I've been a really big fan of Strong Arm Farm's/The Sonoma Coast Seaweed Company's seaweed since…read moreour visit to Point Reyes, so when I saw that Preserved carried them, we stopped right in. Parking is a bit of a fight, but I loved that they carried an array of fermentation items for things like kefir, bread, and cheese. They had quite a few kitchen supplies and books, and I was able to clean them out of the Kombu seaweed they had. All in all, Preserved's service as incredibly friendly and helpful, plus they have a great selection so we will absolutely be back.

Love this store. Like the new location even if parking can be a pain. Got a new vinegar mother and…read moresome sour dough starters for a friend on my last visit.

This market sells all kinds of things- produce, spices, fresh meat/ seafood, a wine shop, cheese,…read morerefrigerated already made food, and a bakery. Pretty pricey though. Bought some sausages from the butcher and it was $13 for a little package of 4. At the bakery, we bought a slice of chocolate mousse cake, a slice of princess cake, a slice of lemon cheesecake, mini fruit tart, a loaf of sourdough bread, and challah bread- total was a little over $50+. The service was amazing. My husband was inquiring about how an almond cookie tasted like and they took one out of the case and cut it so we could taste it. Everything else we ordered though was delicious. Cheesecake was rich and creamy, the princess cake was moist, the mini fruit tart was fresh, and the chocolate mousse was rich. The challah bread was soft and you can't taste the good quality olive oil that was used. Added bonus is there is a free parking lot in the back. Free parking in Oakland?!? Heck yea!

this place is sooo cute. i wish we had more local food halls like this in the bay area. the food…read morewas good too and the staff was nice :)

I LOVED the Berkeley location! But they closed :( this location seems a bit larger and in a more…read moretransit area next to bart. Still offers same high end food and snacks. A variety of groceries and prepared food are both found here and you can't go wrong. No pets allowed either. Fun place to buy Christmas gifts. The Berkeley staff was super friendly, I can't say I know the Oakland staff but I'm assuming some of the same people transferred over which means same friendly staff as always.

I've been to Market Hall Foods a few times, mainly for their baked goods next to Highwire Coffee,…read morebut today I finally went through the rest of their store with an eye towards purchasing since we were headed straight home. Market Hall Foods is bit like a smaller Draegers. They carry specialty pantry items such as spices, jams, jellies, as well as cold items like cheese and milk and hot pre-made dishes and rotisserie chicken. I will say however that it feels like such an odd design for a grocery store and was fairly difficult to navigate. While I love that they carry small business brand dates, they don't carry sustainable small business seaweed like Strong Arm Farms. All in all, the service was friendly and I definitely love their outside seating they share with Highwire, but the space itself could use a renovation for crowd control.

Who doesn't want to eat meat?…read more Except for maybe Vegans and Vegeterians. Anyway, my point being there's nothing like fresh organic meat. Came here looking for some rib eye and wound up buying their special sausage, lamb, and some short ribs. There was just so much fresh meat in stock, and of course, you're supporting a local business too, so it's definitely a win-win!

This is a great butcher shop for all of your meat needs, from beef, lamb, chicken, to seafood…read more First, pick up a number and wait for your turn to be served. The butchers behind the counter are nice and quick with their service. I came for a NY steak and the selection did not disappoint. Got a steak for about $23, a fair price point. This place also sells cheese, salami, and olives for your charcuterie needs. Definitely recommend!

I came by this past Saturday and loved the delicious variety of pastries, baked treats, sweets, and…read morebeverages offered at this adorable cafe, including hot chocolates, flavored coffees and tea, banana blueberry bread, and so many unique chocolate bars. Service was friendly and sufficient, and I appreciated the option to sit inside or among the sidewalk seating. I opted for outdoors which was ideal with shaded tables, beautiful skies, and live music happening in front of the shop next door, as there was a community event happening along College Avenue. I got a chocolate milkshake which was pretty standard. They use vanilla ice cream, then just add the requested flavor. It was tasty nonetheless. I also tried the house bread pudding, made using chocolate croissants. It takes 10 minutes or so to be ready and is so worth the wait, moist and chocolatey, a hint of spice. Quite satisfying, if you ask me. Altogether I was pleased with my experience here.

The caramel latte was DELICIOUS and SO flavorful... which unfortunately isn't great news for my…read morepockets because I already know I'm coming back for more. I definitely want to come back and try some of their other lattes because if the caramel one is any indication, I'm in trouble! I also really appreciate that they have certain days where laptops aren't allowed and set time limits to make sure everyone gets a chance to enjoy the space and chill. I love that concept! I went on a Sunday afternoon and the ambiance was perfect! quiet, cozy, and not too loud. Definitely a cute spot to grab a coffee, relax, and enjoy your drink without feeling rushed.

