A Pike Place Market Shopping Crawl
DeLaurenti
The specialty grocery peddles the best possible version of whatever you need. It’s hard to find a better collection of locally made sauces, sweets, and pantry products. delaurenti.com
Pike and Western Wine Shop
Expect a tailored selection of Washington wines, along with the encyclopedic brain (and enjoyably irreverent tongue) of owner Michael Teer. pikeandwestern.com
Beecher’s Handmade Cheese
Skip the crazy line for sandwiches and push your way to the cheese counter in back to pick up some squeaky house curds or petite rounds of soft-ripened Dinah’s (from Vashon Island) or Seastack (from Port Townsend). beechershandmadecheese.com
Image: Alison Klein
Ellenos Real Greek Yogurt
No, really—it’s better than ice cream. A walkabout cup of marionberry for now, a family size tub of the tangy plain to take home and top with granola later. ellenos.com
Don and Joe’s
A not-overly-fancy butcher shop staffed by friendly dudes who can advise on matters of rib eyes and lamb racks. Few leave without a stick of pepperoni or smoked cheese. donandjoesmeats.com
Sosio’s Fruit and Produce
Everything from pristine lettuce and marble-size potatoes to more exotic local fare like sea beans and garlic spears. Totally worth pushing past all the tourists jockeying for fruit samples. The jokes on the signage are corny but kind of sweet. sosiosproduce.com
Pure Food Fish Market
Image: Alison Klein
Oh boy, do these guys know their salmon, though their expertise also extends to the proper preparation of various fillets, jumbo crustaceans, raw oysters, clams, and whole fish. Customers flock to the bin of smoked salmon like it’s candy. freshseafood.com
Britt’s Pickles
Zingy fermented pickles, kimchi made with a host of vegetables, plus bottles of salty probiotic brine. If there’s an experimental item in the cooler—like kimchi made from kale or beets or cucumbers—snap it up. brittsliveculturefoods.com
Pike Place Market Creamery
Duck eggs, goose eggs, turkey eggs, chicken eggs of various sizes and colors. Mix and match your own dozen (keep close track of what’s what for pricing purposes) and stock up on dairy items from all over, like Bulgarian buttermilk and vegan cream cheese.
Bavarian Meats
A market staple for cured meat of the German persuasion—bacon, bratwurst, lieberwurst, smoked cheddar links, blood pudding, headcheese, various types of salami. If you’re hungry, they make a damn fine Reuben. bavarianmeats.com
