One of the things I love about being back in San Francisco is being close to my favorite Russian grocer, New World Market, located at 5641 Geary Boulevard in the Richmond district. It is definitely worth a visit the next time you are in San Francisco. Whenever I walk in, it always seem like I am stepping into the middle of the best party in town. It's always lively and boisterous. The smiling guys behind the deli counter hand out samples of hot, grilled housemade sausage off the tips of their knives. Platters of other house-cured cold cuts line the counter awaiting samplers. The women scooping beet salad, marinated eggplant, and pickled herring chit-chat with customers. All around me I hear the Russian, Yiddish, Korean, English, and Chinese being spoken as patrons heap borscht, napoleans, vareniki, farmer's cheese, caviar, butter, and black bread into their baskets. Who wouldn't be happy doing that?
