Santoni S Supermarket in Baltimore: Italian-focused grocery with competitive produce and imported goods
Santoni S Supermarket is a single-location, owner-operated grocery on the southwest side of Baltimore that stocks a heavily curated selection of Italian imports alongside everyday staples, produce, and meat. It occupies roughly 3,000 square feet and functions as both a neighborhood market and a destination for cooks seeking hard-to-find Italian ingredients at lower markups than specialty retailers charge.
What Santoni S actually is
The store is built around Italian provisions: fresh pasta, dried pasta varieties exceeding 40 SKUs, San Marzano tomatoes in multiple brands, arborio and carnaroli rice, polenta, dried mushrooms, and canned anchovies. The produce section rotates with seasonal Italian vegetables (Italian squash, radicchio, bitter greens) alongside conventional offerings. A small meat counter handles custom cuts. The store is compact enough that a full shop takes under 20 minutes, and crowded enough on weekends that parking on the street becomes necessary.
Pricing and what you'll spend
Imported Italian pasta runs $1.29 to $2.89 per pound, depending on brand and cut; De Cecco and Rustichella d'Abruzzo are both stocked. San Marzano tomatoes in 28-ounce cans cost $2.49 to $3.29 per can. Arborio rice is $3.50 to $4.50 per pound. Produce pricing tracks within 10 percent of conventional supermarkets for common items but undercuts specialty shops by 15 to 25 percent on Italian vegetables when in stock. Confirm current prices by phone before making a special trip for a specific item, as inventory and pricing on imported goods shift seasonally.
How Santoni S compares to other Baltimore options
For Italian imports, Santoni S occupies the middle ground between chain supermarkets (which stock limited pasta and canned tomatoes at standard markups) and specialty importers like Aldo's on Pratt Street (which maintains broader selection but charges 20 to 30 percent premiums on prepared foods and private-label items). A shopper seeking specific imported pastas or obscure canned goods will find Santoni S faster and cheaper than ordering online or driving to a larger distributor. Someone building a pantry for occasional Italian cooking will find the selection adequate; someone sourcing ingredients for restaurant-level risotto or handmade pasta will likely need to supplement at specialty importers. For everyday produce and meat, conventional chains like SafeWay offer faster checkout and broader non-Italian selection but lower quality on seasonal Italian vegetables.
Who this store serves and who it does not
Santoni S suits home cooks committed to Italian cooking, neighborhood residents who live within walking distance or a short drive, and shoppers with specific ingredient needs who value price over breadth. It does not suit people seeking prepared foods, large packaged-goods variety, or a one-stop shop for a full week of groceries. The store does not carry much beyond its focused categories: minimal international foods outside Italy, no substantial dairy selection, no deli case. Expect an older, family-run retail experience, not a polished supermarket atmosphere.
What a first visit involves
Enter to a narrow aisle layout; the pasta section and imported canned goods occupy the back and left wall. Ask staff directly if you cannot locate a specific Italian item, since the store is small enough that the owner or manager typically knows inventory. Bring a list of what you need. If you arrive mid-morning on a weekday, you will move quickly. Saturday afternoons require patience. The store does not accept cards at all registers, so confirm payment method or locate the one staffed register that processes cards. No self-checkout.
Hours and logistics
Santoni S is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed Sunday. Street parking is available on the surrounding blocks, though weekend afternoons fill quickly. The store is accessible by car; no public transit stop sits immediately outside. Verify hours before a special trip, as family-run stores occasionally adjust seasonally.
Santoni S fills a practical niche: it offers a curated, affordable Italian pantry without the markup or formality of specialty shops, making it the default choice for anyone in southwest Baltimore cooking regularly with Italian ingredients.
