A Little Shop About "The Big Lebowski"

I'm not a big fan of "The Big Lebowski," but I know plenty of people who are. Like my husband.

And so I was intrigued when Paul and I were walking through Greenwich Village a couple of weeks ago and passed a hole-in-the-wall store at 213 Thompson St.: The Little Lebowski.

Yes, a store dedicated to all things Lebowski.

Paul liked looking through the ... uh, memorabilia? I was more intrigued about how the owner of this place pays the rent each month. There's really that many fans? Evidently.

The Best Shady Market in Bay Ridge

Bay Ridge has more than its fair share of discount stores. I can think of three offhand within a couple of blocks of our apartment.

Most stick to the tried-and-true 99 cent motif, but a lot of them sell items for -- gasp -- up to several dollars. My favorite discount store is the nearby Shady Market.

The sign (and, as far as I know) the name are new. Paul and I had a good-natured laugh when we saw it. The owners don't speak English as a native language, and we wonder if they understand the double meaning of the word "shady." In any case, the woman at the cash register is anything but the more sinister meaning of the word -- she's always very friendly when I pick up some sandwich baggies or an umbrella or two.

In fact, she made me feel pretty good a couple of weeks ago. I had just come from a bodega and had placed my bags of groceries on the ground while I fumbled in my purse for some cash. The woman, from Morocco, spied some couscous in my bag and rewarded me with a huge smile.

"You like couscous?" she asked, astonished. She told me that I'm the first non-Arabian she's met that eats it.

I like to think that I'm more open to foreign foods since moving to New York, and I probably am. But couscous? I started eating that in Columbus.

Shopping in New York: A Tale of Inconvenience

Last week I was put in the odd position of describing Meijer to my co-workers.

After a few false starts, one asked if it was like Wal-Mart. Yes, I replied, but better, nicer. Wal-Mart with a touch of Target, I finally declared.

It started when a co-worker was trying to wow us with the sheer variety of items she once bought at a bodega. I refused to be wowed. I don't remember her shopping list, but it was something of the beer-potatoes-batteries-toilet paper variety. Where else could one leave with such an assortment?

Meijer. Except there, you also could get a computer desk and your pictures developed. So there.

I have written many a post rhapsodizing over Meijer and (especially) Kroger, but I do have to admit that bodegas probably offer the most in sheer selection of any store in New York. This, however, comes at a literal price. Except for the fruit, vegetables and a small selection of non-perishable goods, everything is generally much more expensive. And you'll never find the variety of a Meijer. In fact, Meijer's jewelry counter is probably larger than any single bodega.

Nowadays it's fruits and veggies from a bodega, meat from a meat market, other groceries from a grocery store. Medicine, toothpaste and paper towels from an actual pharmacy.

So long, one-stop shopping.

Only in New York?

Yes, that's a holistic pet care store in Manhattan. No, I did not go in.

Getting groceries

One of the most frustrating parts of living in New York City is getting groceries.

The grocery store we frequent now is so small that you could probably fit about 100 into the average Kroger Marketplace. The selection is small, and the aisles are even smaller. Carts are a huge pain because of the tiny space and large crowds; it's easier (albeit heavier) to carry a basket.

We go to Associated about once a week and buy only what the two of us can carry back to our apartment. We walk there-- it's about a 10 minute stroll, and there's no parking lot anyway. We get grocery ads only sporadically, so I usually take a look at a flier as soon as I enter the store and quickly memorize the prices. Associated has good sales-- you just have to make sure the cashier charges you the correct amount. Every time but once they've overcharged us on at least one product. Luckily Mom trained me to watch the scanner, so I catch most of the mistakes.

About once every month or six weeks we go to Foodtown, about 14 blocks away. It has a parking lot, so that's where we stock up on cat food and litter. The store itself is larger, but the aisles are just as narrow. It's so busy on Sundays that we've had to wait in line for a shopping cart.

The selection still amazes me. Many of the stores don't carry large tubs of flavored yogurt, but you can choose from multiple styles of rice or ricotta cheese. I know it's because of the neighborhood's demographics, but it's still frustrating.

Luckily we can get the necessities (fruits, vegetables, milk and eggs) across the street. I always have onion nan on hand from the Greek grocer on the corner, and I just found a health food store nearby that sells yummy blueberry granola. I just miss being able to go to ONE store to get everything I need.