When Suzanne Pidcock moved to the San Lorenzo Valley in 2003, the born-and-raised Hawaiian knew she had found her home away from home. She fell not only for the area but especially the way the tight-knit community looked out for each other like family.
This sense of togetherness and collectivism was galvanized during the area’s natural disasters over the last several years. On a personal level, Pidcock recounts how the community rallied around her after she was almost crushed to death while working on her car.
She became an employee at Masood’s Liquor and Deli on Highway 9 in Ben Lomond three years ago; originally a customer who loved the business, she eventually asked to work there. A one-stop shop with a customer-driven ethos, this grocery store and market stocks many hard-to-find items and raved-about deli offerings.
The tri-tip sandwich is the hands-down headliner, and other between-bread bests include the club, chicken pesto, pastrami and chicken salad. (The latter is Pidcock’s favorite, with “peas that pop in your mouth.”) Marianne’s ice cream and Ferrell’s donuts fill out the sweeter side.
Describe your passion for the community.
SUZANNE PIDCOCK: Coming from Honolulu, Hawaii, people are all very close there. We welcome everybody and support each other, and it’s the same here, and feeding other people is how we show love. I really enjoy the customer service aspect and going above and beyond, and my favorite parts of my job are my co-workers and customers. They are all so amazing and I consider them my family. I feel like I won a million dollars being able to work here.
Tell me more about that tri-tip sandwich.
I like it because it’s different; we use a teriyaki sauce instead of barbecue sauce. In Hawaii, we use a lot of teriyaki, so the sandwich reminds me of home. Customers tell us all the time that it’s the best tri-tip sandwich they’ve ever had. The meat is cut very thin and we barbecue it on-site, then sauce it to order. It’s messy and juicy and requires a lot of napkins, but it’s so good.
Hours are 10am–8pm daily. 7970 Highway 9, Ben Lomond, 831-336-2555.
