foods and fuss

i didn't really like the gourmet grocery store foods of all nations when i first came to town. i just thought it was a lot of hype. but now that i've started to visit the mermaid express, a woman owned cafe inside foods of all nations, i'm gaining a new respect.

first of all, mermaid express feels like a cafe-car on a train, or a lesbian truck stop, or a teahouse in a roadside trailer. not that it's even close to any of those things, but that's the way it feels to me. and they make the best chai latte in town. the twisted branch tea bazaar makes the best indian style chai, but mermaid express makes the best all-western chai latte.

today i went to mermaid express with dan. after he left i looked at the abysmal employment ads in the sunday paper and then after that i decided to pick up some onions in the grocery store so i could make tashi's favorite [boring] kasha dish for dinner. in doing so i discovered that foods of all nations has pretty reasonably priced produce. at least today they did. and they carry a complete line of ecologically grown greens and herbs from planet earth diversified. ok, so what? well then i discovered a small reasonably priced bottle of taramosalata which is a greek dip that only my mom and i like. it is made of carp roe caviar, lemon, olive oil and potato pulp. i don't expect you to understand. and then i felt happy about the huge vats of sheep feta followed by a longish row of indian foods. also, the deli is interesting and the sandwiches priced fairly. lastly, they have a whole lot of wine and chocolate, but i'll stick to rebecca's for that.

maybe i shouldn't be promoting one grocery store when i work at another? maybe i shouldn't be promoting a grocery store at all? maybe i shouldn't be working in a grocery store?

anyhow, i think i should go and plant the bulbs our friend suzanne gave us. she will be in nepal writing her dissertation when they bloom. i'll plant the bulbs while wishing her a fruitful journey.