My wife and I stopped by Amphora Nueva after grabbing lunch at The Station nearby to replenish our…read moredwindling supply of aged dark balsamic. Like most artisanal olive oil and vinegar stores, this one allowed for sampling of nearly all their products. There are so many interesting oil blends and flavored balsamic vinegars, I would encourage you to take your time to try out anything that piques your curiosity before making a purchase. We ultimately picked up a bottle of their 25 year old aged, Denissimo balsamic. This balsamic had a wonderful sweetness to it and was beautifully viscous. I can't wait to drizzle this on top of a tomato burrata appetizer when summer comes around, or on some vanilla ice cream. Another balsamic I really enjoyed trying out -- that would also go lovely with vanilla ice cream, was the espresso flavored balsamic. I would definitely recommend checking out Amphora Nueva for all our olive oil and balsamic needs.

We first tried their product at a party--just a splash over sparkling water--and it was delicious…read more From that moment, we were hooked. Now it's in regular rotation at our house as we work our way through all the new flavors in the store. BB

This is our family go-to place for special birthday gifts for our friends no matter their age…read more Their bon-bons are delicious and display beautiful artistry. But hands down, we fully recommend their chocolates cake, El Rey. It is the BEST chocolate cake on earth, to die for, and also my husband's birthday cake year after year. Children and adults both gobble it up completely. The folks that work there are also very kind and always enticing me with samples of their bars.

At Elmwood just waking off our dinner and we walked past Case De Chocolates, a nice lady waked out…read moreswearing by these chocolates and we had to try. Jesus one of the owner was super nice and stayed open a little longer just for us. Not gonna lie, opened up one of the bars walking to the car. Very unique flavors like Mole, Jamaica, so super Mexican flavors. Must try is your visiting up here in the Bay!

Totally stumbled upon this place by accident, and what a serendipitous find! We saw that they had…read morethe viral Dubai chocolates (this was back in October). For those who don't know what the Dubai chocolates are, they are milk chocolates filled with shredded phyllo dough and pistachio cream. My first impression was whether or not I had walked into an art gallery or a confectionary shop. Uh...turns out both! According to their website, the owner and her partner were originally artists prior to becoming chocolatiers. This place just screams creativity and their chocolates are ethically-sourced and almost too pretty to eat. They even have a backroom gallery to showcase local artists' confectionary-inspired works. We couldn't find the Dubai chocolates, but one of the employees approached us and asked if we needed any assistance. Turns out they were in the back and they had just received a shipment! The Dubai chocolates were nutty, crunchy, flaky, and velvety all in one! Pricey, but worth trying. Also, might I just take a moment to say I absolutely adore the shop's name! It almost looks like "XO Chocolate" as in kisses and hugs, bu also reminded me of the language of the ancient Latin American civilizations and - fun fact - Xocolatl (you see the play on words?) means chocolate (literally means "bitter water") back when they would mix purely cocoa and water as a drink. If I'm not mistaken, this business is Latina-owned, so perhaps that was intention? So clever and, either way, kudos to them!

Came here after a big meal. Wanted to get something sweet and happed upon Xocolate & confections…read more My family and I were amazed. Packed inside this small space was an amazing array of candies. Felt like museum; candy store and art gallery mixed into one. Amazing displays. Great local sweets. Friendly staff. We spent more time than we expected. And to be honest, we probably could have spent more. Delightful place to explore and indulge in your sweet tooth.

4.5 stars $18…read moresandwich, "The Classic": fantastic. Well made, tons of meat with great dressing and Vegi fill. Good size too.

Great place if you need something specific, especially for cooking recipes. Specialty sandwiches…read moreare expensive, but epically delicious. Isles of specialty foods and deliciousness. This historic neighborhood grocery store is expensive, but charming. Employees are rad.

A cute gem! Came across this spot after having dinner in the area. I loved looking at all the…read moreceramic pieces and trinkets, it reminded me of being in Japan! There's a sake bar at the end of the store, and my friend and I had such a good time trying the sake flight and cocktails. They had a variety of sake, cocktail, and whiskey choices. There's limited seating, but we were able to grab a seat at the bar around 7pm. I'd love to come here again!

An excellent selection of sakes: fancy ones like kirinsan, Dasai, Den Sake (local and awesome),…read morecanned sakes in seasonal metals or porcelain and fun and random impressive tengu shapes. This is also a place to get Japanese condiments, new year ceremonial items (decorative wooden arrows), cocktail bar ware (brass, glass), even pine wood mats and tea pots. They also regularly hosts festival mini markets, sake shoju tasting, especially for their sake gumi members. They get to meet famous chefs and local sake makers. They can also learn and taste from the bar.