Gourmet products local specialties and wines Côte Ouest Etats-Unis

For lovers of green teas in Japan, this small store in Japan Center will be able to dazzle you with high quality teas. A little expensive but really excellent.

It was in April 1940 that the Gunther family created this ice cream shop. Since then, the store has never been empty and is definitely considered the best in town. Large choice of flavors, more than thirty, from chewing gum to strawberry cheesecake, including green tea and ginger. Some sorbets, sundaes and yoghurts complete this picture perfect for the gourmets. All homemade. We like Gunther's character, his colorful mural and his store in a corner with a large bay window, overlooking a nice sunny terrace.

A small neighborhood shop with a big hit! Pastry chef Sara Spearin offers, in addition to the usual menu, 7 to 10 donuts of the day, all made with organic ingredients and accompanied by a good coffee. Salted caramel, maple apple bacon, pumpkin chocolate chip... The choice is vast! Don't be afraid of the line, it moves fast and it's the opportunity to feel the good vibe of Mission...You can believe our experience, if you are not afraid of the donuts dripping with sweet topping you will enjoy it.

The ice cream institution in the city of Santa Cruz. Here, everything is organic, seasonal and delicious... and above all, homemade! Enjoy classic flavors like Tahitian vanilla or dark chocolate sorbet, and depending on the season, original flavors like black tea or the unforgettable New Orleans coffee. You also have the choice in the assembly. Yummy! The establishment has a nice little terrace. The Penny institution has grown and now has 4 establishments, including a second one in Santa Cruz.

One of the best chocolate makers in the bay. Truffles are to fall, and the windows are filled with a thousand and a other sweets that will make the choice difficult. But do not hesitate too long since at all strokes we fall on a surprise surprise of the most appreciable.

It is easy to see that Californian cuisine, and more generally American cuisine, is much spicier than European cuisine. Under the influence of its Mexican neighbor, chillies are very present and allow to spice up the dishes with taste. Why not leave with one of the typical sauces of this cuisine, which will remind you of these flavors once you return home! You can find all the essentials (marinades, hot sauces, barbecue sauces) in this very popular store in the neighborhood, recognizable by its large windows.

This small shopping mall gathers several restaurants, cafes and grocery stores for the pleasure of our palate. Very good solution if you stop in San Jose to have lunch or dinner in a nice place. You can find very good burgers at On the Flip Side, great ramen at Konjoe Tei, fresh fruit juices at Vitamina, and very good toasted sandwiches at Toasted. Personally, we have a soft spot for the smoothies at Natural Sweet Delight. A digest of good addresses for food lovers!

This global chain with more than 800 stores worldwide in 26 countries offers smooth and nutritious juices. You can order exotic fruit blends, but also energizing vegetable juices. You can also add a shot of vitamins to your mixture. Original, and perfect for the small munchies, it is an ideal stop of a long sunny day. The Jamba Juice in Monterey has a small outdoor terrace and a friendly service. Vegan juices and smoothies are available.

You miss your good old baguette sandwich? Can't wait to get home and enjoy a good country bread? Go to Lafayette Bakery, run by French people, and your cravings will be satisfied. The sandwiches will make even the most discriminating palate green with envy, and the creamy pastries are just waiting to be devoured by any self-respecting gourmand. The bakery is located in a mall just outside the city on Highway 1, heading south. It is definitely worth the stop!

Pavel's Backerei offers delicious sandwiches and pastries of French-German inspiration. Typical Brötchen, Apfelstrudel (apple cake), croissants, muffins and various breads(Brot) that only the Germans know how to make, you'll be spoilt for choice. The bakery has a few tables at the entrance. You can also take your victuals a hundred meters away, to have lunch while contemplating the sublime waterfront of Pacific Grove.

After studying at the Culinary Institute of New York, Ginger Elizabeth settled in her native Sacramento and opened this little store specializing in chocolates, ice cream and macaroons! Locals flock there and wait in the long line, hoping to taste the Holy Grail: the Ice Cream Sandwich Macarons. Prepared with organic products, it's good and fresh! They have since opened a pastry shop a few blocks away.

You are at a wine dealer who offers wine tastings from all over the world. For those who cannot wait for their return to France, their card will satisfy the most demanding.

The temple of cheap and small prices. Many items of dubious taste, but among them, some nice hidden pieces. Take time to farfouiller in the rays, it really is a blow for the femme and the decoration in particular.

Close your eyes, you're in France for a moment. Here is chocolate lightning, olives and croissants with almonds, everything freshly made before you. Excellent cakes and sandwiches for a snack, as at home.

