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    Howell Mountain Market

    3.2 (25 reviews)
    ModerateGrocery
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Going down "memory (taste) lane" & grabbing cans of Loma Linda Foods.  7 cans, total damage: $39.10! not cheap to be an SDA-vege!
    Michelangelo S.

    A Journey Down "Memory (Taste) Lane" SITREP So in case you didn't already know, I grew up in a Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) home on the East Coast in the SDA "Mecca" of Takoma Park, MD. I was born at Washington Adventist Hospital (when it was called Washington Adventist Sanitarium) in D.C. / Takoma Park, MD (the city-borders were in flux in the early 60s, though now it's "sited" in Takoma Park). I attended the progressive Wheaton SDA (Silver Springs, MD), the conservative Takoma Park SDA and very liberal Sligo SDA (Takoma Park) Churches. Graduated from Takoma Academy (T.A.). Then graduated from Walla Walla University. Married an SDA girl. And all during this time - roughly from the time of my birth to when I graduated college at 22, I grew up on food that was bought in SDA markets like this one in Angwin, CA (the home of Pacific Union College, also at it's sisster institutions in Walla Walla, WA and Loma Linda, CA. THE SETUP But life changes, people grow apart and end their marriages, your foundational life philosophy is now different than the one you grew up with and you turn your back on oppressive creeds towards more enlightened paths. And so you move on. Thus in this same way, I said goodbye to the food products (ie. Loma Linda Foods) that one would find in this store: vegetarian, gluten based, tofu-based, meat-alternatives. Now this doesn't mean the vegetarian life-style is not advantageous - and if anything, the ONE takeaway I kept from this SDA upbringing is that the vegetarian lifestyle is MORE preferable - but the reality is there are a myriad of other, some BETTER vegetarian & vegan food options than those being churned out by Loma Linda Foods and sealed in their cans. THE OLD DIET Still, running across this market was like remembering the smell of an old fashioned soda or piece of bubble gum that you no longer chew, but suddenly you have that whiff of memory that you enjoy (parts) of. So in the end, I bought some cans of Loma Linda Foods - a lot of vegetarian alternatives to things like "Links". And there is a propondence of "Links" - like 5-7 varieties - "Little Links", "Linkettes", "Big Franks", etc. It's like trying to describe the difference to one of my Scandinavian friends who's never had Mexican cuisine, the difference between Tacos, Burritos, Tostadas - "Aren't they all made of beans, rice, tortillas, cheese, meat, lettuce?" Yeah, they are. Go figure. THE MARKET It is actually well laid-out for a small market - it has a full-on produce section, and a well-stocked canned goods area. And every other section was well-represented. Though I can't say I scrutinized every aisle, I didn't see any meat-products jump out at me, so that is always a difference when I shop at my ole stalwarts of Safeway, Trader Joes & Costco back in Sacramento. I THINK I did see some soda for sale....."Oh MY!" THE LOWDOWN In the end, just fun to grab some cans to enjoy over the next few months and relive my youth.

    Not all of the produce from the College Market is this bad, but I've never bitten into this much rotten fruit from anywhere.
    Ryan L.

    There's a couple of levels that I'd like to break down this little rating of Angwin Plaza and that would be primarily: College Market and Ace Hardware. While both of them reside side by side within the same space and you can purchase things from the Market in Ace (and vice versa), they always feel leagues apart in quality. The Market: I'd like to say that, living a mere stones throw away (you can see where I live from the front door), I don't shop here for big grocery visits. For that I'd rather drive down the mountain to go to Safeway. Pros: -The Market is a decent lunchtime stop. Since there's not much in Angwin, this is the place to get a quick bite while on lunch break. -Good selection of veggie meat. -The people who work here know my family by first name and they interact with us nearly every time we visit. Cons: -Rather unreasonable prices on a lot of things. I've noticed that some things here are up to double the price that I can get them in St. Helena, especially factoring in the coupons I can get from Safeway. -The fruit almost always is terrible. As a matter of fact, I'm writing this right now because I've just bitten into another apple I've purchased from the College Market that was rotten. Last month I bought raspberries here that were covered in mold in two days. -I can almost never get diapers here for my kids. Usually they only have sizes N,1, 2 and 6. This is extremely frustrating as a parent. This only sucks more when I've run out on a Friday night or on Saturday when the Market is closed. -They don't accept WIC, SNAP, etc. due to their refusal to stock tuna. I don't have these, but I'm aware that this could be a severe problem for others. Overall, the Market is not particularly good at much outside of being a lunch counter, which is why I don't do much regular shopping here. Ace Hardware: Now I don't normally have to do much business over in hardware, but the experience has always been really positive. The guys in Ace always hook me and my wife up with just what we're looking for, even if we're not sure what it is that we need. If they don't have something, such as the battery I needed for my car, they were able to get it for me pretty quickly. In fact, they were able to get the type of battery I needed in a few hours. Ace Hardware in Angwin is excellent. They know what they're talking about (even when you don't), they're pleasant, and I can always count on them having what I'm looking for. So the Market 2/5 and Ace Hardware 5/5. That makes the score 3/5.

