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Focaccia sandwiches by the pound, pink oyster mushrooms, sugar-free Italian cola “in mountain spring water” and even Iberian ham-flavored potato chips are some of the unique items you can find at Il Mercato di Che Fico in Menlo Park.
The Italian market opened March 21, just a few feet away from Che Fico Parco Menlo at Springline. Shoppers can load up their baskets with Che Fico’s housemade pasta, pasta sauce, soup and gelato while browsing refrigerated goods and pantry items from Italian, local or specialty brands. Additionally, you’ll find a variety of meats, seafood, ready-to-eat foods and produce. Think Eataly mixed with Erewhon on a much smaller scale.
Owners David Nayfeld and Matt Brewer both have a longtime connection with fresh produce. At 13 years old, Neyfeld took a job at a produce market in the Bay Area, and Brewer grew up in Sonoma Valley on a 40-acre horse ranch and vineyard. The produce at Il Mercato di Che Fico is the same seasonal selection used in Che Fico’s kitchens.
The owners plan to launch housemade gelato by the scoop through a walk-up window as well as frozen Che Fico pizzas. Currently, the freezer section is stocked with pints of Che Fico gelato and Del Popolo pizzas.
Naturally, I visited the new Italian market to grab some bites. The space was extremely tidy and clean and significantly smaller than I’d imagined. As soon as I walked in, I was met with a gorgeous display of flower bouquets. To the left was a small produce section, a deli counter and a butcher counter. At the back of the store was the refrigerated section offering items like soups and yogurts, and to the right was the frozen section offering foods like gelato and pizza. At the center of the market were aisles of pantry items, including fresh baked goods, wines, tinned fish and nut spreads.
The first item that caught my eye was hot sauce from the brand Palo Alto Firefighters, a brand created by Palo Alto firefighter Lee Taylor that previously was only available to Palo Alto firefighters. I chucked an XXX ghost pepper sauce ($7.99) into my basket, figuring it might go well with a focaccia sandwich.
Next I looked for a refreshing drink, and the Galvanina organic pomegranate sparkling flavored beverage ($3.59) looked like something that would do the trick. Flavor options also included organic tangerine and prickly pear and organic cola.
In my opinion, dessert should never be an afterthought, so I went looking through the refrigerated section and found La Fermière pistachio creme dessert ($3.59), a cute spring green treat in a personal glass pot. Other flavors available included vanilla and chocolate, and the store had an extensive selection of flavored yogurts also in individual glass jars by the same brand.
I moved on to the packaged snacks section, where I opted for Torres Selecta Iberian ham-flavored potato chips ($6.59).
Then it was time for the main part of the meal: the focaccia sandwiches ($15.99 per pound). Two giant sandwiches built on full slabs of focaccia sat behind the glass: one with mortadella, soppressata, rosemary ham, mayo, tapenade and provolone (Y’at); the other with mortadella, pesto, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, extra virgin olive oil, Maldon salt and black pepper (La Mortazza).
It was time to check out and enjoy an Italian picnic.
The Galvanina organic pomegranate sparkling flavored beverage was reminiscent of a pomegranate Izze, but much sweeter and syrupy and less tangy. The Y’at focaccia sandwich didn’t skimp on the meat and cheese and the olive tapenade cut through the fatty flavors, but it was a bit too greasy for my taste. To add some life to the sandwich, I tried adding the Palo Alto Firefighters XXX ghost pepper sauce and was left disappointed. With about half the spice of Tapatio, there was no reason for three X’s on the label. I’ll admit the flavor of the sauce was nice but if the label says ghost pepper, I expect the sauce to be spicy.
Next, I moved on to the La Mortazza focaccia sandwich, and I’m sorry to say this was a skip for me. The focaccia was extremely soggy and wet, likely because the sandwich had been pre-made earlier in the day. With the texture being so mushy, I decided to move on to the crispy Torres Selecta Iberian ham-flavored potato chips. Torres Selecta nailed the flavor of Iberian ham, and the potato chip tasted like fried pork rinds.
And finally, it was time for dessert: La Fermière pistachio creme dessert served in a glass jar with gold foil. While the texture was nice and color made me think of pistachios, the predominant flavor was almond, which was disappointing (often, companies use almonds instead of pistachios to cut costs).
Overall, while I was underwhelmed with the products I tasted from Il Mercato di Che Fico, I do think it’s a very cute concept with a very wide selection of items for how small the space is. I love how neatly organized the store is and how it feels like each product there was very intentionally chosen. I would absolutely give it a second chance and try out different products.
Il Mercato di Che Fico, 1300 El Camino Real Suite A, Menlo Park; 650-999-0491, Instagram: @mercatodichefico. Open daily 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.