Sooz that is just tacky! I am so envious. We have one in the entire state of TN and it is on the other end of the state. Good for you!

jude

I'm jealous. Here are a few things they do well; I'm still exploring their stuff, so others may wish to chime in with their favorites:

Arizona Dreaming is a not-very-hot but very flavorful chipotle-based spice blend. Great on everything from fish fillets to burgers to chicken. Salt free, too.

Sunny Spain is their salt free Lemon Pepper.

I find their Granulated Garlic to be head and shoulders above the stuff you get in the supermarket. I use a lot of it in my beef jerky recipes.

Bon Appetit!

I love going to Penzey's. If this will be your first trip to an actual store, be sure to give yourself plenty of time. The first time I went, I think I sniffed ever darn spice they had! (They have apothacary jars specifically for that purpose.)

Be sure to sign up for their mailing list if you're not already on it. They are always sending free coupons attached to the catalog. Their policy is that they will honor coupons up to a year after expiry. Plus they take multiple coupons for the same item -- I get the freebies for myself, my sister and sometimes my son. They are incredibly nice there.

I love having Penzey's local, less than 5 minutes away. While I can't necessarily tell the quality difference in all of their products, some really stand out and of course they've got a great variety. I go out of my way to buy ALL my spices there in order to support them, because I have no idea how they survive as a B&M. They've got a good-sized store in a prime location, yet I rarely see anyone in there.

I find their prices to be fairly comparable with supermarket brands like McCormick, but bump up the quantity from a jar to a bag and you really save a lot.

Sooz -- did the card say where this store is going to be located?

Donna (in San Diego County too)

Thanks for the recommendations and comments! Having a local Penzysl will save me a trip to Torrance, which I have NOT taken just because I try to avoid traffic to the L.A. area, and goodness knows there is traffic!

Donna, from what I can find out, the address is 1274 University, in the Hillcrest area. One blog mentioned this address from reading the Penzys site, and it's said to be in the Hillcrest Colonnade center, taking over the old Blockbuster Video. That would make it the north side of the street, and even better, it will have a PARKING LOT in front of it--and a Cold Stone in the same center! Having a parking lot is a bonus because parking in Hillcrest needs a hunting license, just like going to SDSU with their parking problems!

Smiles,
Sooz

I'm with Arley on Penzey's granulated garlic, a favorite here.

We also love their smoked Spanish paprika for many things, from pot roast to popcorn.

Toasted onion bits are really nice too.

And, and, and...

Well, look at that, a Penzey Frenzy! :)

I'm a little jealous. The nearest Penzey's is 5+ hours away. We live in an abiss here. No Penzey's, no Whole Foods, no Trader Joes.

Enjoy!

WAAAAAAHHHH!!!size>

I drove by that 5-minute-away-Penzeys this evening and it's...gone. Must have been very recent. As you can surmise by my previous post, I'm not at all surprised. The good news is I checked their web site and it appears they've not closed but rather moved. Now they're 20 minutes away, but in a trafficky area I don't like going to if I can avoid it. Oh well, things could be worse. I'll still try to go there and support them.