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Have never tried Kate's because we have Houlton Farms butter here in Aroostook County, Maine. Dark yellow and comes in a one-pound block. It's very similar to the butter I used to make in my "back to the land" days!

I get mine at Penzeys Spices. They have a store close to where I live, in Menlo Park. They have jars that you can open up to smell each product that they offer. It's a really fun place to explore.

I go to the Spice House in Illinois for freshly ground Ceylon cinnamon and soft cinnamon sticks. I like www.store.mustaphas.com for true Marrakech grown whole cumin seed and green anise seed. And for most general spices. I prefer Kalustyans for ground ginger and black and white peppercorns.

Ras el hanout is a problem because each Moroccan recipe has its own best blend. I'm still lookin'

Any Asian, Indian, or Middle Eastern market. I love Purpose Design on Etsy for pre-packaged spices to give as gifts.

Living in Brooklyn, I also go to Sahadi's. But unfortunately they recently did away with the bins (where you could buy as little or as much as you liked as you liked, or thought you could use) and now sell everything prepackaged (in their own packages). Even so its cheaper than anywhere else locally. But I also think they pared down there selection and don't seem to have the more unusual stuff anymore. I need to find an alternate!

My favorite is Adriana's Caravan. The very helpful and enthusiastic owner had a booth in NYC's Grand Central Terminal for years until Penzey's outbid her for the space. In addition to a vast variety of superior spices, she sells a number of hard to find items - oils, beans, dried mushrooms (including a great porcini powder), rices, and a good selection of hot sauces:

http://www.littleviews.com/home/newyork/adriana_caravan.cfm

It's a small, owner operated business that sells other products along with the house brand, and I always appreciated that she dispensed great cooking suggestions and advice when she had the GCT store.

Though I do duck into Penzy's in Grand Central when I'm there and in need of something, I'm an enthusiastic supporter of Adriana.

i always go to the indian and asian grocery stores - you can pay almost nothing for a lot of high-quality hard-to-find spices.

IMO the best places to buy spices are indian stores, and they're pretty affordable and you can get a huge bag. I've never heard of Penzey's, but typically the some of the farmers markets , but mostly the indian stores have pretty cheap spices.

I get mine from the Savory Spice Shop too. Locally owned and operated, with a knowledgeable and friendly staff. You can't beat that, really.

Penzey's and Kalustyan's are both overpriced yuppie warehouses. I turn to them as a last resort and only rarely as I can get most of what I need either at Patel Bros. or the Chinese and Thai markets.

I'm in the Detroit suburbs, and typically get mine from Dirty Girl Farm (http://www.dirtygirlfarm.com/) at the Royal Oak farmer's market. Great selection and much less expensive/better quality than the grocery store. I do buy oddball stuff for rubs from the bulk bins behind the deli at our grocery store, though.

Living in the Chicago area, the big choices are Penzeys and The Spice House. I far prefer The Spice House because I have always received so much better customer service there; I like that you get someone helping you from the moment you walk in the door (or not long after, if they're busy). I'm pleased to say that this has been true at the Chicago, Evanston, and Milwaukee locations of The Spice House.

I agree with Nezrite that Kavanaugh Hill (http://www.kavanaugh-hill-spices.com/) in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa is a lot of fun to shop at as well. The little shop is quite the jumble, but it's a pleasure to talk with Ruth and Bill and we've always come away with a surprising gem that we wouldn't have found if we hadn't chatted with the nice folks who work there.