Outdoor dining, a sizeable private parking lot, and a store that can keep you occupied for days, attached to a cute cafe.
Eat first. Don't shop on an empty stomach because this ain't your neighborhood Ralph's. It's Monopoly money inside that store, with affordable and reasonable prices...for very high-end wares.
Outside seating with a picturesque view...of the parking lot. Still, it's sheltered from street traffic and protected from the elements, and it's a great place to grab a bite. The Lobster Club Panini looks irresistible, pressed lines on a thick, square roll with a tolerable and surprisingly light tomato mayo on a layer of gently-bitter baby arugula. The fontina cheese has a gentle touch and doesn't assert itself too strongly through the packaged lobster meat. Would have liked more lobster, but that's just my love for lobster. The sandwich actually has a nice balance.
Oh my, the Surfas Lamb Burger is even better. Gamey patty of seasoned ground, an approachable chipotle ketchup, and a sweet challah bun. Hearty, comfort-combo all around, the kind of burger you'd have with a mimosa for brunch.
Several choices of baked goods in the case, and it's hard to pick just one. The Apple Tarte has a fabulously flaky crust, sweet apples with just the right sprinkling of sugar. Not too sweet with a light finish.
Onto the gorgeously-curated mini-mart, a magical kitchen-world where a modern, multi-cultural Beauty and the Beast would shop. Think Disneyland. Disneyland for home-cooks, chefs, aspiring chefs...and gluttons.
They sell everything a gourmet kitchen needs, from fine china plates to chopsticks. We get "imperfect" soup bowls and a sugar jar for next to nothing and stocked up on fine foods that feed the soul. The soup bowls must have been discarded by a tiger mom because we can't find any visible flaws.
Dinner becomes a charcuterie board after a small shopping spree, better than any restaurant yet at half the cost. A plate of a pungent French cheese contrasts a softer, sweeter Italian, and cured duck breast gets melty with its mouthwatering edge of fat. Jamon serrano is a classic, and it has a sweeter finish after an expensive jar of crisp cornichons. An accurate baguette is soft and chewy, and I'm shocked that a not-quite grocery store can make one so well.
From frozen slabs of foie gras to every kind of seasoned salt to sprinkle on top, with every kind of kitchen appliance with which to cook it, there is very little left to be desired when you take a full tour of the Surfas store. It's not cheap, but you get what you pay for. Just be prepared to want it ALL. In the words of Disney's Ariel, I want moooooore...
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