bi-rite market {san francisco}

Ok, I know that with only one week in San Francisco I should have taken advantage of every single meal opportunity to dine out. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are that many fantastic places in that food obsessed town.

So how did it happen that I did take out, and stayed at home two nights?

Bi-Rite happened.

This fantastic little shop was so tempting with everything that was packed into its shelves, that it lead me to cancel my reservations and just stay in. Ok, it also had a lot to do with the fact that I became quickly addicted to their chopped liver. But there were other things too.

First of all I love the story behind the shop, which I heard straight from the owner, Sam. Sam’s father had a small grocery store in what was then a somewhat dangerous and dying neighborhood. Rather than close up shop, and move to a different location, his store became a sort of harbor in a storm, providing jobs for kids on the streets while also filling his shelves with fresh food that was getting increasingly difficult to find in that part of town. In other words, it was all about creating community.

With an emphasis on quality, nourishment and community his son Sam took over and continued his father’s work continuing to focus on local, sustainable and delicious while at the same time extending the idea of nourishing a community to such a great extent that it jump started an entire neighborhood – The Mission district – into becoming what is now a thriving, brilliant and thoroughly delicious destination.

There is still the original store, with its shelves packed full of everything from tulips to farmhouse cheese to small batch  gin. It was the deli counter that drew me in, with salads, vegetables and main courses cooked in the the kitchen in the middle of the store. And that chopped liver. Across the street Bi-Rite has expanded – literally – into the neighborhood. First with the creamery, whose ice cream causes lines to wrap around the block. And also at 18 Reasons, their community center where they have classes and workshops.

It was at 18 Reasons, where I stopped by on my tour with Edible Excursions, that we heard directly from Sam. And also had what could possibly be the epitome of a San Francisco Foodie experience. We were served little crostini , smeared with a bit of blue goat cheese and topped with a dollop of lemon marmalade. But not just any marmalade. Marmalade made from customers’ own citrus fruit, donated from their back yards. And not just any customer, in this case. This batch, and these particular lemons? They came from Michael Pollan’s tree.

Yes, it’s that kind of place.

Bi-Rite Market
3639 18th Street
415.241.9760
Open daily, 9-9

They recently opened a 2nd store:
550 Divisidero
415.551.7900