Moving from the UK to the San Francisco Bay area

[funstuie]

Not sure if you are moving to a house but if you are renting an apartment with a balcony most don't allow charcoal bbqs.

I will be renting a house.

My wife is really pushing for Alameda but as I will be working in South San Fran the commute might too much.

 

[CircleW]

Check out ferry service from Alameda. I worked in Alameda about 15 yrs ago so not sure if they are still a good option. Welcome to the colonies!

 

[funstuie]

So I know this thread is old but I realised I never updated it after I moved.

It's been exactly a year since we moved from the UK to the bay area. It was hell but we eventually settled in Foster City in a small house with a small yard (I have been told it's big for the area but we had a 100ft garden in the UK). I got my first BBQ from Craigslist - A webber performer in pretty bad condition. I cleaned it up and repainted it and got new cast iron grill plates for it. It served me well for a while but I was itching to upgrade.

So I got a Kamado Joe (Large) and I fell in love with it. I use it all the time and now cook at least 3 times a week on it. I also got a Smokey joe for small cooks (I end up using it most to light the webber chimney). I built a pretty nice table for it.

I then got weird I bought a Pizza oven (from Italy) - it's too damn hot in California to use it all the time but we made pizza last week on it so it's used enough to justify (thats what I tell my wife).

One thing I discovered is wood and charcoal can be expensive here and the quality is all over the place but while in one of the local stores I noticed wood and charcoal packages from this place: http://www.lazzari.com/. I decided to do a little research (google) and found out their factory is 5 minutes from my office. So I drove round there and you can buy direct at ridiculous discounts. I have bags and bags of pecan, almond and oak stored up now and 20lb bags of charcoal (lump) are cheap.

Next up is an offset smoker (I am thinking a Yoder Cheyenne) but my wife is against it so I might just have to accidentally order one late at night and claim I was drunk. I also want to get a small kamado (like a Joe jr) for nights when it's just myself and my wife having a quick meal.

Oh I bought a Traeger pellet grill - costco salesman talked me into it. We use this one a lot but I am not sold on pellet grills as yet.

I will post a few pics of the line up when I get home.

 

[Seed]

Welcome to the Bay Area! I just sold my WSM 22 but CL is a great start. I hope you bring the wet weather with you.

No burn days aren't applicable to cooking.

 

[Teleking]

The comments on catalytic wood stoves and likely why they are banned. This was a quick fix for manufacturers to meet new EPA standards in the early 90's and are currently getting stricter. Much like one on your car they clog, go bad, and expensive to replace. Easy fix in these parts, toss it and don't replace. Wood stove will then work old school without the restriction of the converter. I know of many people that remove them from new stoves.

 

[bonehead762]

Welcome to California (albeit a year later :-D)! Does Lazzari sell to the public? I'm taking a friend to Stanford Hospital for a check-up on thursday and could easily stop by Lazzari's just up the hill. I always love finding the deal on charcoal.

BTW, for Kingsford charcoal in the twin bag package, there is a deal I use to get an extra discount when they go on sale. When they go on sale for $9.99 per twin pack (or sometimes even $8.99) around the major bbq holidays at Lowes or Home Depot, if you go to Lowes homepage and scroll to the bottom there is a sign-up link for their email subscription. Most of the time for signing up they will give you a 10% off coupon for spending $50. So if you buy 5 twin packs, plus a 5 cent washer to get to $50, the net cost works out to $4 per bag. I usually wait for the sale and do this a couple of times each sale, once at Lowes and once at HD. You can use the Lowes coupon at HD because they will price match.

 

[funstuie]

Welcome to California (albeit a year later :-D)! Does Lazzari sell to the public? I'm taking a friend to Stanford Hospital for a check-up on thursday and could easily stop by Lazzari's just up the hill. I always love finding the deal on charcoal.
.

Yep. You drive into the yard and then go inside and you will see an old rickety stairs up to the office (there are no signs and the Latino guys working downstairs don't really talk to you). Go into the office and they have prices and that up for charcoal. They only sell oak or mesquite charcoal.

 

[landarc]

Lazzari is my choice, when I can either get over there, or find it local. The lump has lost a little quality over the years, but, still excellent product. Supplier to most of the restaurants who have wood fired grills.

And thanks for the update

 

[Smoke on Badger Mountain]

I certainly would not say the sky is the limit for California.

I sold my stick burner a couple of years ago because I didn't want to get caught up in the "No wood fire" rules due to the large number of mandatory No burn days.

On No burn days, You can't even heat your house with a wood burning stove (The ONLY exception is if the stove is your sole source of heat). I own an EPA approved, low pollution stove with a catalytic converter. The consensus was, these expensive models would be acceptable....NOPE.

