St Petersburg markets for best beef & produce? (Miami, Palm Harbor: brokers, buying)

[A.Typical.Girl]

Originally Posted by MortonR

SanWa Market on Hillsborough and 21st. Right by the farmer's market. They're a major provisioner for local restaurants but they sell retail as well.

Take a jacket.

RM

Thank you, but I visited SunWa twice when I lived in Palm Harbor last year. I bought a $100 hunk of ribeye & honestly, wasn't impressed with quality. People are right... it's in a very dicey 'hood (in fact, the whole drive through Hillsborough was 3/4 gnarly 'hood), is quite a trek (although, I wouldn't care if it were great) & quality (I mostly eat ribeye) wasn't optimal for what I needed.

[A.Typical.Girl]

Originally Posted by Arcenal813

They make a good point though... It's flash frozen, which is far different from a regular freezer. Nothing is lost when flash-freezing. You're not going to get an A5 Wagyu on this side of the world without it being frozen. If you go to a top end restaurant, it comes in flash frozen, which is what Wild Fork has.

https://wildforkfoods.com/pages/frozen-is-fresher

TY for this. I'll have to read more about it... I don't know about flash freezing. Freezing destroys minerals/vitamins, so I'm always suspicious. Some of their prices are great, so I'll check them out.

Ramsay also has a segment on this. As does Hiroyuki Terada.

Can you explain this... I have no idea what either are?

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by A.Typical.Girl

Thank you, but I visited SunWa twice when I lived in Palm Harbor last year. I bought a $100 hunk of ribeye & honestly, wasn't impressed with quality. People are right... it's in a very dicey 'hood (in fact, the whole drive through Hillsborough was 3/4 gnarly 'hood), is quite a trek (although, I wouldn't care if it were great) & quality (I mostly eat ribeye) wasn't optimal for what I needed.

Gotta be selective about what you buy. I buy beef and pork tenderloins primarily. I've bought the occasional pork shoulder for smoking and and some ribeye, which I would agree wasn't that great. Smoking makes the toughest cut of meat pretty good, especially when it's in the smoker for 24 hours, but yeah, the ribeyes were not impressive. The beef and pork tenderloins have always been good and there's no better price around.

As for the neighborhood, it's always been rough, but the locals aren't going to bother anyone there because no one lives close to the market. It's heavily traveled due to the activity from the farmers and restaurant people so there are always people around. And it's not that bad - there are far worse areas in Tampa if you're worried about crime.

I typically go early (they open at 4:00-4:30 am most days) like around 5:00 am, so there's no one around other than the farmers and restaurant people anyway.

It's definitely better than the "Heights" as everything is fresh, not frozen, and not priced for the hipster/millenial crowd. The person next to you is probably buying for their restaurant, not their home table.

RM

[Sunscape]

Originally Posted by MortonR

SanWa Market on Hillsborough and 21st. Right by the farmer's market. They're a major provisioner for local restaurants but they sell retail as well.

Take a jacket.

RM

Agree with u.

[sinatras]

Originally Posted by MortonR

Gotta be selective about what you buy. I buy beef and pork tenderloins primarily. I've bought the occasional pork shoulder for smoking and and some ribeye, which I would agree wasn't that great. Smoking makes the toughest cut of meat pretty good, especially when it's in the smoker for 24 hours, but yeah, the ribeyes were not impressive. The beef and pork tenderloins have always been good and there's no better price around.

As for the neighborhood, it's always been rough, but the locals aren't going to bother anyone there because no one lives close to the market. It's heavily traveled due to the activity from the farmers and restaurant people so there are always people around. And it's not that bad - there are far worse areas in Tampa if you're worried about crime.

I typically go early (they open at 4:00-4:30 am most days) like around 5:00 am, so there's no one around other than the farmers and restaurant people anyway.

It's definitely better than the "Heights" as everything is fresh, not frozen, and not priced for the hipster/millenial crowd. The person next to you is probably buying for their restaurant, not their home table.

RM

I really don't think Sanwa is worth the drive into the HOOD for most people. The meat quality/selection is not fantastic. The produce selection/quality is much better but not leaps and bounds better; the majority of their produce is not organic or local or high quality.

Is it cheaper than a lot of places? sure. But cheap is not always better. For restaurateurs sure it's worth it b/c it's cheap; most of them don't care that the stuff they cook isn't organic or comes from China or wherever.

