Apple juice from the Apple Farm up in the Anderson Valley, beef jerky from expert charcutiers the Fatted Calf in Napa’s new Oxbow market, handfuls of granola gobbled straight outta the box I picked up at Berkeley’s Café Fanny, the walk-in spot founded by SOLE’s patron saint, Alice Waters. Even my less pedigreed meals were delicious, fresh, and anything-but-prosaic: burgers from In-N-Out (one of the few chains that doesn’t freeze its meat — and emerges relatively unscathed from Fast Food Nation), fish tacos at Rubio’s, carnitas at L.A.’s myriad taco trucks. California has definitely got it goin’ on for a foodie!

After sampling the wares and vibe of about 20 food co-ops, Stephanie came up a list of characteristics the best of them share:

*The people who work there are “not just employees.” They value good food, what the food co-op stood for, and their customers.

*The co-op fosters a community atmosphere by having a gathering place like a deli or coffee shop.

*The store is well-organized, even if unconventional.

*The produce section is not over-packaged.

I was really impressed by two grocery stores in particular that I visited in California (which, incidentally, engaged with the same characteristics Stephanie valued, even if they weren’t co-ops): the Mill Valley Market in Marin County, and Bi-Rite in San Francisco.  Both are family operations run by people with a vested interest in making their shop welcoming, interesting and useful. The Mill Valley people are even growing a few vegetables themselves (heirloom tomatoes, etc.) at the family farm a few hours away.  Because the farm doesn’t really have to run itself as a business, the brothers who run the Mill Valley Market can afford to grow only tiny amounts and price them competitively—but what a lovely thing for customers to take advantage of. Bi-Rite is a rumpled, busy, crowded cavern-shop filled with excellent products and a buzzy vibe. Its owners, too, grow some of their own vegetables on family land, plus herbs on the store’s rooftop.  

Stephanie’s just spent the last six months proving that excellent grocery stores and food co-ops exist all over the country, even when it takes a little work to find them. Keep supporting these commercial spaces if you want them to stick around!