Newsy Musings
A Quick Note on Paul’s Food Center and the Search for Salad
by Jenny Anastasoff
It’s been two months since Paul’s Food Center closed and downtown Portland lost its full service grocery store. The store served the most populated blocks in the entire state.
Fresh local spinach can be hard to find within walking distance of downtown.
Many of us don’t have cars, so a walkable grocery is key. What used to be a quick errand now becomes a major ordeal. The Back Bay Hannaford on Forest Avenue is a four minute drive, yet a twenty minute haphazard walk -and uphill on return, with bags!
The #8 bus is fine for the return, but getting there takes a while. The bus also means not buying more than what can fit in your lap. You can’t take up another seat with bags.
Instead, I’ve been stocking up whenever I can get a ride. The one item that has really stumped me is salad. Just some fresh greens like lettuce, romaine or spinach.
I checked out the African Grocery and the Sun Market. Both were very friendly but didn’t have those greens on my visit. Reny’s has dry goods, canned and packaged foods, but nothing that requires refrigeration. Monument Square has the Wednesday farmers’ market and there’s fresh produce in the Public Market House at K.Horton’s.
On the West End, Brackett Street has Rosemont and Fresh Approach. I haven’t yet made it to La Bodega Latina. Continuing to St. John we have the Save-A-Lot. I should visit a few markets on Cumberland and towards the East End, where we have the Portland Food Co-Op and Micucci’s. Saturdays offer the market at Deering Oaks.
So much for impromptu salad, or one stop shopping. And I sure miss Paul’s Shurfine brand merchandise.
