My New Favorite Toy Store

Part of moving to a new city is getting familiar with the area. You have to figure out what stores are where and what they carry. For example, there are no Henry's in L.A. It's all Sprouts. They carry the same inventory at the same price, so it doesn't matter.

I needed to find a new restaurant supply store, for all those odd little things you didn't realize you needed. After an extensive internet search, I decided to try the one I knew I could find.

Jackpot.

Surfas is one of the most fun cooking supply stores I have ever been in. In addition to stocking professional items at decent prices, they carry items that make adventurous home cooks drool. There's this 2" ceramic soufflé cup perched over a tealight, like a mini fondue. It's for holding melted butter! Springform pans in every conceivable size. A display about 4' x 6' of bottles of drink syrups (Peppermint in your hot chocolate? A dash of cherry syrup for your soda?) Half an aisle of flavored oils. Opposite that, one filled with various salts and peppers. An aisle of cookie cutters and molds. Pots, pans, utensils, accessories, gourmet ingredients... even a deluxe cheese bar. They have their own café, and host events on a regular basis. And most of the customers there did not look like food service professionals, just home cooks. You don't have to pay a membership fee, like with many large restaurant supply stores.

I need to stay out of there, at least until my car is paid off. ;)