A Sacramento icon is one of the best grocery stores for tourism, USA Today says

An iconic local market was called one of the best grocery stores for tourism in the country by USA Today.

Corti Brothers, in the Little Italy district of East Sacramento, has significantly “added to Sacramento’s culinary scene,” according to USA Today’s list of the 10 best grocery stores to visit as a tourist.

The newspaper praised the store’s “solid wine department” and “deli with great sandwiches” in the ranking, which was published Tuesday.

Rick Mindermann, general manager of Corti Brothers, told The Sacramento Bee he felt “quite humbled” by the designation.

“The accolade is deserving to Darrell Corti, simply because this is his life,” Mindermann said.

According to Mindermann, he and Corti have done grocery tourism on their own for decades, visiting grocery stores wherever they travel to discover local food culture.

Minderman credited social media and young travelers for ushering in what he called a “renaissance” of food tourism. Local influencers and online foodies drive traffic to small businesses, not big-box chain stores, he said.

The only other store representing California on the list is Erewhon, an upscale Los Angeles-based chain known for its pricey products, such as a $19 strawberry that recently went viral on social media.

About Corti Brothers

In 1947, Frank and Gino Corti opened their Sacramento market, at 5810 Folsom Blvd., offering products from around the world that were not easily accessible in the area, according to the store’s website.

“Here we are, 78 years later, experiencing a wonderful time (of grocery and food tourism),” Mindermann said.

Today, the shop is well-known for its sandwich counter, which has the popular $8.49 Corti Special. On this sandwich, the customer is able to customize the kind of bread, cheese, toppings and dressing from available options, while the sandwich makers select the meat.

If you’re looking for a bit more control over your meal, you can also order a custom sandwich with your choice of meat or one of 10 specialty sandwiches, according to the store’s sandwich menu.

This story was originally published April 10, 2025 at 7:00 AM.

Camila Pedrosa

The Sacramento Bee

Camila Pedrosa is the California Diversions Reporter at The Sacramento Bee. She previously worked on The Bee’s service journalism team and was a summer reporting intern for The Bee in 2024. She graduated from Arizona State University with a master’s degree in mass communication.