Breaking this into parts… yes, there is a LHBS in SF. (Oak Barrel, over in Berkeley, is a good store, but it’s hard for me to get to when it’s open.) Yes, the SF LHBS will build a recipe from the ground up, which is a real plus. Sometimes I shop there…for a variety of reasons, sometimes I don’t.
Thank you for the suggestion! I’ll try that too.
Rebel Brewer sells most (maybe all?) specialty malts in 1 oz increments.
I just ordered a kit from morebeer.com, the sweet stout. I will report on how it comes out when I brew it.