If you have ever been to Detwiler's that's a place that gets everything right: price, quality and selection. Prolly the only one in SW Fla. For example this week Detwiler's has certified angus porterhouse steaks on sale for $8.88. Apples from named New York State orchards that are not waxed, etc. When you buy something from Detwiler's you know where's it's sourced from etc.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by sinatras

I really don't think Sanwa is worth the drive into the HOOD for most people. The meat quality/selection is not fantastic. The produce selection/quality is much better but not leaps and bounds better; the majority of their produce is not organic or local or high quality.

Is it cheaper than a lot of places? sure. But cheap is not always better. For restaurateurs sure it's worth it b/c it's cheap; most of them don't care that the stuff they cook isn't organic or comes from China or wherever.

If you have ever been to Detwiler's that's a place that gets everything right: price, quality and selection. Prolly the only one in SW Fla. For example this week Detwiler's has certified angus porterhouse steaks on sale for $8.88. Apples from named New York State orchards that are not waxed, etc. When you buy something from Detwiler's you know where's it's sourced from etc.

Having done work for a number of grocery chains in a previous career I'm familiar with Detwilers along with a number of small regional grocers like them. They're good quality, for sure. If you look carefully you can determine the source for much of SanWa's produce, however, I rarely buy produce there so it's not an issue for me.

If I was really that worked up about obtaining the pinnacle of meat quality I would be buying online from a sole-source provider like my former butcher in Wisconsin (who I still buy meat from on occasion), not from a supermarket where so many fingers are in the supply chain pie, so to speak.

This is like audiophiles who spend hundreds of dollars for those silly insulators to raise their cables off the floor to prevent any "changes in impedance" due to being in contact with floor coverings...yeah, I can hear the difference. Not!

RM

[A.Typical.Girl]

Originally Posted by MortonR

Gotta be selective about what you buy. I buy beef and pork tenderloins primarily. I've bought the occasional pork shoulder for smoking and and some ribeye, which I would agree wasn't that great. Smoking makes the toughest cut of meat pretty good, especially when it's in the smoker for 24 hours, but yeah, the ribeyes were not impressive. The beef and pork tenderloins have always been good and there's no better price around.

As for the neighborhood, it's always been rough, but the locals aren't going to bother anyone there because no one lives close to the market. It's heavily traveled due to the activity from the farmers and restaurant people so there are always people around. And it's not that bad - there are far worse areas in Tampa if you're worried about crime.

I typically go early (they open at 4:00-4:30 am most days) like around 5:00 am, so there's no one around other than the farmers and restaurant people anyway.

It's definitely better than the "Heights" as everything is fresh, not frozen, and not priced for the hipster/millenial crowd. The person next to you is probably buying for their restaurant, not their home table.

RM

I understand. Due to allergies, beef is about all I eat, so I may visit SW anyway, just for some less expensive meat... I like a nice, thick pan fried ribeye, but beef stew in the crockpot is fine, too.

I'm not afraid of that 'hood... I've lived in worse. I visited twice & do recall minor incidents... can't recall what they were now... still, it does have a not quite so welcoming vibe to it.

Great info, MR, thank you!

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by A.Typical.Girl

I understand. Due to allergies, beef is about all I eat, so I may visit SW anyway, just for some less expensive meat... I like a nice, thick pan fried ribeye, but beef stew in the crockpot is fine, too.

I'm not afraid of that 'hood... I've lived in worse. I visited twice & do recall minor incidents... can't recall what they were now... still, it does have a not quite so welcoming vibe to it.

Great info, MR, thank you!

If you go during the day you'll have no problems at all. There's so much activity in the parking lot and lots of employees around I can't imagine anyone would bother you. I've never felt threatened or seen anything that was the least bit sketchy when I've been there, and most of the time that's early (4:30-5:00) in the morning when it's relatively quiet.

RM

[A.Typical.Girl]

Originally Posted by MortonR

If you go during the day you'll have no problems at all. There's so much activity in the parking lot and lots of employees around I can't imagine anyone would bother you. I've never felt threatened or seen anything that was the least bit sketchy when I've been there, and most of the time that's early (4:30-5:00) in the morning when it's relatively quiet.

RM

I understand. But, you're also a guy. Women do have a bit more to watch out for. I have seen minor incidents there... arguments & cars getting blocked in by those screaming gnarly things at each other. I can't list races or comments lest I be PC shamed & banned.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by A.Typical.Girl

I understand. But, you're also a guy. Women do have a bit more to watch out for. I have seen minor incidents there... arguments & cars getting blocked in by those screaming gnarly things at each other. I can't list races or comments lest I be PC shamed & banned.

Understood. Exactly why I go in the early hours. You can park right in front with no trouble and there's plenty of employees and others around so it's safe. Too busy otherwise, especially on the weekends.

RM