I am looking for suggestions on where to buy white tea in Chinatown - S.F. I know very little about this item and assume there are different qualities and prices. Also, are there any discount shops to buy Ghirardeli chocolate ? or does everyone buy it at Ghirardeli Square ? TY

Ghirardeli Square is probably your best option. In some instances, we've found these in our local Safeway supermarket. I even remember buying these at Border's Bookstore when they put the bars-in-a-pouch on sale.

I'll let you in on a San Francisco chocolate-lovers fact. Much better chocolates, but slightly more expensive, can be had at Scharffen Berger. They have a store in the Ferry Bulding on Market and Embarcadero.

Yes you can buy Ghiradelli chocolate in supermarkets in California, or at Cost Plus World Market.

I don't know about sources for white tea in Chinatown, but I do know that Peet's Coffee and Tea sells it. They have multiple stores in the Bay Area and also sell it on line at peets.com

You can get Ghirardelli in the airport, too - but not as many varieties as at G. Square.

I have friends who rave about See's Candies, also headquartered in SF. www.sees.com

Thank you - everyone's suggestions are appreciated.

Ghirardelli has indeed become more of a commodity in CA, since you can buy it everywhere. One goes to Ghirardelli Square for the soda fountain experience. In their defense, it IS a pretty good chocolate.

See's is a California institution as well, but its origins are in Los Angeles, not San Francisco. Scharffen Berger is awesome, and its origins are up in the Bay Area (Berkeley); its acquisition last year by Hershey (*shudder*) hasn't ruined it, thankfully.

If you go to the Ferry Building to buy ScharffenBerger you can also pick up some white tea at the Imperial Tea Court that has a huge selection of teas.

And yes, you can pick up Ghirardeli chocolate in most grocery stores if you have your heart set on it. I've seen it a Trader Joes in addition to Safeway.

You can buy large squares that have broken off (or have been cut off & into squares) of Ghirardelli's huge chocolate bar at Trader Joe's for a very reasonable price.

Peet's teas are expensive, Imperial Tea Court is also in Chinatown on Powell Street, there is Ten Ren Tea on Grant Street a couple of blocks from Imperial. Both do tea tasting so you can get samples in tiny cups and choose what you like. Note a bit of white tea goes a long way, not like a 1 lb of chocolate!

This place, Imperial Tea House, has different tastings - with or without a class. I highly recommend it. Here is my report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...1&tid=34788757

As for Ghirardelli, the chocolates are everywhere! even in every pharmacy. I would be shocked not to see it in any tiny corner store. Eeeewwww...

When at Ferry building, and by the way, they have Imperial Tea there too, buy Sharffen Berger, expensive, but great quality.