CleverRoot

6 0 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t MUST-HAVES Three Extraordinary Kitchen Stores Extraordinary Kitchen Extraordinary Kitchen Extraordinary Stores THESE WEST COAST SUPPLIERS PROVIDE CHEFS THE RIGHT STUFF by S. Irene Virbila CERTAIN COOKS COOKS COOKS COOKS COOKS COOKS COOKS COOKS (and you know who you are) can't pass a cookware shop without entering in hopes of finding that perfect steamed pudding mold or long-coveted gad- get. If Williams-Sonoma or Sur La Table no longer spark the thrill of the hunt, these three very special cookware shops—each one curated by an owner with an eye for the unusual and beautiful—should do it. MARCH, San Francisco A visit to MARCH in San Francisco can wreak havoc on your pocketbook if you're someone who appreciates cooking and good design. Among the wares that should be more than enough to lure you into the Sacramento Street store are one-of-a-kind, handcarved blonde wood spoons; a turquoise-glazed porcelain platter from potter Christiane Perrochon; forged bronze flatware; handmade carbon steel knives from Oregon; and iron saucepans lined with silver from Italy. Owner Sam Hamilton works with artists and artisans to create unique items for MARCH, such as a bespoke white oak and steel kitchen worktable with leather paniers and weathered zinc bins, or handwoven sweet chestnut trays and baskets from England. Also from the U.K. is the glo- rious AGA cast iron range cooker, which can be ordered with two to four ovens. As you peruse the store, you might stumble upon artist Nathalie Lété's cloth sausage sculptures or small oil paintings of meat from Carrie Mae Smith. There are more affordable things, too, like suede potholders, linen aprons, spatter-glazed Sicilian platters, and sweet little stone mortar and pestles from Oaxaca. MARCH, 3075 Sacramento St., San Francisco, 415-931-7433, marchsf.com MARCH in San Francisco features pieces carefully curated from countries like Italy and Mexico. PHOTO: MICHAEL GRAYDON

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