International Grocery

Stella Padnos-Shea

Oh dear, leave the homemade everything! This is a thirty-five year old grocery store that looks completely unchanged from how I imagine it looked in the 1970s. The awning and paint job are fading, but every aspect of the store has genuine personality. It’s a true Manhattan relic. You can buy fragrant and colorful spices, perched in huge bins, which seem to originate from all corners of the world. Or you can opt for some variety of overfed olive or homemade Greek dip. Apparently the chef from Molyvos has received taramosalata advice from this humble storefront.

The store boasts hand-written signs, and fat tabby cat brothers. International Grocery is a revolt against the homogenization of Manhattan and New York City. Don’t change a thing!

(May 2011)