Sunday, February 20, 2005
Psssst...secret warehouse location...bring cash...
I got the tip from a friend. I head over. Enter in the alley...in a warehouse district...Pandora St...East Van... Hmmmm...seedy criminal meeting place? Secret agent lair? Drug deal drop-off point? No, none of the above! Check out the Gourmet Warehouse! It's like mining foodie gold! You're driving through a dingy alley in a warehouse district, you park, then you walk in (Look! Shiny stuff!) and you see this place swarming with food geeks browsing through lots of shelves of fancy condiments, and trendy cooking implements. Apparently, it's not that much of a secret. There were plenty of people in there on Saturday afternoon. Definitely a fun little place to check out. One could spend a lot of money there (don't worry, you can bring credit too - the image of showing up with a briefcase of cash just seemed to fit the scene better). I'm usually anti-trendy, but there was a nice mix of items. For example, they had a $4.99 large mortar and pestle, as well as more artful $30 - $40 ones. They had a $3.50 little bottle of balsamic vinegar and the range up to a $50 bottle that came in a nice little cardboard tube (I was thinking - hey, that's would be a fun gift idea). There was bakeware, frozen items, blocks of good quality chocolate, nuts and spices. Why hasn't anyone mentioned this place to me before?
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3 comments:
TGW has been around for a few years as a mecca for local foodies, tho' recently I've been seeing Washington-plate cars there often. Definitely a one-stop shop. I bought some gourmet frozen pizza recently (forgot brand) but it was very delicious with varieties like spinach with a feta and artichokes, portobello with goat cheese and basil .... you get the picture. They're around $7 each for 10"(?) size and well worth the price.
Interesting-I was there yesterday for the first time-probably the last time too.
The condiments as mentioned are all on offer in other more convenient locations and as to price well beating Capers by 10% isn't much of a deal.
The ceramic ware is underwhelming-better deals/more variety to be had @ Daiso in Richmond and the kitchenware undistinguished.
I did buy a bottle of EVOO and we'll see if it's a quality product or a mass produced Spanish oil.
I agree while some of TGW's products are not price-competitive nor unique, their staff is knowledgeable and more than happy to spend the time to talk with you about products. Once I was choosing olive oils and the saleswoman spent about 15 mins with me. Try getting that level of service at most other gourmet supplies stores.
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