Alimentari Aurora has a special place in my heart, and happens to be Blue Cove's first retailer when I launched the brand. Before meeting the owner Dario, my boyfriend introduced me to some of the best charcuterie cuts and fine cheeses I ever had in the US, which immediately brought me back to France. During the Covid pandemic, he (and many local residents) was ordering regularly from Dario, who had been creative in finding ways to curate a selection of specialty food deliveries to customers in San Francisco to cope with the forced store closure. And his monthly deliveries are still thriving today through fish tinned fish, cheeses and chocolates subscription clubs. A few months later I had the pleasure of meeting Dario himself, as the the beloved Alimentari Aurora is only a few blocks from my partner's home in Potrero Hill.
Every few months I stop by the alimentari and buy a selection of cheese and meats to go, but if Dario is around we'll hang at his tiny counter and chit chat over a bottle of wine. Make no mistake, his counter may be small but it's a treasure chest of marvels and great conversations. I get to geek out with him about tinned seafood while we comment on every brand on his shelf. Each space in the store is carefully studied to only carry what passes Dario's taste test - he has a knack for finding rare cured meats, fine cheeses, Italian pastas, liver pâtés, craft chocolates, cured butter and other gems that cannot be easily be found. And it happens to be that he hooked me up with the beautiful light blend of olive oil in Blue Cove's tins!
If you live in San Francisco, I recommend you swing by Dario's alimentari - you will be guaranteed to find something that will activate all your pleasure senses. And while you're deciding on the timing of your next visit, you may want to go during one of the Sunday music parties that he throws with Ruby Wine (the business next door). Talk about fostering a vibrant community!
Dario took the time to write a review about Blue Cove which you can read here. I appreciate his support and good vibes every time I stop by to visit. You just can't go wrong at Aurora.