The Napa Mill buildings are among the last remnants of the old Main Street (late 19th century industrial and commercial center) in the city of Napa. Today it has become a pleasant and rather classy shopping district in Napa with spa, gift stores, chocolate shop, restaurants and jazz club. Worth seeing for its architecture and especially for its mosaic fountain. It tells the history of the valley, from the time of the Nappa Indians to the Spanish conquest, and to the times of Mexican and American domination.

We love the homemade sandwiches from this wine and cheese store. The value for money is unbeatable: LARCHMONT Village Wine, Spirits & Cheese offers tasty, extremely fresh fillings. Organic olive oil and balsamic vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, parmesan, mozzarella, Emmental, manchego, black olive tapenade, avocado... Each ingredient is more appetizing than the next. A very good address!

Craft beer, pizza, ramen, Korean grill, pasta, burgers, Peruvian specialties, lobster, Texas barbecue, fried chicken, tacos, kebabs, wraps, Filipino rice bowls, Thai street food, doughnuts, pastries, pancakes, Belgian waffles, popcorn, bubble tea, artisanal coffee, juices... This indoor market offers a great selection of locally produced international cuisine, to enjoy on the spot or to take away. A friendly place, very popular with the inhabitants of the Liberty Station neighborhood. The icing on the cake: a few small stores where it is good to stroll.

Absolutely essential for donut lovers, this address located north of Gaslamp is particularly renowned for the quality of its products and the greediness of its recipes. Here is a non-exhaustive list: crème brûlée, blueberry cheesecake, margarita, maple bourbon, mud pie - the famous chocolate pie from Mississippi - salted butter caramel, apple crumble, cake batter... Thought up by the enthusiastic chef Santiago Campa, the flavors are frequently renewed. To have a choice, come as soon as possible.

You can't miss this extravagant bakery on the main street of Castro. Indeed, the cookies are very good but we will remember especially their extravagant shapes. Obviously, we prefer the ones in the shape of penises, each one bigger than the other, that everyone likes to put in his mouth while laughing heartily. Hip-hop music, photos posted on the walls representing the gay community, the atmosphere remains good-natured: a funny stop not to be missed during your visit in the neighborhood!

This specialist soda store is a veritable institution. With several hundred references, it has every variety of sweet drink imaginable. They are presented in glass bottles with metal caps - their original packaging - reviving nostalgia for some. Wild strawberry, black cherry, cucumber, kumquat or even pumpkin spice: the most unlikely flavors can be found here! A store for young and old alike... But in moderation.

This delicatessen is full of Japanese products, with a strong emphasis on alcoholic beverages, from sake to beer, with a small detour to Europe via a selection of some good wines. There are also snacks from the land of the Rising Sun, and fresh products and dishes to enjoy on the spot or to take away. Soups, pastries and sandwiches are simple and tasty. And to spoil nothing, the atmosphere is nice: a kind of design grocery store, sober and trendy. A good address, to be shared between lovers of the country of the Rising Sun.

This family business is named after Joan, the owner. The daughter of Czech immigrants, she grew up in New Jersey before taking cooking classes in Manhattan. There she started her own cooking school and first restaurant before moving to the West Coast in the 1970s. Her current establishment, founded in 1995, has continued to grow. Today, Joan's On Third is a trendy address that constantly reinvents itself, as well as a major caterer in Los Angeles. In addition, the entrepreneur has opened another location in Studio City.

The Original Farmers Market has been a favorite food destination of Angelenos since 1934. It is a vast succession of stalls, each with its own specialty. Sushi, pokés, oysters, sandwiches, falafels, pizzas, fresh pasta, hamburgers, Brazilian grills, pies, donuts... It's hard to know where to turn, whether you come to do some shopping, lunch or dinner. A real paradise for food lovers, not to be missed!

This is the story of a clarinet player who fell in love with coffee and decided one day to change his life. Blue Bottle Coffee Company, a small company with integrity, has since been buying its organic coffee beans from around the world and roasting them in the San Francisco area. Two stands at the Ferry Building Market, easy to spot in the line of customers! And it's been so successful that it's now present in New York, Chicago, Washington and even across the Pacific in Tokyo, Honk Kong and Seoul. Not to be missed if you like coffee!

In 1906, Suyeichi Okamura opened Benkyodo, one of the first shops in Japantown. With the Second World War, the Japanese of San Francisco were deported to detention centers: the store had to close. It reopened in 1951, still run by the Okamura family. This tiny diner has kept the warm atmosphere that reigned there in the 1950s: the old-timers come to drink coffee and chat. But it is especially for the enchanting mochi (filled sweet rice balls) that people come here.