    6/2013.  It no longer has a sign saying "College Market" and the VK website doesn't list any CA stores, so the true brand is ??

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    6 years ago

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    6 months ago

    It is very expensive as a college student there. For a few Items, it's out of my budge. There has to be a discount for students.

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    15 years ago

    the college market is pretty cool it had everything i was looking for as a college student needing a snack lol

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    12 years ago

    Great place for vegetarians and vegans. Lots of alternative meat products a good selection of bulk foods.

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    Ask the Community - Howell Mountain Market

    Does anyone know if the Amazon locker is located inside or outside the market? Thanks!

    outside

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    Review Highlights - Howell Mountain Market

    Visited the College Market and met Chuck, the manager as he was inspecting the fresh produce.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    4.2(207 reviews)
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    The sign outside says "best market in the Napa Valley"!…read more Great store that is organized well. We only spent time in the perimeter of the store - we didn't need any pantry items or chips. We came in to pick up some picnic items: round sourdough, cheeses, and fruit! Great store with lots of offerings - even hot prepared foods! Registers were open, we checked out fast!

    I really appreciate this small town store. The stock is very high quality. The deli is excellent…read morewith daily meal options that are quite good and varied. The staff is great... Friendly and efficient. Though sometimes you wonder what all of them are doing I am convinced from long time observing that they are doing what they need to do in order to keep the flow going. They are also very helpful and friendly. The rest of the store staff is also very personal, kind, thoughtful. They know their customers. The one thing I will say is that their stocking protocols seem to be a bit disorganized. There is never a price on individual items, and looking under the stock at the 'pricing' strips is quite confusing. There just doesn't seem to be any interest in identifying the prices of the items in stock. The skews are there, but there are no prices typically. If there is any price under the stock it typically doesn't have a name of the item referenced. Many times there is no price identified at all, and cashiers may have to go searching for a price. Yes they do have skews on the items, unless they are inaccurate. Beyond this, it's a great resource for the town and highly appreciated. High prices of course, in concert with high quality.

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    Azteca Market - Tacos: Lengua, Cabeza, Suadero ($3.75 each), Guacamole ($5.25), Chips ($3.29)

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    5.0 mi
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    Another great lunch for a reasonable price up in St Helena. Went wine tasting at our usual spots in…read morenearby Rutherford and Azteca never fails us when we are hungry and want something quick and budget friendly. My al pastor super burrito was tasty and as filling as usual. My wife ordered 3 tacos (lengua, chicken and beef cheek) and they were all tender and flavorful. We also ordered their creamy guacamole and a couple of pieces of chicharone, which was very crispy and authentic. Definitely give it a try if in the area!

    3.5 STARS Always a…read moregood sign when you see native speakers rolling in deep and you get awkward stares. Azteca Market seems like THE place locals go to when they want legit taqueria fare specifically menudo and offal filled tacos. Their St. Helena location opened over 20 years ago and their Napa location followed a decade later. This is the only location with seating (outdoors only). Part market and part taqueria, there's three lines: meat counter (chicharrón by the lb!), taqueria, and market. After ordering at the meat counter or taqueria, you need to go to the market line to pay. You're then given a number and your number will be called outside at the pick-up window. M E N U Typical taqueria staples: Street tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, tortas, etc. They give you one container of your choice of salsa (pico, roja, verde, avocado, or habanero) and charge 50 cents for additional salsa. Protein: Pollo, asada, lengua, cabeza, buche, carnitas, pastor, and suadero. Menudo available on weekends but they consistently sell out within one hour of opening (by 10 am). Sucks they don't make a larger order ahead of time. Cc's accepted. F O O D * Chips ($3.29) Housemade chips, thick and hearty but hard on the teeth. * Guacamole ($5.25) Rich and creamy with a nice bright tang. Heavy on the onion and tomato filler. * Tacos ($3.75 each): https://tinyurl.com/y2fu8tst Tacos are served on a warmed, double corn tortillas with onion, cilantro, and lime (requested salsa on the side). - Lengua: Beef Tongue x2: Small, tender beefy bits. - Cabeza: Beef Head x2: Soft, shredded beef texture. - Suadero: Rose Meat x2: I couldn't tell the difference between this and the cabeza. While soft, they don't sear the suadero after braising for those delicious charred edges. Solid salsas: avocado (creamy and tangy) and habanero (punchy with a medium spicy kick) S E R V I C E The cashier was really friendly but the other staff were all business. Food took awhile since there was a group of 10 before us. A M B I A N C E Organized market filled with A LOT of items. Handful of shaded tables in front. P A R K I N G Shared lot with Clif Family Tasting Room. Overall, decent street tacos that scratch the itch esp if you're looking for cheap eats in the bougie St. Helena area. I prefer the grimy Tacos Garcia (truck) but Azteca has shaded outdoor seating so 3.5 stars rounded up.

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    Shelton's Natural Foods Market - Italian Grinder

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    4.6(58 reviews)
    23.2 mi
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    Howell Mountain Market - grocery - Updated May 2026

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