There are those that eat to live and others who live to eat.
The former can live just about anywhere. To the latter, Highland Park can be a paradise.
No too far away you can find a couple of Gelson’s, A Bristol Farms, and a handful of Trader Joe's locations. (By the way, did you know there was an early Trader Joes on Ave 64? There is still evidence of it, if you look for it.) There's also the wonderful in South Pasadena.
But you don’t have to travel very even that far to answer your foodie needs.
Here in Highland Park we have the lovely . You’ll find excellent produce as well as organic, vegan and kosher foods. You’ll find some game meats, elk and ostrich and more. Grass fed beef. A nice selection of cheeses. If you are searching for good gluten-free products, this is the place. There's lots of good gluten to be found on the shelves as well. Mrs. O’Roscoe really likes their Taramosalata, a “Greek style caviar spread.” There's some great sandwiches at their deli counter, too.
The new has a wonderful selection of food and drink. A good beer selection, many ethnic foods and nice bakery/deli/sushi counters. I keep going back to their meat case. I'm a sucker for their beef shank marrowbones. Roasted 15 minutes at 400 degrees, these bones become the food of the carnivorous gods. If you don’t find it in the meat case, ask the guys behind the meat counter, and they might have them in back.
Then there's . Where do I begin? The have over 500 different sodas in glass bottles, many if not all made with cane sugar. If you remember a soda from years ago, they probably have it here. And if you like a soda brand available anywhere now, just try the original formula available at Galco’s! You won’t return to that artificially flavored high fructose corn syrup. I keep going back to Galco’s, or in an effort at self-control, I keep sending my son back, for 7-UP, a favorite soda from my childhood.
And if that isn’t enough, they have about 100 kinds of candies, everything from Abba-Zaba to Zagnut, with Big Hunk, Bit O Honey, and Sen-Sen in between! They also carry over 450 different beers from around the world! And over 60 different types of bottled water.
There is also , who offer Mexican groceries, a butcher, a bakery, and Latin American produce. A great variety of good foods if you are familiar with the cuisine, and a good resource of good foods if you are not. I drop in when I need the excellent El Dorado brand of tortillas. No chemicals, texturizers, or preservatives. Just corn, lime and water. As close to hand made tortillas you can get.
These are my family’s favorite stops. How about yours?
Who are your favorite tamale vendors? Bakeries? Menudo purveyors?
Leave a comment below. Email me and you’ll find it here in the future.
And please, if you’ve been to a shop, or a restaurant, or a stand, leave a review for that place here at Patch.
