While passing through San Carlos, I realized I needed tahini and some other ingredients for dinner…read more After searching the area for Middle Eastern groceries, I discovered a shop that fell in that category and specialized in Turkish products. I was impressed: the location is clean, organized, has a great selection, and has fun Turkish music playing over the speakers. I was able to find kagit helvah, which is a wafer-like treat; I've been trying to find some for years, so I was pleased! They have a nice deli and refrigerated section, with tempting meats, cheeses, and pickles. I was able to find a variety of tahini. They also have a great selection of lokum (Turkish Delight), of which I purchased several flavors. Best of all, I sat down for a delicious serving of Turkish coffee. I had mine "az sekerli" (a little sugar), which was luxurious and a treat. I look forward to returning for baklava and simit. BTW. My visit was met with a friendly welcome, which was appreciated.

On one side of the store is a cute bakery and coffee spot. The pastries are nut and fruit based. I…read moretried the Baklava with Pistachio, yet I really wanted one of each! My $4 piece baklava piece was only 1"x1.5", but the flavor was rich and full of the flavor of honey and pistachios. It may have been the best ever! The server was helpful in showing me items from the market on the other side of the space. I asked her many questions about the Kadaifi. I dreamed up a dessert invention inspired by Dubai Chocolate which I want to realize. She brought out her boss who was kind and able to explain the process of cooking the Kadaifi. Two thumbs up at Grand Bazaar Grocery and Bakery. I'll let you know how it comes out!

Biscotti in every flavor you can think of…read more Very old school, walking in is like stepping back in time. And wow, the aromas. Panettone, amaretti cookies, cannoli. It smells heavenly. Service is top notch. I merely mentioned that my man love's white chocolate, & we were instantly given lemon white chocolate biscotti to sample. Sfogliatelle is a specialty here. Multilayered lemony flaky goodness. This was a first for me; I didn't even try it when I was in Italy. It is divine. A must order. We also took home a bag of the lemon white chocolate biscotti. All natural ingredients. This is some of the best biscotti in the Bay Area. An Italian specialty bakery that should be on everyone's list. 5 stars

Limited hours. Only had one guy working and unfortunately no cannolis were available the day I…read morestopped in. They keep the door locked and you have to ring the bell bc the guy working is also baking in the back. Tried the sfogatelli which like a small flaky mini pastry. It was delish! Wish they had smaller bags of biscotti or samples to try bc the biscotti looked delish and authentic

Delicious food, quick service, and personable, kind employees! I've only been here once but will…read more100% be coming back again. Thanks y'all and keep it up - Appreciate it!

$13 (plus tax). Cubano sandwich is better than 3 stars, but not yet at 4…read more Good bread can make or break a sandwich, but it has to be in balance with everything else. I'm not buying a bread sandwich. The bread's job is really to frame and support the other ingredients and not dominate the experience. In the Cubano, the bread did bookend and support the ingredients, but there was simply too much of it compared to the important ingredients like the proteins. The crumb was thick and overwhelming, so each bite started with a mouthful of bread rather than a mix of the flavors. That was especially disappointing because the meats were clearly a step above what you find at most sandwich shops. The ham was carved directly from the bone which deserves recognition. Tasted alone, it had great flavor and was a quality product. The pickles were green and snapped with freshness. But these ingredients got lost behind the excess bread. With a better bread-to-filling ratio, the ham and the rest of the ingredients would have made more on an impact. As for the shop itself, when I first walked in, it felt like the kind of neighborhood spot where one of Tony Soprano's guys might stop by to collect a protection payment. I half expected a bagman to emerge from a back-room card game wearing an undersized sleeveless T-shirt with a filterless Camel hanging from his lips. It's not intimidating, but a bit of no-frills grit and unapologetically old school. I had the cashier pick between the two sandwiches I was considering and went with the recommendation. The process is straightforward -they make the sandwich and hand it over the counter. I wasn't asked whether it was for here or to go, and since it arrived in a brown paper bag, I took that as my cue to start walking with it. Character isn't this place's problem. The shop has personality, the ingredients are quality as the ham deserves praise. But for me, the bread overwhelmed everything else. A better protein:bread ratio would have earned this place another star.

Jerk'N Pickle is one of the main reasons I go to the San Mateo Farmers Market every Saturday…read more I need to get my Jerky fix! Their all natural, NO preservatives, NO Nitrates, beef jerky is SOOO GOOOD!!! My favorite flavors are Original, Teriyaki, and to my surprise Jalapeno!!! They are not to dry and hard, they are the perfect texture for jerky! A bit on the pricey side at $6 for 1.5 oz, but it is a healthier alternative to many other snack foods.

I ran into Jerk'N Pickle's stand at the Peninsula Oktoberfest. I had never actually heard of them,…read morebut luckily there were samples. The jerky was excellent, way better than what I usually find in stores, but I am actually here to write about what I believe to be their better half -- THEIR PICKLES!!! Call me Snooki, because I love pickles, always have. I order them on BLTs, tuna sandwiches, pretty much every single sandwich. I even add extra pickles to fast food and takeout items once I get them home. Anyways, every pickle lover knows that Claussen pickles (mass-produced and sold, found at your local grocery store, and I swear the ones that are used in many restaurants) are the best kind to buy. At least, that's what I thought before Jerk'NPickle. I got the regular dill pickle and almost cried from excitement, as this was the most wonderful pickle I had ever tasted! Not that gross saltiness that you get from the canned ones, but a sweet, and even spicy flavor (AT THE SAME TIME!!!!) saturated the entire thing. I was so sad I had only purchased the two that I did. It was pretty serious, while licking my fingers I was thinking, "Next time I see them, I'm buying TEN, throwing out those stupid Claussens, and putting THESE in the jar to hold me over until I can find them again." LUCKILY, they are sold at Draegers and Piazza's in San Mateo, as well as a few other places, so if you were reading this and concerned about me accessing my Jerk'NPickle Pickles, DONT WORRY - I get my fix regularly. If you see them at a farmer's market or an event, I can't stress enough how much you NEED to stop by. If you like spicy stuff, you'll love their non-dills. They'll make you do a Joey Lawrence "WHOA!"

