They open on Monday and seem to carry every basic spice that Penzey’s carries, along with their own blends, dried mushrooms, etc. PLUS, you can buy the stuff by the ounce instead of having to buy four ounces of something you only use occasionally. And it’s only about four blocks away. This means I don’t have to drive clear across the city to pay exorbitant prices so Penzey’s can pay their overhead costs. So neener-neener to all you less fortunates.
Penzey’s is expensive? I always thought they were very reasonable given the quality of their stuff.
Yeah, Penzey’s is reasonable enough, but I am envious of having a quality spice store right by home. We have one where you can buy in any amount to get only what you need, but the selection is limited, and they don’t offer any blends other than the standards.
Mazeltov, Chefguy! 
But before you go stocking up there, buy just one or two things and examine their potency in a routine dish you make.
When I started cooking, I would increase the spice amount by 50-150% in the dishes I made. Just tasted better that way.
When I began switching over to Penzey’s, I never use more than the recipe calls for, in some cases I use less (like ground pepper and sometimes cinnamon). Penzey’s spices are very strong and have true depth of flavor, so you may not be getting quite the “bang for your buck”.
However, you can’t beat the convenience and “just a smidge” factor nearby either.
We stopped by last night, as there were people working in there (including the owner) setting up the shop. They let us come in and look around, and I questioned her quite a bit about the operation. They have all the good stuff, it looks like. Seven kinds of cinnamon, including Vietnamese cassia. The allow tasting before buying and she gave us a taste of their truffle salt, which was potent.
Their spices come from a wholesaler, of course, which can be dicey if he’s buying cheap shit and selling it as the real deal. She says they will carry Spanish saffron, which is a real bell-weather. It’s easy to tell if it’s the authentic thing, so I’ll check it out next time in there. They restock once a week and don’t keep a lot in the storeroom, so that’s a good sign.
I’ve been a Penzey’s customer since they were a one-store operation in the early 90s and have always been happy with their products. But I think their prices have climbed too high, which I’m sure is due to the overhead associated with expansion. For instance, their 16 oz. bottle of vanilla is now over $40. I can find the exact same cold-processed, 10% stronger, Madagascar vanilla elsewhere on line for half that amount.
Anyway, allow me to gloat for a bit, even if it doesn’t pan out. 
I make it to Portland once or twice a year, will you share with us the name/address of this place? Would be nice to pick up some saffron, fleur de sel and juniper berries. Can’t find them here.
It so happens I spotted a jar of juniper berries on the shelf, and a whole section of different salts. No idea what their costs are at this point.
The place is called Savory Spice Shop and it’s at 7857 SE 13th Ave, in the Sellwood neighborhood. If your not familiar with it, it’s in what’s called “Inner Southeast”, near the Willamette River.
I was very excited when I saw that there was a Penzey’s in Cleveland (just across the street from the West Side Market, right next to a Rapid station), because I’ve heard so much about them. I haven’t run out of any spices since I moved, though, so I haven’t tried them yet.
Ultimately, what I’d really like would be to have a kitchen with a garden right outside, where I can grow my own herbs (there’s no fresh like “picked ten seconds ago”). But that won’t help with tropical spices, so I’ll still need a source for them.
And spices, in general, are simultaneously the most expensive foodstuff, and the cheapest. Sure, some of them have a price per ounce usually reserved for precious metals, but when you consider them in terms of price per serving, even the really high-quality ones are a bargain.
There’s one within a reasonable distance of where I live in the Chicago suburbs, and I love them sooo much. And yes, after being used to their prices and then checking out a Penzey’s - the one by the West Side Market in Cleveland, actually (I visited a friend in Cleveland last month) - I’m shocked by how expensive Penzey’s is in comparison. The only really expensive thing I found at Savory Spice is their black truffle salt, which is too rich for my blood. I’ve gotten cheaper at The Spice House in Chicago.
My current favorites include their Peruvian Chile Lime seasoning and their Aleppo Red Pepper Flakes. Plus they have a new local (Chicago) blend, the Bucktown Brown Mustard and Honey Rub.
Chefguy–be cautious.
Half of the spice on the shelves is smuggled in by those damn Corellians, and you can never scrape all the Wookiee hair out of that stuff.
I got the impression that this place was a one-off. Now I need to ask them if they’re running a franchise.
It’s a franchise. Started from one store in Colorado, opened a few more, then branched out and franchised out. Not a very big franchise compared to Penzey’s.
Oh, for this time of year, I really like the Park Hill Maple & Spice Pepper blend. It’s really yummy on root veggies.
Well, whaddya know. That gives them a better chance of survival, anyway.
So how much do they charge for melange, anyway?
I had to search for the reference. Very challenging for a Sunday morning.
Very JEALOUS Here. I can’t get good curry powder ingredaments (to grind my own) 
The spice must flow!
I live in Denver. I’ve shopped at savory since it was 1 store. You have found the mother load for value and quality. The founders used to work for Penzys they started there own shop here in Denver, when P decided there was no market. Once P was proven wrong they moved BIG into the Denver market. That is when Savory went franchise.
The big difference between the 2 is … at Savory I can get 1/4 1/2 oz of whatever I want in a bag( no fee for the container like at Penzsy ). My usual ordering is to hand over a list of this much of that item, all in bags no cost for the containers.
Meflin
Good info: thanks.
Just to clarify, all Penzey’s stores are company owned and operated. They are not a franchise.