If you’ve been following me around the social media circles, then you know I’ve been in the States the last week or so. First stop was San Francisco, where I attended the annual IACP conference. And first stop in SF was a place I’d been dreaming of visiting for as long as I could remember: Omnivore Books.
An entire bookstore filled to the brim with books about food. Although they had all the current bestsellers, what people head here for are the vintage cookbooks. Books you grew up with, books you’ve only heard about, books you could never have imagined even existed.
I was totally bowled over, and overwhelmed. I wanted everything. (And I think in this case the omnivore on the store’s sign is that you just want to consume it all)
I was there with my friend Evan Kleiman, who had of course interviewed Celia Sack, the owner, many times over. While they chatted away, I busied myself with serious browsing and – of course – some buying.
The perfect landing to my intensely food-packed SF visit. More to follow. 
Omnivore Books
3885a Cesar Chavez Street
415.282.4712
Hours: Mon-Sat 11am-6pm, Sun 12-5
That sounds amazing E! A definite stop on my next trip down to SF. If you are ever in Portland, you would love our Powells bookstore!
Would love to go to Powells!
Elizabeth; This is a great find. I’m going on my next trip to SF with the express intention of finding a copy of my long-lost, much-beloved copy of Betty Crockers’ Cookie cookbook I had as a child. Lemon Squares! Date Bars! The start of my sugar addiction.
Mara, send Celia an email before you go, to see if she can find it for you.
Oh my goodness, I’m in love with this bookshop — thank you for this post! I can’t wait to visit on my next trip to San Francisco. And if, as social media suggests, you are still in NYC, may I recommend the used cookbook store Bonnie Slotnick Books? She has so many gems!
I don’t know that one! Will try to go tomorrow.
I made a pilgrimage to Omnivore, too. What a wonderful place! I also love the bookshop at the SF public library which was featuring books about food, perhaps as the IACP conference was in town. Locals bring their almost new books which are resold at a huge discount to raise funds for the library. I found Judith Jones’ book there which kept me distracted on the flight back to Italy.