to mention canned/jarred staples you simply cannot get anywhere else. I will definitely be back! It's worth the trip over there.

This place is AWESOME. Their selection isn't HUGE, but it's QUALITY. LOTS of Italian ingredients. Besides the market, PFI will now be my new go-to cheese-monger. SO MANY CHEESES! Just be aware that if you go during a rush (if they look busy), you shouldn't dally looking at the display case. I know, that will be hard, but they ask you to step back. (Have you seen Seinfeld's soup nazi? ;-p ) Oh, and they have a minimum weight that you'd need to buy. I've heard from some people that it's a pound, and I've heard half a pound. (It very well may depend on who is serving you.) It won't matter though, as all their cheeses are SOOO TASTY! And they DO give samples, if you're having trouble deciding. GO! .... just pay attention to their hours. They close early. OH! and they're within walking distance of the light-rail. WOOT! So if you're visiting Seattle, and are heading back to the airport, STOP and get some CHEEESEEE!!!

Reducing my rating because I keep seeing items on the shelf that are past their expiration date. They also only had one flavour of the French mints I love during my most recent visit in September 2015 and I came back specifically because I wanted to buy more of them. Bummer! Big John's PFI is unique but I really need them to put a little effort into it and make the store feel less grimey and clear out the expired goods. Until then, I'll be buying my specialty/imported foods at the Metropolitan Market in Queen Anne.

Great place to get bulk spices and stinky cheeses. Lots of imported goods from Italy and the Mediterranean. Spice prices are cheap and other goods are reasonably priced as well. Lots of good olive oils to choose from. Love this place

Best place for wines, cheeses, Italian groceries and other import items, bulk goods (all the kinds of flours, spices-really unparalleled on that selection, legumes, rices, etc), bulk and baking chocolate, olives, etc...my favorite place and I need them to reopen because my favorite cinnamon is almost out. And the wine cabinet looks a little sad. And I'm out of good olives; their house blend is the best. I'm hoping that they reopen on 4/15 because that's when I get paid and I just remembered I used the last of my Basque seasoning blend yesterday. Love these guys!

This place is incredible! So many amazing products from Italy, sure, but also all of Europe. I could spend hours in here looking at the bulk and imported items. Their kitchenware section is also very large, and they can tell you about 20 different cheeses for your pizza. :) Staff is quite knowledgeable and friendly. A bit pricey, but worth it for high quality!!

So, every year we have one big winter dinner party that involves at least two full days of cooking. My rule is guests don't bring things, it's a gift to friends and professional folks. Generally around 30/40 people. Big John's is always a critical stop and this year I decided to give myself a break and, in addition to the very best cheese case in this town I (gasp) decided to buy sheets of frozen puff pastry instead of spending a day making it- not hard just tedious and I (my French grandmother would expire from vapors) I bought frozen pastry shells. Add a killer selection of baking chocolate, bulk spices, other pieces of other things including filo dough and this remains the place to go for people who actually cook. Simply the rock solid dependable always great place. I love these guys!

I don't know who Big John is and I don't care because I love this place! I have been here for a few months looking to find a place to replace the Italian specialty stores that I was used to in Chicago and NYC...I believe I have found it. You are not going to do all your weekly shopping here but if you love to cook Italian goodies at home with quality products this place is for you. It does have more of a warehouse type feel but hey that is fine with me (If you are used to a Safeway, Whole Foods or QFC experience...don't come here you will not be pleased) . On my trip the store was clean and well organized. You can get all kinds of spices (Traditional and specialty spices...like curry spices and some blends) and flour and other goodies in bulk...and prices are so much better than the prepackaged MCCormick garbage you find at the grocery store. Also lets talk about the pasta!!! What I have found in Seattle is the generic types of pasta...you know you normal spaghetti, fettuccini, linguini....etc (that is made of cheaply milled flours and no better to the pasta that ate in college)... you get my drift...but what about papradelle (That you don't have to go to Pike's Public Market to purchase to deal with all the stinking' tourists), bucatini and other lovely varieties! A lot of the pasta that I saw is shipped from Italy...I almost waled out of the store with 30$ just of pasta...I was in heaven. I didn't purchase any of the cheeses but my goodness the variety they had was amazing! I'll have to go back and try some...and all the European goodies they have is magical. They have candies, wines, cookies, oils, grains, vinegars, frozen doughs and pastas...oh I just love this place. For the first 15 minutes I was in the store I just walked around with a smile on my face. The people who work here are amazing! They are nice but not intrusive but they are happy to answer questions for you...and they know their merchandise. You can tell they remember their customers- while I was there they called their customer by name or by what they usually purchase! Which I think is key to building relationships and return customers. They do have free parking spaces which is key for me-Just beware that you need to park where the PFI signs are...it's about 10 parking spaces the rest are city parking spaces which you will need to pay for. When you drive to the street the Big John's is on it is down a little hill (It's not off the right main road-keep them eyes peeled) I'll definitely be back and sooooo worth the trip for me.

If you want a pinch of peppermint, a dash of hot curry powder, some green peppercorns, a bit of granulated garlic, and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes you can get it here. Or say you want some extra virgin olive oil, or a nice rich balsamic vinegar or sea salt or pickled vegetables or Arborio rice you can get that here too. Of if you'd like a lb of your favorite cheese guess what you can get that here and guess what else you have a buy it by the pound because they won't see you anything less than a pound of cheese and their cheese selection is a-freaking-mazing worth searching hi and low to try and find this place. Having to buy a pound of cheese really doesn't bother me when I can buy just a pinch of the herb or spice I'm looking for and get just what I need and not pay and arm and a leg for it. In my opinion it's the best place to buy herbs and spices in the area.

I have loved this place for so very many years. Im am so sorry to say that the new place lost the charm, is hard to get to, and has no personality. Prices have really gone up, parking is just absolutely terrible, and no more bulk flour. I fear damaging my car on the ramp into the lot and in there tiny spaces every time i go there. Not sure what they were thinking moving to this location. What a disaster! Not really excited to go there anymore. It's actually really sad. PFI, find another dumpy place in SODO where we can park, is easy to get to, has some decent parking and room for your bulk items!