Cheaper than not as expensive as Urbani.
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I just made smashburgers with Wagyu ground beef from Epicurus. I have had the Wagyu patties, which are excellent, but I jumped at buying the bulk ground beef. As we are at a vacation house I do not have my usual kitchen battery so I didn’t take pictures but the burgers were superb. I underestimated the fat content so they shrunk more than I expected, but the flavor!!! I don’t remember the price, but I don’t think it was much higher than premium ground beef.
Highly recommend it. I wish they could set up some kind of delivery service for those who can’t make it to the Valley.
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Do they still escort you to Hilary’s office to pay for your purchase? It always felt like going to the sales manager’s office at a car dealership.
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Sorry you feel that way. I have never experienced anything other than good service and helpful advice there - and never anything close to a hard sell - unlike the last car I bought, 2021, where I almost walked out and wound up with a hefty discount.
BTW I love Santa Maria beef.
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No
Sometimes they walk you to the other office
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funny…it is a bit odd but not offensive (to me).
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i agree the truffle ones are surprisingly great for a product with synthetic truffle, but they also use some unclear quantity of real truffle along with it so maybe thats why it doesnt taste entirely repulsive
just tried the fried egg flavor - i thought it was actually a great flavor, for me it actually evoked the runny yolk flavor, although i can see how that might alternatively be interpreted as cheese+funk
i would rank them
- mediterranean salt
- truffle
- fried egg
- smoked paprika (like refined lays bbq)
- caviar (but in small amounts - at some point caviar flavour starts to veer into a bad artificial funkiness)
- cured cheese (like refined cheese puffs in flavor)
- olive oil
i thought the iberian ham one was terrible.
still need to find the foie one and the sparking wine one
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wow that selection looks so big/clean now.
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Yes I have been meaning to post; their conservas selection is huge!
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Collect them all.
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That looks like heaven to me!
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spent more than two funke agnolotti dishes worth of conservas
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It’s pretty wild there. They have added Mexican items to the European and Asian inventory. They have three kinds of Oaxacan moles which my daughter, recently returned from five months in Oaxaca, gave a thumbs up to. They also have a whole cocktail mixers section. I went in the other day to get salt (it’s the only place I know of that has Diamond Crystal) and vanilla, and walked out with $150 worth of stuff. Stay away from the charcuterie and cheese unless you have a will of iron!
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That is one rack out of three.
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Heads up the Costco Business Center on Sherman Way in North Hollywood has Diamond Crystal and it is the regular price (5 bucks or so for 3 lbs).
Not sure what the Epicurus price is but I have also seen it at Whole Foods with a newly designed box that tickles my “Is-this-that-stuff-I-read-about-in-Salt-Fat-Acid-Heat-one-time?” neurons.
Somehow the same amount of salt is double the price in this newly gentrified box 
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Isn’t this different from regular kosher salt? It’s says flakes, so more like finishing salt. Also saw this at Trader Joe’s.
No it’s the same stuff just rebranded.
From Cargill: “Building on its heritage and unique craftsmanship beloved by professional chefs, in restaurants, groceries and home kitchens nationwide, Diamond Crystal Salt Co.® salt brand ™ is debuting a new brand design, sustainable packaging, and expanded salt varieties.”
The expanded salts varieties are a Coarse California Sea Salt and a Coarse Himalayan Pink Salt (which as a total soapboxy aside I think they should just call Pakistani Salt because that is where it is actually from and y’know Pakistan can be cool too.)
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Texture feels like lighter flakes. Sticks well to proteins. Also, less salt by volume so easier to make finer adjustments to dishes. I keep a bamboo caddy of Diamond Crystal next to the stove. Availability has been spotty the last few years so I’m excited to hear that it can be found at Trader Joe’s.
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Diamond Crystal does have a different crystalline structure from Morton’s kosher salt, to the point that the two measure quite differently by volume – Diamond Crystal measures out at 3 grams per teaspoon, while Morton’s is denser and clocks in at 5 grams per teaspoon.
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