It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Epicure Imports!

In a most unassuming industrial location deep in the San Fernando Valley, resides a gourmet treasure hunt.   Directly under the glide path into Burbank's Bob Hope airport, Epicure Imports distributes high-end gourmet items to restaurants, hotels, caterers, chefs, resorts and retail.  Their daily deliveries can include stops San Diego, Palm Springs, Orange County, LA as well as San Francisco and Las Vegas. 

Fortunately, I caught a random blurb on my neighborhood Patch back in December announcing an Open Warehouse sale at this import place I had never heard of.  Intrigued, John and I viewed this as a culinary field trip where we may or may not buy anything.

Owner Preparing to Open the Doors

A Small Portion of the Line Waiting to Get In

When Epicure Imports has their Open Warehouse sales for the general public (next one is this coming weekend), it's usually discovered by word of mouth.  By the looks of the line to get in before the doors opened, it appears Los Angelenos can't keep this a secret.  We went on the second day of their December sale, a Saturday at 9a (the moment they opened their doors) and the line strung through the parking lot out to the street.

Talk about a kid in a candy shop, any foodie will go bonkers in here.  Those impossibly creative restaurant specials more than likely started with sourcing an ingredient from a place just like this.  No wonder high-end restaurants appear to be superheroes.  Here is just a minor sampling of the goodies we found during our winter excursion:

Here's what you need to know before going.  Bring a jacket; you'll want to spend plenty of time in their refrigerated rooms where mountains of cheeses, butters and meats are stored.  Also bring your own bags.  They do accept debit, credit cards and cash. 

One more thing to anticipate; the sale is popular and wait time to checkout may take a bit.  Be patient...it's worth it. 

Their schedule for the Open Warehouse events is below.  If you still are unsure and need further enticement, click **here** for their February product list.  Happy hunting!