Jonathan E.
Yelp
I've lived in the area for over a year and have walked by many times without
venturing in. From the street it looks tiny, so I kept zipping on by. But on a lazy day when I was in less of a hurry, decided to pop in. Glad I did.
It is a tiny place, but looks are deceiving. There's a front room that is quite small (which is what you see from the street), especially with the cashier stand taking up a good deal of space. But it's more like a railroad apartment once inside, with a long (skinny) depth to it that takes you though a mini-market of exotic miscellany... coffee, breads, chocolates, spreads, an olive bar, cheeses, baked goods, sauces and finally dry goods and a butcher/meat counter.
It's kind of like a Dean & Deluca, reduced to the footprint of a 7-11. You don't go here for normal groceries but do go here for special things. Some of it is quite pricey, but that's more a reflection of unique and quality fare. This isn't a place simply stocking shelves with everyday stuff for the everyman buying stuff for everyone (they are especially void of things with short shelf lives such as produce/seafood or anything frozen).
Given their challenge space, they've seemingly sought to deliver unique fare that isn't easily found at the nearby Key foods, Food Coop or Union Market. In fact, I've not seen a lot of their offerings in any store - plus they seem to source a lot of regional/local goods.
Even though somewhat small, they are packed with unique products and are worth a peek. I'm sorry I didn't sneak one earlier, as I've been missing out on a cool place to peruse.