which is located near the train tracks and in an industrial part of town...
COP offers wholesale prices to the public (that's us!) and according to Cathy, recently changed up it's interior to include display cases.
To the left are informational brochures and an area for cooking demonstrations. The weekend we went, Sam the Cooking Guy was there. To the front are the display cases where you could order fresh fish (cut to order), shell fish and more...
There he is...Sam.
We didn't stay too long there but just enough for me to get a sneak peak of the layout. I was very curious to see this highly recommended place and definitely plan to return with Bert to get some good quality fish for future meals.
After this quick jaunt to COP, Cathy took the scenic route where we passed through Old Town and cut through to an area of San Diego known as Middletown. It's where Buffalo Breath Costumes and Rock Solid Gym are.
Across the street and a few steps south of Buffalo Breath is the San Diego Trolley repair yard. If you look on the sidewalk, someone painted the Batman symbol. It was Comic-Con weekend after all!
Specialty Produce is right next to this area which also has hipster apartments. Like COP, this specialty market is also near the train tracks. Specialty Produce is open to the public during certain hours. Many of the city's chefs shop here to get their staples for their restaurants as well as more obscure ingedients and even tools of the trade (we even saw a molecular gastronomy kit).
Go through this lot all the way to the fence, then hang a left. Follow the signs and once you are in, you must sign in at a table as a newcomer.
If we were actually going to purchase anything, we would be required to wear gloves and carry a basket and some plastic bags for our purchases. This was just a "field trip"/"look see" kinda thing. At least for today. Again, Cathy was more than happy to give me the run down, the "tour" if you will.
The one thing about this place is that there are NO prices listed. I would be a bit reluctant buying something and then getting a rude surprise at the checkout. "That will be $452 please!" Whaaaat?!
But seriously, there are were so many cool and interesting items that we saw like these powders and gels used in molecular gastronomy...
I was excited to see Maple Sugar! I didn't buy it, but might do so next time. I want to try to recreate that amazing Maple Lemonade we had two years ago in Montreal.
We saw this salt slab (which you could roast or serve food on) plus boxed edible flowers, and fancy micro greens.
The fruits, flowers, and vegetables were in a very cold warehouse. Our glasses fogged up immediately when we stepped out in to the regular area. There was a large variety of fruits and vegetables in boxes. Some were open so you could buy smaller quantities. Pictured below are plums, celeriac, beans, and radishes, purple cauliflower and watermelon radish.
More fruits were out in the non-refrigerated area...
I had a field day taking snaps of the potato box labels. The mascot for the second photo, Handel's Pride looks like he is flipping the bird! Ha ha!
I'll pass on the mushroom fungus (aka "corn smut", "Mexican corn truffle" and other euphemisms". I've tried it before and it tastes like dirt. Sorry. I do like the zuchhini flowers though but I would rather eat fresh one than canned.
In addition to the mega sized canned vegetables, they also had restaurant sized spices and mixes. EVERYONE SHOULD OWN GARLIC POWDER for cripe's sake!
This was a really educational and fun trip. Even though we didn't get anything, I made mental notes of what was there in preparation for a future dinner party or what not. They literally have everything you could want for a gourmet meal.
Below, the view from the OTHER side of the tracks. To the left are the hipster apartments and to the right is the brick building housing Specialty Produce...
Now ya know!
Who else went to Specialty Produce?
Cathy first posted on Specialty Produce back in August 2010 followed shortly by Cab Cooks.
Koko's Corner Blog also went here in 2012!
Other bloggers' posts on Catalina Offshore Products:
Kirk - March 2007 and a more recent one this April featuring Mexico's chocolate clams. I know he's gone many more times but that was his first and then the most recent post.
Faye also went here in May and was given a tour by Tommy Gomes himself!
Catalina Offshore Products
5202 Lovelock St.
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 297-9797
catalinaop.com
Specialty Produce
1929 Hancock St.
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 295-3172
www.specialtyproduce.com
Looking forward to going to both of these places again!
6 comments:
Both of these places, open to the public and where the better chefs/restaurants shop, are seemingly hidden gems right out in front of us. I never knew there were so many potato brands! Of course, all good cooks DO own garlic powder-a necessity for even dispersion on the exterior of chicken and meats and always fresh/not sprouted or dried up, as fresh garlic tends to degenerate to after a few weeks. In addition there's no 'surprise' of a burning hot garlic clove when you get ready to use it...
It was cool since I'd been wanting to go to both of these places FOREVER but never did. Both are so close to each other as well. Great little "field trips" these were.
As for garlic powder, i love using it in fried rice if i don't have fresh garlic on hand, as well as seasoning chicken skin, ribs, bb etc...
Hey CC - You just missed me. I had a quick cooking session at Catalina that very morning....now that would have been funny!
I've always wondered where Specialty Produce is! I follow them on Instagram and always see the special produce they have in stock but have never visited. I think I might have to go for my own field trip.
Me too! It's so hidden! I'm glad that Cathy took us there. It's worth a look see. I am kind of afraid of buying stuff though (since there are no marked prices) and then finding out I owe hundreds of dollars, haha!
Hi Kirk! yeah, what a funny coincidence!
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