Play on words, get it, to crush the olives for olive oil?…read more Anyways, that's as much mansplaining as I'm going to do. I really like this place a lot for it's wide variety of olive oil, friendly service, and fresh pasta and sauces. I can't tell which olive oil to buy for cooking versus a salad dressing because I'm ignorant, that's why I like coming here because it takes the guess work out of everything. Anyways, step up your olive oil game, grab some easy to cook pasta and sauce and feel like you know what you're doing in no time, even if you don't.

I swung by to grab some of garlic artichoke bread of they carry at their new location. Looks like…read morethey have some more new items like frozen empanadas 4 for $20. I'll have to try the beef ones next time. The section with tea is new to me too. I like that they carry local items like the biscotti and local honey. This is a great shop to put together a edible gift. I like their small bottles of truffle oil for my eggs/ pasta, to make my mayo yummy or add into popcorn. Great shop to have in the neighborhood!!!

God rest his soul, I miss him and his commentary, he knew everything about everything…read more I've been coming to Bob's for as far back as I can remember and in my most humblest and honest opinion, they make the best sandwiches, period... And of course the friendly customer service and family atmosphere are second to none, as well! That's all I have to say, drop the mic...

Was in the area and my boyfriend wanted to try this spot out. We both were very hungry and it was…read morelunch time. I told my boyfriend I want the Dutch crunch roll with the sandwich. He came out and said they were all out of Dutch crunch and any bread rolls. Surprised they ran out of bread when it was barely lunch time? He ordered the spicy chicken breast sandwich on sourdough and got a side of the mango habanero sauce. Thought the sandwich was ok. The sourdough bread didn't taste that sour at all. The mango habanero sauce was probably what made the sandwich better. If I lived in the area, then maybe I would try something else but wouldn't make the drive to get their sandwiches.

One of my favorite farmers markets! It's conveniently located in the parking lot of the Belmont…read moreCaltrans station and offers plenty of parking in the lot and along El Camino Real. It's on the smaller side, but plenty of produce and prepared food vendors to choose from. The vendors are all super friendly and accommodating. We should support local growers and small businesses!

Quick take: neighborhood farmer's market…read more This location is conveniently located close to home. It's nice to be able to take a walk to the Caltrains parking lot for some fresh fruits and veggies. It's definitely a smaller market with less vendors. But it's super convenient if you live anywhere near the Ralston/El Camino Safeway by the Belmont station. This FM is open on Sundays year round between 9am to 1pm. I would love to see more vendors come out this way.

Excellent well marbled dry aged steaks with a matching price…read more I got a few big dry aged ribeyes and they were fantastic. I did dry brine them for a day before cooking, followed by a 2-zone charcoal grill (sear over the charcoal, bring up to temp away from the charcoal). The steak was fantastic - very tender, very juicy, and just a hint of the dry aged flavor. If you want the funkiness that a 60+ dry aged steak will bring this isn't it, but if you want something just a bit more complex than other steaks you'll definitely like this. $230 for 4 steaks isn't cheap, HOWEVER you'd never find this quality of dry aged steak in this quantity for that price at a steakhouse, and you won't find this quality at Costco or Whole Foods. The only comparable steaks I have had are from the premium online retailers, and I've tried many of them. Flannery Beef, Snake River Farms. DeBragga, Lobel's, Pat LaFrieda - all will sell you a very good steak. But: 1. It will cost more, given shipping 2. It will take longer 3. You're not supporting a local business So if it's Friday and you want a restaurant-or-better quality steak, Gambrel is the obvious choice. While I didn't purchase anything besides steak, I did notice they sell lots of high end Italian foods and charcuterie. It looked good and the prices matched the meat, maybe next time. Steak and pasta does make a good if indulgent meal. The overall vibe is of an old school butcher and specialty shop. Even if you've never been in one it's something you've seen on TV or a movie. The guy at the counter was also helpful with figuring out the portion I needed, fast at cutting, and trimmed the ribeyes beautifully. The only downside has to be the parking. Downtown Redwood City is just a disaster. I know they can't fix it but I seriously almost didn't come because the main thought in my head was "ugh am I going to be able to find a spot within walking distance?" Fortunately I was able to park right out front since it wasn't peak hours but that was just pure luck.

Wow what a fun store! Needed various sausages for a country french stew and this place did not…read moredisappoint. Nice selection of specialty items, sausages, sauces, and rubs. Keep your eyes peeled or you might walk right on by - don't! Go in and get 2 of each sausage and enjoy! Don't be fooled, the entrance looks interesting, but not like a sausage store? Walk boldly in, because it is, and make your family's night. Owner was a little gruff this day in person, and absolutely wonderful on the phone. No idea why. But we enjoyed his sausage an his store and will return.