Neighborhood Grocery Stores...

Now, we have a nice mid-sized independant grocer nearby, where they have two butchers, a produce and meat buyer who buys local, reasonable prices - only a little more expensive than "discount grocery stores" (because almost everyone who works there, including the 12 year old "assistant produce manager", is a relative or family friend), the type where the cashier knows your name and will ask after your family, and you will find a manager who will sell rolls of change for laundry and cash personal, out of state checks up to $300 if the person manning the office/customer service booth recognizes you and you promise that "Grandpa's account is good"...
But unless you live for standard "border American" food, the stock is still rather limited.

So, being as I'm living and working in a big city, I've checked out a few other neighborhood grocers...and it's an international cornucopia! From tiny Italian grocers who brine their own olives and pickles to Iranian Chaldean grocers where you can get cow's lips and lamb's heads (including the eyes), from Somalian grocers where you can get the fixin's for injira and curries that will blacken the top of your mouth and Tijuana markets where you can get home-made tamales and sweet rolls, I've seen them all in the past couple of years.

On a tip from a fellow physical therapy participant, I've just visited my latest "neighborhood grocery" find between physical therapy and returning to work - it's an asian grocery store where you walk into an international marketplace, not only does the smell of Singapore markets (slightly better than the smell of San Fransisco Chinatown open air markets)hit you as soon as you walk in, in the foyer area, there are three truly asian food stands stands, a jade and gold jewelry stand, two asian sundries stands, a fruit tree stand, and an asian newsstand.
The market itself, about 14 long aisles worth, carries food goods from Korea to Thailand. Not only do you get the odd foods (red bean jello, fish puffs, and produce such as Mangosteen and frozen Durian, that weird "stinky" fruit that looks like a mix between a pinecone and a pinapple with a gland condition), the specialized cooking items (I really, really got a sudden desire for the 10" propane gas cooking eye kit box with the 10" element for $14 and that really nice stainless hollow wall wok pot for $7) and the little old folks who are always trying to run you over with their shopping carts, but along the back of the market they have a huge selection of live seafood - pick out the striped bass, rainbow trout, tilapia, or shellfish that you want, and they'll either give it to you live to take home or gut and behead (if you want) it there to save you the trouble at home. No blowfish though - I'm wondering if that's illegal to import, even live.

Altogether, an asian adventure, truly a trip to another country. And like most small "neighborhood" markets - it's very reasonable on the wallet - so long as you don't go hog-wild trying out new and exotic foods. (In my family, we have had this problem with buying things we don't have more than half a clue as to what it is, simply for the adventure of trying something new.)

This is the main reason I love living in big cities - the variety. :)

Haele

(BYW - for those of you living in or visiting San Diego, this market is "99 Ranch Market", on Clarmont Mesa Blvd between Convoy and the 805 - try it out!)

and only shop in corner grocery stores and local delis. Safeway doesn't need my money, and I want my little local stores to stay.

other liquor

just cracks me up!

Safeway brand vodka...gasoline...what's the difference?

I had a small dinner party last week and collected my ingredients from a variety of Italian Grocers:

LaCascia's on Main St. in Medford
Capone's in Union Sq. Somerville
Abruzzese Meat Market, Purity Cheese, and Maria's Pastry in Boston's North End.

There are a ton of bodegas in my neighborhood that carry Creole, Spanish, and Brazilian foods. There is also a Middle Eastern market that sells Halal products.

I also take the "T" to Chinatown when I cook Asian.

In Central Square, there is an Indian Spice store that is fabulous, and in Inman Square there's an exotic food store next to Christina's ice cream that carries spices, nuts, and chocolate.

I occasionally take a trip out t the Hi-Lo Supermarket in Jamaica Plain, where I can find a variety of Mexican ingredients.

I too love cities for the variety. It's a cooks dream!

we have 'em up here in LA as well. Good places. In Pasadena, a fun grocery that my (Korean) wife really likes is Farm Fresh Foods, which I think is another local chain, and in our neighborhood at least is Mexican. Huge bundles of tortillas! Cactus paddles! Cones of brown sugar! All sorts of south-of-the-border cheeses! And those great seed cookies, 6 inches in diameter at least, and you can have sesame, squash, any number of others.

I don't mind chains if they're franchised, where the local managers/owners basically call the shots.
As it is, most independant grocers are affiliated with some sort of independant chain, anyway - which is how their buyers manage to get their package goods (brand named canned foods, sundries, frozen and boxed items) at a reasonable price; the shippers are able to ship area bulk to the small affiliate franchises along with the big chains like Safeway and Food Lion.

Haele

But 2 towns (and about 25 minutes) north is one of the best damned little butcher shops I've ever been in. Make their own sausage, that kind of stuff. I miss neighborhood markets.