DDN – There are no delivery fees. There is no minimum order. No tipping is necessary.
This isn’t some deceptive new food app or meal package business. It’s the prepared food department of great Bay Area supermarkets.
Yes, you will have to transport the meal home yourself. Yes, you may wish to reheat and plate it. However, the Bay Area’s numerous grocery stores and takeout options provide a simple and cost-effective alternative to another night of restaurant delivery or cooking another dinner.
The good news is that no matter where you are in the region, you’re probably not far from delicious frozen lasagna, beautifully roasted chicken, or a fridge full of banchan.
1. Après Vous
With its black-and-white checkerboard floor and old movies displayed on the wall, this “carryout eatery and retail shop” in West Portal is considerably more appealing than it requires. The counter staff is very courteous, presenting small paper cups with samples of meals from behind the glass case.
That tiny taste drew me in to both the beef stew ($21.99/lb), which I ate with garlic mashed potatoes ($9/lb), and the sausage peperonata ($13.99/lb), which was pleasantly sweet and packed with zucchini, tomatoes and peppers.
I did not try the lasagna ahead of time ($9.99 for a large square), but it was a family favorite. If I lived close, it would undoubtedly be my go-to weeknight dinner. — MacKenzie Chung Fegan.
345 Taraval Street, San Francisco.
2. B-Dama at the Berkeley Bowl
Although Berkeley Bowl is best known for its produce section, the prepared meals section is not to be overlooked. Many familiar brands are represented, like Burma Superstar salads, Bowl’d kimchi fried rice, and Edith’s Pie’s cheesy hand pies.
B-Dama has the largest spread, taking up an entire cold case near the deli. A rainbow of sushi trays is displayed alongside dishes such as crispy chicken katsu fanned over noodles and rice bowls topped with ikura and delicately grilled salmon. Need a snack? Onigiri, or rice balls, are elegantly packaged, with the seaweed wrapped on a separate plastic sheet to keep it crispy.
Prices seem reasonable for what you receive (think $8 for a roll or $3 for onigiri), especially given that the chef is Chikara Ono. Ono, a kaiseki-trained Japanese chef, is best known for his upscale Japanese restaurants Delage in Oakland and Utzutzu in Alameda. His first restaurant, however, was a little izakaya named B-Dama, which is still in operation at Berkeley’s most well-known grocery store. — Janelle Bitker
2020 Oregon Street and 920 Heinz Avenue in Berkeley.
3. Bi-Rite Market
This overachieving supermarket, which now has three San Francisco locations, takes pleasure in the freshness of its produce, meat, and vegetables. But why cook them when Bi-Rite’s Bayview commissary kitchen has already done it?
An achiote chicken salad ($15), a variation on the popular sandwich, is a convenient lunch or dinner option; for more substantial dinners, there are soups like matzo ball ($12.59) and bowls such tofu garlic chile noodles ($12) and fish teriyaki ($16). The hot pink beet hummus ($6.29) is a great snack option, with a sweet and somewhat smokey flavor.
And for dessert, you could of course get several pints of Bi-Rite’s famed ice cream ($11.59) — the extra creamy salted caramel is a characteristic — but the jarred pots de crème ($8) in flavors like chocolate and butterscotch are also popular. Bi-Rite’s cheffy roots stem from second-generation owner Sam Mogannam, a restaurant chef who took over his father’s corner store in the Mission District in 1998. — C.P.
3639 18th St., 550 Divisadero St., and 2140 Polk St. in San Francisco.
4. Contimo Provisions
The major attraction at Napa’s Contimo Provisions is its fluffy biscuits, which are the best in the Bay Area, according to Chronicle associate restaurant reviewer Cesar Hernandez. However, the heat-and-eat dinner options at this modest restaurant, such as pot pie topped with the distinctive biscuits, are a serious sleeper.
Contimo cycles among approximately 200 prepared food dishes, thus the menu varies daily. During the winter, the supplies fridge is packed with substantial comfort foods such as a healing chicken and potato soup ($18.50), pig ragout ($19.50) (complete with Flour + Water pasta from Contimo’s gourmet supermarket), and Burmese-style pumpkin curry ($19.50).
The butcher case sells prepared meats ($11-22 per pound), including bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, porchetta hog shoulder roast, and marinated chicken. For dessert, Contimo always provides freshly baked cookies, such as the Big Debra, a variation on the iconic Little Debbie. There’s also a small but superb wine selection, as well as lots of non-alcoholic options to round out your meal. Contimo closes at 3 p.m., so plan ahead. — Jessica Lander
950 Randolph Street, Napa.
5. Greens and Grains at Alameda Marketplace.
Even with bags full of fresh vegetables and specialty pantry products, Alameda Natural Grocery customers can’t take their eyes off the hot, plump rotisserie chickens at Greens and Grains on their way out. Mary’s chickens are available by the quarter ($9.99), half ($14.99), and complete bird ($23.75), fragrant with rosemary and spices.
Kale Caesar salads, roasted beets, and classic potato salads round out the chilly display. Hot daily dishes include enchiladas, macaroni & cheese, and chicken pot pies. Whether you’re taking a whole supper home to your family or having a quick bite at the outdoor seating area, getting a few items is as quick as it gets. — Mario Cortes
1650 Park Street, Alameda.
6. Joodooboo
Joodooboo in Oakland is one of the Bay Area’s best banchan establishments, which serve the side dishes that often anchor a Korean dinner table. The shop’s originality emerges through fresh Californian ingredients, such as marinated greens, fermented fruits, and braised tubers that are transformed into distinctive supporting characters.
Pick up a 4-pack ($13.50) of fluffy white rice ($3) and a side ($4.50), or a 12 oz container ($9) of freshly prepared tofu, and you’ll have the ingredients for a simple picnic meal. Make sure to get some of the amazing dooboo sauce ($2), a zingy elixir made specifically for the tofu. César Hernandez
4201 Market Street, Oakland.
Final Words
Bay Area supermarkets provide a treasure trove of prepared dishes that combine convenience with sophisticated flavors. From Korean banchan to hearty comfort foods, these restaurants redefine takeout, making dinner simple and tasty for any taste or circumstance.
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