Five of the best shops

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This was published 13 years ago

Five of the best shops

By Kate Jordan-Moore
Bottega Rotolo.

Bottega Rotolo.

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Doof Doof

"We know food backwards" is their cry and, indeed, most of the fresh organic produce comes from owner-chef-farmer Hayden Rogers' farms. No kitchen garden affair this: he leases three farms in the hills and by the river and is quite obsessive about the relationship between plant and soil health and flavour. Along with his fruit and vegetables, there's produce from other small and specialist growers. The cafe at the retro-feel store is also a good thing, where all this bounty shines in simple and delicious dishes.

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88-90 Duthy Street, Malvern, (08) 8172 2146.

El Choto Fine Foods

Adelaide hasn't had a lot of Spanish influence, which is strange when you know its climate matches that of Barcelona. But Georgie Rogers is on a mission to change that - at least about the food and wine and the way of eating and sharing. At El Choto, she's selling a wide range of Spanish goods, alongside some excellent South American specialities, inside the warm, paprika-toned shop. There are daily lunches, excellent take-home meals, desirable cookware and monthly wine and tapas evenings.

124 Port Road, Hindmarsh, (08) 8346 1267.

Bottega Rotolo

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The Rotolo family gave Adelaide its first taste of many "exotic" ingredients and foods. Connie and Fonz set up Atlas Fine Foods in the Central Market in the 1970s and it was first port of call for adventurous cooks and food lovers, clutching food magazines and mispronouncing cheese names. Forty years later, their daughter, Rosalie (who worked at Atlas standing on a milk crate to see over the counter), runs this top-end food and wine merchant (pictured), crediting her parents with instilling a passion for quality. As well as the cheese room from heaven, there are exclusive pastas, chocolate, oils and other desirables. Cooking classes are a treat, especially when Connie and Rosalie take to the floor together.

7 Osmond Terrace, Norwood, (08) 8362 0455.

Feast Fine Foods

Although its Coorong Angus beef was a hit in fine restaurants, the Gunner family were frustrated they couldn't find a retailer for their premium branded product. So they took a punt and created this genuine paddock-to-plate business. On the way, they brought together some of Australia's leading producers: five lamb producers, Colin Lienert's free-range Berkshire pork, Greenslades and Barossa poultry and some excellent condiment makers. Shoppers can buy the Suffolk lamb used at Quay restaurant in Sydney, the Wagyu used by Bistro Vue in Melbourne and the dry-aged Angus used by Claude's, also in Sydney. No anonymous meat here and they've taught us that market seasonality also applies to meat.

Adelaide Central Market, Gouger Street, Adelaide. Also at Norwood, Unley and Fairview Park, see feastfinefoods.com.au.

Imma & Mario's Mercato

A trip out to Imma & Mario's used to take you past market gardens to a crowded store of impeccably presented imported Italian goods. It's recently moved down the road a bit to a large and airy showroom that has space for their expanded range, their new Italian wine business called La Cantina, cooking classes and a branch of O'Furno bakery and coffee bar. The range includes many Italian favourites, local fine foods and arguably the best range of smallgoods in town. There's smart kitchenware, cookbooks, linen and lovely staff.

625 Lower North East Road, Campbelltown, (08) 8337 1808, ilmercato.com.au.

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