There’s a new independent grocer in town. Canyon Market opened just before Thanksgiving so the shelves are still a bit sparse (no liquor license yet), but things look promising. It’s cut from the same mold as Good Life Grocery, but with a more gourmet slant. Which makes sense, considering owners, Richard and Janet Tarlov, have worked at Oakville Grocery, Dean & DeLuca and Zingermans.
It’s hard not to compare Canyon Market to the beloved Bi-Rite, because a second branch of Bi-Rite was in the original plans for the location.
A walk through the produce aisle reveals almost all organic produce, but they don’t call out specific local farms on the signage like Bi-Rite does. Meat is Niman Ranch beef and free-range chicken (doesn’t say from where) Cheese selection is decent, though not super extensive. Still, you can find a quality blue, local goat cheese, Basque cheeses, fontina, real Parmesan and the like. The deli food looks fresh and tasty. Not quite as good as Bi-rite’s stellar spread, but better than a typical grocery store. There’s a bread oven in which they bake their own breads and some of the coffee bar sweets.
The metro racks in the center of the store hold a variety of natural brands of cereals and canned goods along with gourmet items like infused oils and flavored vinegars, good jams and olives and things.
The staff seems friendly and helpful and one can tell that they mean to be responsive to the neighborhood’s needs. We’ll follow up in a few months and see how things evolve (And check out the wine selection!). There hasn’t been a decent grocery store for miles since the market in this location burned down in 1998. This store is so close to the Glen Park Bart Station, it could even be a destination market for the carless who care about what they eat. I imagine the residents of Glen Park are happy to have a store after numerous delays and problems with the entire development.
oopsy!
Just noticed the phone number is incorrect.
It's 415-586-9999
Sorry folks
Canyon Market tries to be too many things: a deli, a produce market, a bakery (fresh bread baked on site), and a cafe. In doing so, it misses the mark in being just a good general grocery store like the Diamond SuperMarket used to be. In the process, it has a lopsided inventory with still empty or partially filled shelves. It does not make use of its beautiful new space as it should -- to many wide open areas -- checkout, cafe, produce and deli -- and narrow aisles in back.
As for the freshly baked bread, it offers its loaves of ciabatta, baguette, and another type of bread on the bread shelf with the bags on the side of the shelf. The bread should be either already in its bag or should be handed over in its bag from the sales clerk behind the deli where the bakery is. One does not put loaves out as they are for everyone to touch and squeeze like fruits and vegetables. The sad fact is that not everyone washes their hands often. And even the most hygiene-conscious person coming to the market has been somewhere without access to a restroom to wash their hands.
And, lastly but more importantly, the prices are ridiculously high. The more affordable bottle of wine is $12.98 -- the average bottle is $16-17 dollars -- and all foreign labels. The 1.5 litre of Evian or Volvic water is $2.59. And organic eggs, $6.80! Glen Park residents are not multi-billionaires to afford these prices. (Heck! even a billionaire the likes of Bill Gates would wince at these prices.) The point is even supermarkets in the Upper Fillmore are more reasonable (and that is in the Pacific Heights neighborhood) with their pricing.
To thrive in Glen Park, Canyon Market will have to adjust its prices and widen its selection of items. Food and essentials are not boutique items. It all boils down to afforability and variety. Being a little more down to earth would help a lot. If not, the neighborhood would have been better served by a Whole Foods, a small Trader Joe's or even A G Ferrari.
its easy to sling stones from the sidelines.
but no one takes you seriously until youre on the field.
As a resident of Glen Park with great loyalty to Rick's excellent fromagerie (Cheese) and Joe's amazing bakery (Destination)I am very interested in seeing all three establishments succeed. yes the prices are absurd ($3 for a roll of 'natural' wax paper), and I hope that will amerliorate in time. But the quality and imagination in terms of product selection are there. I join in hoping they will listen and learn, and thrive.
I don't live in Glen Park, but I am willing to take a bus to Canyon Market. I stop in for the Fra Mani fresh sausages and nostrano salami, half bottles of Ravenswood zin, Straus milk, and good house-made walnut bread. It saves me a trip to the Ferry Building, but more importantly, the gentlemen who run the butcher counter are genuinely helpful and the bakery will slice your bread for you. Arizmendi is in my neighborhood--and without question bakes a better sourdough--but investing in a bread slicer is out of the "we're artisan" question for them.