Remember pork before it got agri-factoried? Do you have a favorite butcher or market in San Francisco who still carries the real thing? Up in Humboldt County, pork is pale and dry and tough. We'd love to bring back some pork roasts, belly, chops, or any cut that has a proportion of fat that will cook up tender. Also welcome would be a charcuterie place, any ethnicity. We're bringing a cold chest in case we get lucky.
Thanks.

Your responses have been of enormous value. Our thanks to you all. Our neck of the woods (rural northern California) has little in the way of dining sophistication, so reciprocity is impossible. One thing that may interest some of you is a local cheese that seems to be very popular in Boston, Humboldt Fog (see http://www.chowhound.com/topics/372378). We've posted regarding some other special cheeses made by Cypress Grove, and I'm guessing many of you would enjoy knowing about Olinda Ridge Master Blend, an extraordinary olive oil from the Shasta foothills (the gold medalist for California, and as good as anything we tasted in Europe, at a fraction of the cost).

As longtime residents of Humboldt County, we are thrilled to see Humboldt Fog treated so kindly. But we don't even think it is Cypress Grove's best cheese. Ask your retailer to order Pyramid, which is a small, more delicate cheese, reminiscent of "baby goat" cheeses we had at a French 1-star. No ash, but a thin tangy rind that gives way to the creamy interior. For those who thing they don't like goat cheese, there's Mount McKinley, a firm paté cheese with ash, a delicate tang and slightly walnut dry finish. Both are more French in style and complexity. We often include one of these in our salads, using a fruit parer to slice thin slices. Still more options, inclding a goat cheddar and a sheeps milk cheese can be found online at http://www.cypressgrovechevre.com/

France spoiled us for olive oils with aroma and flavor, and we aren't even able to get the same level from Trader Joe's. But there is an olive oil called Olinda Mount Shasta MB (Master Blend) that's as good as the tins we lugged back from Paris, and we use it exclusively to give richness to salads. When we make our own pasta, all we put on it is MB, salt and pepper...addictive! http://www.olindaridge.com/store/oliv...

We are staying at the Marriott for a conference in early April. We are adventurous eaters, but not wealthy. Expensive cab rides are not in our budget, nor is long-distance walking (hip replacements; stamina still a problem), so we are limited. We eat anything and everything, and ambience is not a big deal. But interesting food of any kind is -- breakfast, lunch, or dinner. If your recommendation is near public transportation, details (stations, travel time) would be helpful. Our list so far: China Pearl, King Fung Garden, Trattoria Toscana, Indian Dhaba, Cafe D'Or, Silvertone. At least that's what our research and Google Earth indicate are good chances. If you disagree, please don't hesitate to say so. And if you have out-of-the-way favorites that we might be able to include, we'd love to hear about them.