Bargain Hound: Gourmet Imported Food Bargains Hiding In Plain Sight

(Every Friday Bargain Hound will sniff out great ways to save money and have fun in and around San Leandro. Last week's debut column was on .)

Food, food, food! Food bargains! REALLY good food.

I spent the week-end hunting food bargains in and around San Leandro and found much more than I had expected. And I found a lot of items that I didn't think I could find at all, much less at great prices. 

It is going to take 3-4 colums to cover it all.  

The first trick to finding some of the best foodie bargains is to use San Leandro Logic: they are hiding in plain sight under an assumed name to throw off the dogs. Just ignore the name, the location, and the outside of the building. Don't bother eating before you go. You'll just want to load up when you get there

Foodnet Supermarket sounds like a web site or a convenience store (Patch listing). So of course it is an enourmus Chinese grocery with take-out food. Its offerings are much more extensive than any of the Chines take-out buffet restaurants. It has fresh and frozen food, aisles of sauces & oils, fresh produce and a fresh seafood section that will blow you away. There were too many dishes in the take-out section that I didn't recognize so I stocked up on excellent whole roast tea duck ($12.50) and Chinese BBQ. Now I really want to go back for fresh whole crab (in water tanks not plastic) for $5.99, the assortment of frozen dumplings, and an hour or two to see what I missed the first time. Great selection, really fresh seafood, and Chinatown-competative prices. This place could be addictive. Foodnet Supermarket: 1960 Lewelling Blvd, San Leandro

Crossroads Market. Like Mediterranean food but can't get to Italy, Greece, or Eastern Europe any time soon? Love imported chocolate, bruschetta, olives, interesting oils and syrups? Well if you're willing to trek to Hayward (near the DMV) you can have your wish. From the outside Crossroads looks like another small convenience store with nothing to recommend it. Wrong! Just walk inside, take a deep breath, and start looking around: olives, imported cheeses, an intriguing selection of frozen foods that are worth their own trip and fresh pastry treats on the counter. I have to rave about the imported jams and fruit syrups. The blueberry and sour cherry syrups are on my list and at these prices I don't even have to feel guilty. Warning: if you are a chocloholic this place is dangerous. They have the good stuff at prices that will have you drooling. I spotted several gourmet items at the same price as Grocery Store Outlet but clearly fresher.  Crossroads Market: 230 Jackson St, Hayward

International Food Market on East 14th Street near the Bal Theater is worth your time (). Once again the view from the outside doesn't match what you find on the inside. When you walk in the door you know this place is the real deal. The selection is smaller than Crossroads but you can find a nice array of Greek and Eastern European foods, real Greek yougurt, and killer fresh halavah at the check out counter. But if you are trying to eat healthy/organic the big reason for going to the International Market is Halal (the Muslim version of Kosher) meat and chicken at less than Safeway prices. Whole Halal chicken at $1.50 a pound, and Halal lamb at only $4.50 a pound are unbeatable. On Saturday, you can get cooked rotissery chicken or lamb at the same prices but get there early before they sell out. International Market: 14624 E 14th St, San Leandro

Santos Spice Products may be a place that a lot of us have heard of but have never visitied. The name sounds Spanish or Portugese. But this is San Leandro, so Santos Spice is an amazing Indian food emporium in an industrial warehouse building. Along with spices and nuts they have a huge selection of sauces, grains, oils, frozen food, everything an Indian food lover could ask for plus freshly made samosas and candies at the checkout counter. If you like Indian food or interesting spices and codiments this place is heaven and the prices will leave you smiling. Santos Spice: 1188 Montague St, San Leandro

Economy Market is one more case of San Leandro Logic (). It looks like a neigborhood convenience store but inside is a treasure trove of Filipino and Asian foods. Instead of frozen pizza and bags of doritos they have frozen marinated milkfish, birch flower, and almost everything you need for a Filipino feast at prices that will make you want to try it all. Economy Market: 1179 Manor Blvd., San Leandro

Leave a comment if you know of any place that should be added to the list.  

Next week: Meat me in San leandro!

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