What to shop for at 6 international markets in San Mateo

When I tell people I grew up on the Peninsula, I often mention Foster City and San Mateo together. While my family lived in Foster City except for a stint in San Mateo as a teen, San Mateo was just as central to my upbringing. As the bigger neighboring town it had amenities Foster City didn’t – a downtown, toy stores (RIP Talbot’s), a mall and my high school, to name a few – so I often made the trip over the little lagoon bridge separating the two cities, especially for shopping and dining excursions.

I’ve always appreciated the diversity of San Mateo’s population and businesses, with so many longtime mom-and-pop shops specializing in a wide variety of food and wares. This week, we’re shining the spotlight on international markets in the city with a story (and photos!) by Devin Roberts highlighting the offerings from six stores. Reading Devin’s feature, I was struck by the fact that most of these establishments have been around since at least the ‘90s, with one dating back to 1906. It’s comforting knowing that I can still walk into some of the neighborhood markets of my youth that have served generations of Peninsula families, a way of life sustained in an ever-changing world.

Stocking up on musubi,

Julia Brown
Six Fifty Editor
editor@thesixfifty.com

Six San Mateo markets specializing in groceries from around the world

Whether you’re looking for hard-to-find condiments, fresh sushi, imported cheese or unique spices, you can find it at one of these local purveyors.

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Registration for summer camp 2024 is now open!

Spartans Sports Camp offers a wide variety of sports and academic enrichment camps for kids entering grades 1-9. Experienced staff ensures everyone has fun. Daily on-site swimming is offered for all camps. Camps run weekly from June 10 – August 2 at Mountain View High School. The camp is run by MVHS coaches and student-athletes and all proceeds benefit the MVHS Athletic Department. Lunch and extended care are available. >LEARN MORE

On the rise: How a Redwood City teen’s baking business propelled him to Food Network’s ‘Kids Baking Championship’

Redwood City teenager Andy Coyle recently appeared on Season 12 of Food Network’s popular show, “Kids Baking Championship,” an opportunity that came from running an at-home baking business, Andy’s Big Head Bakery.

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PVI presents the 33rd Annual Authors Salon on April 21

Join Peninsula Volunteers, Inc. on a literary journey featuring New York Times Best Selling Author, actor, producer, and director, Henry Winkler. Guests will enjoy a delicious lunch at the beautiful Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park. All proceeds benefit Peninsula Volunteers, Inc. in support of their mission to “Enable Seniors to Age in Place.” > LEARN MORE

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Bay Choral Guild presents Icons of the Baroque – March 2 & 3

Choral/instrumental masterpieces – J.S. Bach’s Jesu, meine Freude and G.F Handel’s Dixit Dominus, plus the lovely Magnificat by 17th-century nun Isabella Leonarda. Sat, March 2, 7:30 p.m. Campbell United Methodist Church, 1675 Winchester Blvd., Campbell. Sunday, March 3, 4:30 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 625 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto. > BUY TICKETS

Congrats to Eliza P. of Los Altos, who was the first reader to correctly identify where last week’s photo was taken (it’s the South San Francisco ferry terminal!).

The first person to reply to this email with the correct place where the below photo was taken will win swag from The Six Fifty and a shoutout in our next newsletter!

Where are we? (Photo by Magali Gauthier)

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Nine Lives Foundation offering low-cost cat spay/neuter clinic

Accessible, affordable spay/neuter is critical to the welfare and stability of a community’s animal population. We proudly offer low-cost spay/neuter surgeries by appointment in the following categories: Community cats (trap-neuter-return) / Privately owned / Nonprofit rescue support. 3106 Rolison Road, Redwood City, Thursday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m. > LEARN MORE

Country Days on the Mountain: Feb. 24 Mountain Winery hosts “Let’s Go Girls: Women of Country Line Dancing Party,” featuring line-dancing lessons to a soundtrack of favorite tunes by female country artists.

Victorian Pressed Flowers: Feb. 24 Learn how to work with delicate pressed flowers and create your own floral compositions in this workshop at Gamble Garden.

Rent: Through Feb. 25 Hillbarn Theatre is staging Jonathan Larson’s beloved ‘90s musical (loosely based on Puccini’s “La Boheme”) about struggling young creatives in New York City during the HIV/AIDS crisis.

The Sound of (Black) Music: Feb. 28 This concert reimagines the classic songs from “The Sound of Music” through a lens of Black music and culture, incorporating elements of gospel, funk, soul, Afrobeat and more.

Leap Year Party with Low Lily: Feb. 29 Vermont-based Americana-roots band Low Lily performs at Feldman’s Books.

Kepler’s Leap Year Party: Feb. 29 At Kepler’s leap year celebration (age 21+), expect drinks, crafts, games, prizes, frog puns and, of course, plenty of good books.

Domini Hoskins Black History Museum: Through Feb. 29 Downtown Redwood City’s Black History Museum returns this February, with special events throughout the month.

Plan Ahead

Ruddygore, or The Bruja’s Curse: March 2-3 Lamplighters Music Theatre presents a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Ruddygore” incorporating “folklórico dancing and Day-of-the-Dead style ghostly ancestors.”

Board Game Night: March 3 Red Rock Coffee hosts a board game night the first Sunday of each month, inviting participants to bring their favorite game and settle into the second-floor community space.

Library Book Sale: March 8-9 Calling all bookworms: Friends of the Menlo Park Library hosts a big two-day sale featuring tons of books of all sorts, plus CDs, DVDs, games and puzzles, with most items priced at $1-$2.

Make a Wild Salad: March 9 Learn about best practices and the ethical and safety implications of foraging for food in this Hidden Villa field class, concluding with a communal wild salad.

Lyle Lovett: March 13 Grammy-winning musician Lyle Lovett (and his acoustic group) come to Redwood City’s Fox Theatre.

Reaching Toward a Better World: March 15-16 Musical group Emma’s Revolution presents another collaboration with Palo Alto’s DanceVisions, with choreography by DanceVisions founder and activist Laura Zweig.

St. Patrick’s Day 5K: March 16 Pacifica Runners, a nonprofit running club for all ages and abilities, hosts a 5K race on the coast.

Partners Speed Puzzle Competition: March 21 In addition to having fun with friends, teams participating in this partners speed-puzzling event get two glasses of wine per team and a keepsake wooden puzzle to take home.

Park Picks Photo Contest: Through March 25 Taken any good nature photos lately? San Mateo County Parks Foundation invites the community to submit photos taken in county parks this winter to its photography contest.

Bunnies and Bonnets Easter Parade: March 30 Downtown Campbell hosts its 23rd annual Easter Parade, featuring community groups, marching bands and more.

Elephant Seal Walks: Through March 31 Año Nuevo Coast Natural Preserve offers docent-guided walks to view elephant seals in their natural habitat.

Fred Astaire Films: Through April 14 Grab your top hat, tails and dancing shoes to catch classic films starring Fred Astaire at Palo Alto’s glorious Stanford Theatre.

‘It was the doorway to understanding myself’: How a self-taught home cook in Redwood City channeled her heritage through her debut Thai cookbook memoir
VC Tang’s new book, ‘Come Eat, Grandma!’ weaves together memories of growing up in the Bay Area with recipes for tom yum and bitter melon soup.

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