Harvest International Market- Eat in the store (Clairmont)

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog.  Kirk, Ed (from Yuma) and Cathy write most of the posts here.  Kirk and Ed (from Yuma) are both busy this week before Thanksgiving and Cathy is not busy.

The building on the North East corner of Balboa at Clairmont Drive had finally opened in early 2013, as another location of North Park Produce.  Then it closed. Harvest International Market opened in its place.  There is another location of Harvest closer to home, in El Cajon, but it's smaller (used to be a 99 Cents Only store) and there is no eat in area, but a nice 'grab and go' selection.  Harvest has some tables and chairs inside the store and out in front.When you walk in the door, to your right is the bakery, deli and kitchen. There is also a cash register there, so you can order and pay.  The hot tea is always brewing next to the baklava area (to the left when you walk in).The by the pound area has a vast selection of premade salads, olives and cheeses, all sold by the pound.  There's also a good variety of flatbreads and small loaves to choose from.   That white stuff? It's a saltier version of Kirk's garlic sauce and quite heavenly.  The other items are baba ganoge (eggplant dip) and shirazi salad (cucumber, tomato, onion, parsley and mint mixed with olive oil and lemon juice) all very fresh and very good with the flatbread seen beneath ($1).

I purchase the yogurt based beverages from the vast selection in the back corner store refrigerators.

There is also a good selection of daily soups; I've tried most by pointing at the selection behind the glass counter.  Some are tomato based, others are cream based.  The above one had spinach and garbanzo beans, was in a creamy chicken based broth and was topped with crispy onion. The bowl was $3.The beef shawarma plate ($7.99) comes with a salad and basmati rice. There is a lot of everything and any of the plates can be shared.  On this visit, the shawarma tasted dry on its own and the tzatziki sauce was needed; I usually don't have to add any. It was very flavorfully seasoned and the next day, I heated the meat up and mixed it into scrambled eggs for breakfast and no additional seasoning was needed.  There was a sign that beef or chicken kabobs were five for $10 and we asked and ordered just one of each at the $2 each price.  Both kabobs were flavorful and very large.   It was nice they gave us two roasted tomatoes on the plate...so much nicer than a sprig of parsley. Next to the shawarma spinning upright rotisseries is a third rotisserie with gyros meat. This platter was also $7.99 and when we asked if it came with pita bread, the lady told us to grab one out of the bread box near the front.  It's a really good bread topped with sesame seeds.  We also were given a choice of specialty rice, and asked for 'the green one', as there were eight different rices in view.  

After some research, I found the rice choices are basmati with other primary ingredients: Zereshk Polo (barberry), Baghali Polo (Persian dill with lima beans), Shirin Polo (orange and carrots), Albaloo Polo (sour cherry), Adas Polo (lentils), Lubia Polo (green beans), Biryani (spices and meat mixed in) and Aloo Polo (dried plums).  

All in all, we've enjoyed exploring the deli counter and trying various offerings before we go shopping in the store.  It's a pretty standard Mediterranean Market with halal meats and some seafood and interesting cookies, sauces, teas and coffees as well as ice cream and snack offerings. 

Harvest International Market 4220 Balboa Avenue San Diego 92111 (858) 810-8228 open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. daily Website

Comments

[Soo @ hungryones]

Thanks for the heads up! I visited a few times when it was North Park Produce but it wasn't as attractive as Ranch 99.

[Eliz Z]

Can you get the plates and stuff to go? Sounds like a great place to stop after a trip to the Balboa Target . . . TIA!

[Cathy]

99Ranch is its own sort of eat in the store venue, Soo. Far more tables and it seems to be catering for the "eat here" crowd. I was happy to see tables out in front of Harvest when we walked up the first time. There are interesting products in the store here, but they are Russian, German, Mediterranean and Indian rather than Asian.

Oh yes, Eliz Z, most people seem to order items to go; we just have the habit of eating before shopping and try to do so at the same store. This would be a great place to pick up lunch or dinner to go. Welcome to our blog.

[caninecologne]

I remember seeing the North Park Produce sign when going to 85c but didn't realize it closed and is now Harvest Market. I am a big fan of those kabobs and that basmati rice (so fragrant). There was a comic book store nearby that Bert used to go to in the early 90's (I think it's gone now). Another place to shop and eat!

[Cathy]

You'll like it here, cc.