Where to Elevate Your Thanksgiving Game: Best Specialty Stores & Gourmet Markets

Judging by the Christmas music and early Black Friday sales, the holiday season is already in full swing. First up? Thanksgiving! Many people are already neck deep in planning their Thanksgiving celebration, dusting off the cookbooks and getting out the fine China.

Now is the time to be working on the Thanksgiving menus as well. For most of us, a traditional Thanksgiving meal is the way to go, complete with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. Sure, the old standbys are great, but sometimes you just want something a bit different. Something a bit elevated.

The greater Sacramento area has plenty of specialty stores where you can pick up unique food items to serve to your guests. Whether locally produced foods, imported goods, or gourmet items you won’t find anywhere else, these spots are worth a browse. Following are spots in the Sacramento area that will help you elevate your Thanksgiving game.

Corti Brothers | East Sacramento

Courtesy of Corti Brothers

Since 1947, Corti Brothers has been providing the Sacramento region with gourmet food products, including imports from Italy and other parts of Europe. They’re known for their great wine selection and deli, where they offer elevated bites such as stuffed peppers, marinated anchovies and house-made ravioli.

Figs n Olives | Roseville

If you’re on the hunt for imported food products from across the Mediterranean, this shop in Roseville is the place to go. Whether Greek, Persian, or Turkish, they have a wide selection of everything you’ll need for the holidays. From olives to stuffed grape leaves, cheeses to hummus, it’s a one-stop shop for imported goods from across the region.

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Apple Ridge Farms | Camino

The Apple Hill region is best known for its orchards and family-friendly activities leading up to Halloween. But many of the farms are open throughout the year, offering locally grown produce, gourmet food products, wine, and more. This farm in Camino has handmade jams and jellies, barbecue sauce, vinegars, pickles and more. And of course, you can also pick up sweets such as pies and fudge.

Séka Hills | Capay Valley & Midtown Sacramento

Photo courtesy of Seka Hills

Located in the Capay Valley region of Yolo County, Séka Hills produces dozens of gourmet goods, but they are best known for their estate-pressed gourmet olive oils. They also have nuts, vinegar, honey, pickled asparagus, beef jerky and wine. They’ve recently opened a tasting room in Midtown Sacramento as well.

The Kitchen Table | Sacramento

With locations in both Land Park and East Sacramento, this independently owned curated kitchen shop has everything you need for a holiday table, from place settings to décor. They also stock locally produced gourmet food items, such as jams and jellies, baking mixes, and sauces.

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Z Specialty Food | Woodland

This specialty grocer in Woodland is known for their large selection of gourmet honeys. But they also have gourmet nut butters and honey fruit spreads. Their adjacent tasting room, The Hive, offers honey tasting and mead tasting in their pollinator garden.

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Taylors Market | Land Park

Photo Courtesy of Taylors Market

This neighborhood market in Land Park is known for its meat-centric events, such as grilling and butchering classes. But they also carry many gourmet food items that make great additions to your Thanksgiving lineup, such as tinned fish, pickled veggies, and imported snacks. You can also pick up pre-made food trays from their deli, including smoked seafood and Spanish tapas.

The Farmers Market Place | Auburn

Located in Auburn, this community grocery store sources its goods from more than 100 local farmers, ranchers, and artisan producers. From grass-fed beef to organic produce, everything in the shop is sustainable. Seasonal produce, locally baked bread, sauces, snacks, and preserves are just a few of the products you’ll find here.

Dedrick’s Cheese | Placerville

Photo courtesy of Dedricks Cheese

Calling all turophiles: this quaint shop in Placerville is made for cheese lovers! They have every type of fromage available, from gouda to brie, cheddar to feta and everything in between. Cheese from Holland, Belgium, France, and right here in California are available, as are crackers, salami, honey, and fruit spreads so you can make your own cheese board. 

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V Miller Meats | East Sacramento

If you’re looking for local, grass-fed, sustainably raised meats, this boutique butcher shop in East Sacramento fits the bill. They partner with local ranches to offer the highest quality beef, pork, lamb, and poultry. They also make their own spice rubs and sausages, with flavors like feta and olive and sun dried tomato pesto.

Blue Goose Produce | Loomis

Located in a historic fruit packing shed in Loomis, Blue Goose is known for its locally grown fruits and veggies, particularly Placer County mandarins. But their sunny store is filled with other gourmet food items as well, including jams and jellies, gourmet sauces, honey, nuts and dried fruit such as hachiya persimmons. You can also find baked goods such as seasonal pies.

More Than Olives | Folsom

Photo courtesy of More Than Olives

It comes as no surprise that this gourmet shop in Folsom has dozens of varieties of California-grown certified extra virgin olive oils, including flavored oils. But they offer so much more! Infused vinegars, tapenades, condiments, spices, and dips are just a few of the gourmet products you can find here. They also have a wide selection of cheeses and salami so you can throw together your own gourmet charcuterie board.

Ikeda’s | Auburn & Davis

Ikeda’s is THE place to go for farm-fresh produce, locally produced foods, and baked goods in both Auburn and Davis. Their fresh-baked pies are especially popular, but they also offer other baked goods such as cookies and breads. Their shelves are stocked with house-made sauces, dressings, nuts, preserves, olives, snacks, and much more.