Hoping they do not pass regulation against burning charcoal or lump for bbq's, but who knows.

I realize that maybe you were just trying to play it safe but you CAN use your stick burner on no burn days. I lived in San Jose until last December. And did contract work for BAAQMD (Bay Area Air Quality Management District) Your BBQ even a stick burner is OK to use any day of the year because it is for cooking. Not heating. So on some day you could be running your smoker all day but may not be able to have a fire in you home fire place. They may ASK you to not cook on your pit on some days but they don't have the authority to prohibit you from doing so. For NOW anyway. BAAQMD oversees North Bay, South Bay, Peninsula and East Bay.

Hope that helps.

 

[Smoke on Badger Mountain]

Cash&Carry stores sell Lazzari 40lb bags of mesquite for $14.00

www.smartfoodservice.com

 

[pgyrogear]

Yep. You drive into the yard and then go inside and you will see an old rickety stairs up to the office (there are no signs and the Latino guys working downstairs don't really talk to you). Go into the office and they have prices and that up for charcoal. They only sell oak or mesquite charcoal.

Thanks I also will be taking trip into SF to drop off a smoker and will stop buy pickup some coals.

 

[bonehead762]

Cash&Carry stores sell Lazzari 40lb bags of mesquite for $14.00

www.smartfoodservice.com

WOW, thanks SmokeyBadMtn. guy! I had no idea that Cash and Carry existed and I went to their website and lo and behold...we have one here in little podunk Modesto!

I'll still stop by the Lazzari factory and see what their factory prices are cuz it will be fun as well but at least I know I can get it locally. Thanks very much again!

And I didn't know we had a top flight BBQ/smoker guy here in lil'ol modesto either. Hey there pgyrogear guy! I'll have to come by the shop someday and visit.

 

[Richard1233]

Get a WSM!!

 

[funstuie]

Thanks I also will be taking trip into SF to drop off a smoker and will stop buy pickup some coals.

hey it's a good trip out there as it's like going back in time. There is tons and tons of wood stacked up and the place just smells of smoke. Some of the people who work seem to have little trailers onsite and they all are cooking bbq whenever I have gone in.

Health and Safety don't drop round often from the looks of the place.

Perhaps I should talk to you rather than buying a yoder. I would much rather get something local.

 

[pgyrogear]

WOW, thanks SmokeyBadMtn. guy! I had no idea that Cash and Carry existed and I went to their website and lo and behold...we have one here in little podunk Modesto!

I'll still stop by the Lazzari factory and see what their factory prices are cuz it will be fun as well but at least I know I can get it locally. Thanks very much again!

And I didn't know we had a top flight BBQ/smoker guy here in lil'ol modesto either. Hey there pgyrogear guy! I'll have to come by the shop someday and visit.

Hey Mark good to see and other Modesto guy hanging out with the Brethren you are more than welcome to come by anytime I live in the country over by the CHP on Keirnan.

KAT BBQ Smokers
5100 Stoddard Road
Modesto, CA 95356

Cash-and-Carry dose have a lot of good choices for meat also but if you want Angus Brisket they normally stock it in the one in Stockton

Look forward to meeting another one of the Brethren

 

[bonehead762]

Saw your website and your location on the map. I know exactly where you are located. I need to see one of my doctors today. I'll see if I can't get by there sometime after lunch.

I wouldn't know what a brisket was if it hit me smack in the face. I'll have to try one after I get my rig modified and put back together.

Thanks for the invite and the tip.

 

[toys4dlr]

You have to go to Lazzari just once for the experience. I don't know if the burnt out building is still there, but it was a decade ago when I lived in San Jose. Looking like they had an issue with spark and fuel and burnt it down. And then just moved it all to the other building and kept on going.

There was a lot of things I could not find any where else there, dont know if it has changed. But they are right, they dont go out of the way to help you.

 

[landarc]

Cash and Carry is my go to for things like foil, plastic wrap, gloves, butcher paper and Angus briskets, also, their ribs three pack has been the most consistent rib supplier I have found in the Bay Area

 

[Ross in Ventura]

Eggs by the Bay Smitty well take care of you and your needs
http://eggsbythebay.com/

Ross

 

[bonehead762]

Posted this the Roadtrip forum but I wanted to make sure pgyrogear got his props...

I went out today and met up with pyrogear at his shop...

He's got a nice looking shop and turns out some very quality looking smokers. He had a "ready to deliver" reverse flow that he very kindly showed me and explained to me. But the best part was, what a nice guy he is. Extremely friendly and generous. He took time out from has day (he was doing shipping I believe at the time) to talk and show me around. Really a quality guy. And his personality and demeanor are reflected in the quality of his product. He gets a 5 star Michelin rating from this bonehead, for sure!

Thanks very much Ken!