rivka | (no subject)

From Tuesday, the day before we moved, until Sunday, I didn't cook. My excuse on Tuesday was that the kitchen was all packed up. Then, for several days, the kitchen wasn't unpacked or I was too tired from unpacking to cook or we hadn't been to the grocery store yet, and besides, it was our bounden duty to explore the restaurants in our new neighborhood. Alas, by Monday those excuses had worn out.

We have two options for groceries, if you don't count the "discount grocery and liquor store" that offers a few dusty boxes and cans of food alongside a wide selection of malt liquor and fortified wine. Eddie's of Mount Vernon is about two blocks away, conveniently located between the street where the bus drops me off and the street where we live. It's probably a good size for a downtown grocery store, which means that it seems awfully small to me. They've got decent produce, a meat section that's limited in selection but fine in quality, a range of packaged goods which includes some upscale products. It's easy to stop off at Eddie's and pick up a day or two's worth of groceries, but I don't think it would necessarily work to go there for the ingredients of a specific meal you wanted to cook - I think you'd need to see what they had, and then plan your meal accordingly.

So last night we ventured further, ten minutes away via the expressway to the Superfresh in Hampden. Recommended by our landlord, this place is a true Grocery Paradise on the suburban model. (Much better, actually, than the supermarkets we had in our actual suburb.) Mountains of lovely fresh produce. An olive bar with eight varieties. Fresh-baked gourmet breads. A good fish counter. Two-pound bags of frozen raw shrimp for $8.98. (We now have a freezer full of shrimp, yay.) Somewhere in there - buying ingredients for linguini with scallops, bacon, and peppers; roast leg of lamb with fresh green beans; spaghetti and marinara sauce with sweet Italian sausage and summer squash; New Orleans barbecued shrimp with corn on the cob - I became consoled for the end of our long restaurant binge.

The two stores together make a great combination. I loved stopping by Eddie's on my way home from the bus stop on Monday and buying two days' worth of tasty dinners and a few staples, and I loved filling my fridge and cabinets at Superfresh. Score one more point for the new neighborhood.

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the Superfresh in Hampden.

Is that the one on 41st St (at the corner of Roland Ave, I think)? If so, it'll be within walking distance of my new place. I'm glad to know it gets good reviews!

It is the one on 41st, although I'm not sure where it is in relation to Roland Ave. It's a couple of blocks from Falls Road.

Yup. That would be the one. :) Cool. I've missed having a decent grocery store nearby. (Both the Giant and the SuperFresh nearest my apartment have miserable produce, and the meat selection is highly variable.)

Somewhere in there - buying ingredients for linguini with scallops, bacon, and peppers; roast leg of lamb with fresh green beans; spaghetti and marinara sauce with sweet Italian sausage and summer squash; New Orleans barbecued shrimp with corn on the cob

Wow. When can I come for dinner? :-)

She's a good cook. :-)

You're welcome any time, of course! Just call ahead so I can pick up an extra ear of corn or whatever. :-)

We tend to rely on those two stores as well, and on the Save-a-lot, a discount store with "mystery brands" which is right up in our neighborhood. You can get a week's groceries there for about $40 if you don't mind eating brands you've never seen in a commercial and never will.

That third paragraph should be posted to

food_porn! Yum!

The Giant in the Rotunda shopping center on 41st also has a pretty nice selection. You might check it out sometime.

I used to do almost all my shopping there as an undergrad, cause it was within walking distance of my apartment building. Heh.

Your neighbourhood does sound fantastic. I really have to come up and see the new place very soon!

Sounds like your house is rapidly becoming a home.