Mi Pueblo

Another East Bay gem of a super market with a character all its own. The range of groceries and produce is excellent and one could spend the better part of an hour just perusing the menu at the take-out deli or in the meat and fish market section. Every city should be blessed with a Mi Pueblo for the range of products and the reasonable prices, as well as the upbeat atmosphere.

This colorful market sets the mood as you walk in; life is a fiesta at Mi Pueblo. I don't know how I was able to walk away from the prepared foods section with its homemade tortillas and classic Mexican entrees, aromas swirling around olfactory nerves like hookah smoke surrounding the caterpillar in Alice In Wonderland, but I did manage it and went on to the cold case section. Unique could describe this visually exciting area, since dairy products share the space with the butcher shop. This 2nd photo shows Mi Pueblo's flavored yogurts. Bulk yogurts and puddings were lined up in neat rows, like soldiers in a military parade. They came in a variety of pastel shades and were decorated with tattoos of various fruits, sliced and arranged into flowers and butterflies. Small children must certainly skip to this part of the store, it is just that fanciful and delightful.

The meat counter was especially colorful with a large selection of meats that were enhanced with spice rubs and marinades. What a nice way to introduce the uninitiated to Latin cuisine. Have you ever seen so many fresh squabs at a meat and poultry counter, in a modestly priced market or even a high end market? The low price encourages me to try my hand at cooking them. The unadorned meats (sans spice rubs) looked beautifully fresh in pink and red hues, sure signs of a quick turnover in the meat department.

Even the fish was decorated with cucumber coins and orange twists, while the pickled pigs' feet had to settle for carrots and red onions. Looking at this particular counter, I knew I had to come back when I had more time, to identify more of the selection and to fully comprehend all the unusual features of this store. As I walked by the diary cases on my way to the produce section I saw lots of bulk dried beans, fruits and vegetables that were neatly displayed, but my eye kept wandering to the large wooden crate of something yellow. Like a pirate on the hunt for a treasure chest filled with gold doubloons I made my way to the box that was filled to the brim with squash blossoms. At $4.99 per pound, these were definitely a treasure.

Saving the best for last, I snapped this photo of the tortilla team working at breakneck speed to keep pace with the tortilla juggernaut. What a place!