This family-run bakery is usually packed with children and teenagers from the two neighboring schools. A sort of nerve center for the Brentwood community, it's a great place to grab a coffee, indulge in a sweet treat, or grab a sandwich or quiche for lunch. In addition to pastries, Belwood Bakery Cafe specializes in muffins - in original flavors such as pumpkin, cappuccino, lemon and low-fat corn - and revisited macaroons - lavender, red velvet, tiramisu and Nutella, among others.

After opening their bakery in the heart of the city, Ozzy Jimenez and Christian Sullberg embarked on the Noble Folk adventure in 2014 with this first small, designer store. People come here for the wide selection of homemade pies and ice cream: the undeniable craftsmanship combined with original recipes make the establishment an ideal stop on hot summer days. In addition, the power duo opened another address in 2018, in Santa Rosa.

Designed to entertain and enchant, this oversized mall was built in a European style: here, shoppers stroll along wide streets amidst stores, almost as if they were in an amusement park. In addition, there are many concerts on weekends, while families flock to the Grove for the lighting of the huge Christmas tree every year. Finally, a huge amount of retailers are present, including Apple, Banana Republic, Brandy Melville, Gap, Coach, Forever 21, Nike, Michael Kors, or UGG.

This small shopping center with a rustic and country look was built in 1948. While it can't compete with the city's institutions, it is appreciated for its charm and atypical character, with a structure reminiscent of the old markets of England. It features local artisans as well as renowned brands such as James Perse, Goop, Capitol and Christian Louboutin. Also on site: several dining options offering a variety of cuisine, from Barney's Burgers to Sweat Rose Cremery to Reddi Chick Bbq.

In 1997, after years in the test kitchen, Michael founded Recchiuti Confections in partnership with his wife, Jacky. They arrange their delicate Recchiuti filled chocolate squares like little jewels in a glass case. Their famous Caramel à la fleur de sel, with a whisky aftertaste, is the most requested flavor... The Recchiuti team proudly asserts that they always source local herbs, such as lavender and lemon verbena, from California farmers' markets and blend them into their chocolates. A real treat!

California's most famous confectioner. The company moved from Canada to Los Angeles in 1921, to San Francisco in 1936. Four stores in San Francisco where you can compose your own box of sweets. A few extra calories for you or/and a few small gourmet gifts to bring back... Memories every time! For the record, in 1994 a driver delivering a chocolate order fell asleep while his truck was hooked up to one of the vats and was pumping, so that El Camino Real and Spruce Avenue next door were flooded with chocolate!

A showcase to make the most greedy among us green with envy. We stop there at any time of the day to devour pastries made with a rare finesse. You can even find kouign-amann, as well as croissants, pastramis, onion-tomato-bacon burratas, lychee and raspberry jam or café au lait... There are also excellent sandwiches made from homemade bread of course. Franciscans love them and it is easy to understand why. Go there without waiting, you will enjoy it!

From the smell of freshly baked bread and warm viennoiseries, to the mouth-watering colors of its pastries and cakes, French bakery savoir-faire is inimitable. That's why Frederic Laski and Laila Abddaim decided to open their Beverly Hills establishment, with a team of professionals from France, as well as a large proportion of the ingredients. A perfect address for a late breakfast or an early afternoon snack.

A must in the heart of Chinatown: this Chinese pastry shop is an institution on the neighborhood's main thoroughfare, Grant Avenue. People come to line up in front of its pagoda-shaped shelter to taste the delicate and delicious specialties that will delight sweet tooths in search of oriental gustatory discoveries. Like an egg mooncake with delicious lotus seed paste. The Chinese family who run it also sell a few bags of fortune cookies (if you haven't had time to go to the factory).

This pretty brick house, which stands out from the surrounding buildings, is a La Jolla institution. Its specialty: scones, the original Scottish bread rolls that are almost as popular in North America as they are in the UK. Usually prepared "plain", Brick & Bell Cafe successfully revisits them with chocolate chips, maple syrup with walnuts or pumpkin. Also on the menu: paninis, as well as an interesting selection of breakfasts, coffees and desserts.

A veritable Balboa Island institution, this shop is home to the original frozen banana, covered in peanuts, almonds, Oreo or honey-almond granola. You'll also find delicious doughnuts, frosted cheesecake, muffins, cinnamon rolls, milkshakes, smoothies... In short, a sweet-lover's paradise. To enjoy all this, continue on to S. Bay Front, with its sunny benches.

