With her blonde updo and reading glasses perched firmly on her nose, Olga Rozhkova, owner of the European Food Store, darts from aisle to aisle inside her compact Santa Rosa grocery shop, pulling items from the shelves faster than I can keep up.
“This is very popular with chefs,” she said, tossing a slab of Belgian butter into my basket. She grabs a smoked whole fish from the refrigerator, shrink-wrapped and staring blankly at me.
“Maybe not for you,” she reconsiders, returning the fish to its cold case. I’ve already made it clear that fish and blood sausage aren’t on my shopping list — mostly by wrinkling my nose at the suggestion.
The whirlwind continues: French tea, Russian chocolate, sauerkraut, German spaetzle, fresh bread, frozen dumplings, mounds of meat and cheese, kosher sour cream, a bottle of wine and a tube of “caviar,” all appear in my basket, one after the other.
Nestled inconspicuously in a strip mall on Santa Rosa Avenue, between miles of taquerias, smoke shops and tile stores, the European Food Store is a destination, not an accidental find. For its loyal clientele – whether European travelers who’ve fallen for a particular brand of chocolate or ex-pats yearning for a taste of home, Rozhkova, who was born in Russia, is a trusted guide to the Old World. And she probably has what you’re looking for.
It’s been more than 20 years since Rozhkova arrived in Santa Rosa with her husband. In Moscow, she was a clothing designer, but after her son was born, she realized there was no place nearby to find the foods she missed from home. In 2011, she opened the store that’s a taste of home for Germans, Eastern Europeans, Russians and now, relocated Ukrainians fleeing the war.
As I continue wandering the aisles, Rozhkova disappears for a moment, helping a regular with sweets, then directing another to tahini. I drift aimlessly, stumbling upon flour, jams, bins of hard candy and something that might be pine-flavored juice. My basket grows fuller, but the journey isn’t over. Spinning around, Rozhkova reappears with a few more treasures in tow.
“You need this French Espelette pepper jam for the bread and some cheese, too,” Rozhkova said, grabbing both from the shelf.
“OK, now we’re done?” she asks, ringing up my purchases.
Though I may be finished shopping, I’ve still got a world of flavors to try. That salty butter, in particular, is calling my name.
Here are some favorites from my shopping trip:
Fresh pumpernickel, $7.99: You haven’t tasted rye bread until you’ve had German pumpernickel. Dense, nutty and slightly sour, it is baked daily at the store. Considered one of the healthiest breads, it’s a European staple and pairs perfectly with hearty meats and cheeses.
Pelmeni, $18.99: Think tortellini with a Russian twist. These tiny boiled dumplings, a national dish in Russia, are often filled with lamb, beef or chicken.
Sour cream $5.99: In Eastern Europe, sour cream (and butter) is a go-to topping for nearly everything. The Vologodskaya brand, creamier than American counterparts, is made exclusively with pasteurized milk.
Candy: From salty licorice to Ritter Sport chocolates in every flavor, Austrian Milka bars, marzipan, and Russian Sharmel chocolate-covered raspberry marshmallows ($9.99), the sweets selection is a serious draw. I’m a Haribo fiend, though most of their gummies ($3.50) aren’t the German-made, corn-syrup-free varieties I crave; they’re manufactured in Turkey for American markets.
Fish, fish and more fish: Whether canned, frozen, vacuum-packed, jarred, tinned or pickled, the European Food Store has no shortage of finned fare. Northern Europeans are fish-obsessed, and here, you’ll find herring, sardines, trout and “sprats,” whatever those are. Caviar is also available.
Wild wines: Georgian wines are having a moment, though the country is considered one of the world’s oldest winegrowing regions. Try a Saperavi (red) varietal or Tsinandali (white, made with Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane grapes). The clay wine bottles, shaped like bears, fish or eagles, are throwbacks to the days when wine was kept in pottery.
Tea: An entire aisle is dedicated to tea and coffee, mostly from Eastern Europe and Russia, but the real gem here is Nina’s The de Marie Antoinette ($24.99), a tea blend made for the French queen in 1776. Infused with rose petals and apples from the King’s Garden at Versailles, it continues to use heirloom apples from that very royal garden.
European butter: Butter is better in Belgium. Les Prés Salés Camargue ($9.99), with its 82% butterfat and French sea salt crystals, simply melts on the tongue. There’s no comparison.
Meat: A case of sausages, pâtés, salumi, hams, brats and bacon anchors the store. Goveda Prsuta ($36.99/pound), a smoked beef similar to prosciutto, pairs wonderfully with cheese and pumpernickel. Alex’s Vienna sausage ($11.99) is another favorite, especially when served with Bavarian sauerkraut ($5.99).
Sweet treats: The sugary selection also includes cakes, ice cream, Turkish delight, halva, poppy seed rolls, Dutch speculaas cookies ($15.99, stroopwafels, honey cakes and stollen for the holidays. Kataifi ($7.99), shredded phyllo dough used in Dubai chocolate, is also available.
2790 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa. 707-527-0319, alleuropeanfood.com