Ara-Honore, Collette, Md - Hyde Park Dermatology

Elisa Kronish

Citysearch

The Scene
This is no glamour grocery store. It's a little outdated, a little dim, a little cramped. But it's charming and homey in a way that sparkling, corporate stores are not. Staff comment cards accompany select wines, and cheerful clerks smile at checkout. Birkenstock-sandaled college students share aisles with yuppie couples and toddlers, neighborhood families and aged hippies.

The Goods
Prices aren't always cheaper than traditional food stores, but the selection is different. You'll find won ton and egg roll wraps in an Asian area; pistachio oil next to Crisco; Equal Exchange fair trade-certified coffee; hard-to-find Tofutti nondairy dessert; and organic baby foods that get more space than Gerber. Independently owned Glory Foods' frozen Southern-based dinners like fried corn and sweet potato casserole offer ideas beyond Stouffer's. A loose dry-goods section includes seven-grain pancake mix, certified organic all-purpose flour, falafel mix and pitted dried cherries.