This delicious chain is named after its founder, Jeni Britton Bauer, who opened her first store in 1996 under the name Scream. She launched the very first Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams store six years later. Her recipe for success: creamy, gourmet ice creams. Gooey butter cake - dark chocolate truffle, cinnamon roll, peanut butter... Hard to resist!

Opened in 1983, Diddy Riese is a true Westwood institution. Its mission: to serve tasty, gourmet artisanal products at unbeatable prices. While it has always offered delicious brownies, cookies and ice cream, this address built its reputation on its Ice Cream Sandwich, a scoop of ice cream sandwiched between two enormous cookies, served for the first time in 1995. The line can be long, but the experience is well worth the detour and allows you to immerse yourself in the 100% student life of the neighborhood.

Classic recipes include The Promise Ring, a donut covered in chocolate, maple syrup or plain icing, and the Rites of Sprinkles, a vanilla cake topped with chocolate or vanilla and confetti. But Donut Friend is also known for its original creations, such as the Youth Brulée, filled with Bavarian cream, and the Green Teagan and Sara, topped with matcha tea and sesame seeds. Special mention for the X-Ray Speculoos, as delicious as it is hearty. A huge favorite!

As its name suggests, this Los Angeles-based company, founded in 1972, specializes in cheesecakes: what began as a small shop has become a company with over 200 locations in the United States. On the menu: some thirty delicious cheesecakes, each more gourmet and hearty than the last, among which the simple and evocative Original stands out. While desserts can be ordered at any time of day, The Cheesecake Factory also serves savory dishes for lunch and dinner.

Macaroons, cupcakes, viennoiseries, tartelettes amandines, bear claw- a typically American pastry, originating in the 1920s -, sublime cakes and pièces montées... Gourmet alert! A family-run, old-fashioned bakery in the heart of West L.A.'s Chinese-American district. A rather confidential address, it's aimed above all at sweet tooths who want to take something to eat before setting off to explore the city. Delicious creations at prices that couldn't be cheaper.

Founded in 2006, this small, family-run establishment specializes in the artisanal preparation of ice creams for the general public, as well as those based on plant-based milk. Madagascar vanilla, Ecuadorian chocolate, hazelnut, coffee, stracciatella, cookies and cream, vegan dark chocolate, toasted coconut, strawberry or mango sorbet... These are the classic flavors. Young and old alike also flock to Pazzo Gelato for its more original flavors, such as avocado, banana with dulce de leche, brown sugar with candied bacon, or salted butter caramel. Delicious!

The aim of Emili's Pastry & Cafe? To offer customers an "authentic European experience". Lemon meringue tarts, crème brûlées, Napoleon, opera, linzer torte revisited... In the window, the great classics of pastry excellence rub shoulders with the must-haves of the "Danish breakfast" - a reference to the term "viennoiseries" - ranging from butter croissants toapple strudel , almond croissants and palmiers. Also on the menu: a vast selection of muffins, quiches and coffee. Delicious!

This small chain of bakeries, which also operates in Hollywood, Highland Park and outside Los Angeles in South Pasadena, was founded by Alfredo Livas and Ricardo Cervantes as a tribute to their native Mexico. In the window: pan dulce, conchas - traditional sweet rolls - taquitos, chocolate croissants, corn bread - pan de elote - cocadas - a delicacy made from shredded coconut - and guava cake, among others. People also come for the delicious coffee, which can be bought in bags.

Like many big cities in the United States, Las Vegas has its Chinatown where Chinese businesses gather under pagoda-shaped roofs. Every year, the famous dragon dance is performed there for the Chinese New Year. However, the place is far from matching the Chinatowns of San Francisco and New York: most of the facades are purely decorative and the buildings form a large classical shopping mall. There are about fifteen stalls, restaurants, bars and about twenty stores (supermarket, bookstore, decoration).

For those who would be tired of salted and sweet pop-corn that croquent mechanically when looking at a big screen film, Popcorn Chicago suggests a variation of some twenty fragrances, including very good cheddar for which you will close your eyes on calories.

Read: Popcorn is also located at Circus Circus and Fremont Street.

Born in Chicago, where its first store was opened, Garrett Popcorn claims to be the popcorn specialist, with many traditional recipes developed by the company's founder in the 1940s. Among the most famous recipes are Caramel Crisp, Cheese Corn and the great butter or plain popcorn classics. Since 2017, the group also offers the famous Frango chocolate, another great brand Chicagoans know well. Hard to resist.