Natural Foods:
Whole Foods
Market
2001 Pennsylvania Ave.
(215) 557-0015
www.wholefoodsmarket.com
Whole Foods may be a national chain with a total of 191 locations in the U.S. and Canada, but their selection is so impressive that we have to let their corporate underpinnings slide. As any good Whole Foods devotee knows, the store offers a wide variety of vegetarian and organic options. This isn't the place to go if you're looking for generic supermarket items (a particular problem for me because I'm kind of addicted to Diet Coke). But if your tastes veer more towards the macrobiotic, grab your natural fiber parka and proceed directly to Whole Foods Market.
Trader Joe's Co.
2121 Market St.
(215) 569-9282
www.traderjoes.com
Maybe it's just me, but I like to think of Trader Joe's as a less expensive, less expansive version of Whole Foods. You still get an array of vegetarian choices as well as prepared frozen meals, but it's more suited to the college budget. Sometimes you can even try free samples, which I've always thought were a phenomenal business strategy. The store's classic nautical theme has been reshaped to match its Philadelphia location, complete with a mural of the LOVE statue, Liberty Bell and the Philadelphia Zoo. If you decide to visit Trader Joe's, you won't see the typical supermarket deli counter; you'll just see good food at good prices (although not much in the way of Diet Coke, again).
Specialty Foods:
Di Bruno Brothers
1730 Chestnut St.
(215) 665-9220
www.dibruno.com
If a cheese lover died and went to heaven, they would indubitably find themselves perusing the shelves at Di Bruno Brothers. Between the store's 300 foot cheese cave and its two temperature - and moisture -controlled airing rooms, Di Bruno's is able to offer more than 500 varieties of cheese. If that's not enough, the shop carries specialty products from across the globe, including gourmet meats, pat‚s, smoked fish, caviar and prepared foods. In addition to their Center City location, the family business also extends to the Italian Market, where the Brothers' original store is located. No word yet on the Diet Coke issue.
Sue's Produce Market
114 S. 18th St.
(215) 241-0102
Sue's offers delectable fruits and vegetables with that extra special personal touch you won't see at any of the major chains (especially that destroyer of all that is edible - Fresh Grocer). Established in 1976 and named after the store's original owner, Soo Chul Chang, Sue's is now at its third location, which at 1,100 square feet is by far its largest; any larger and it wouldn't be Sue's. Leave it to the Chang family, who continue to own and operate the store, to go the extra mile not only in customer service but also in handpicking their inventory. Fruits and veggies aside, they also house fresh mozzarella, creamy yogurt and newly baked bread. I think I'm salivating already.
Asian Foods:
House of Spices
4101 Walnut Street
215-222-1111
I don't like spicy food. I'm pretty boring that way. As a result, House of Spices wouldn't really fit into my diet of frozen yogurt, cereal, peanut butter and salad. If you happen to be blessed with a palate more adventurous than my own (and by that, I mean your eating habits weren't fixed at age five), you should definitely look into House of Spices to add a little extra zest to your dreary, winter life. I hear that the owner is really friendly - making him the polar opposite of the store associates at Fresh Grocer - and that you can return items should you so desire, so all in all it sounds like a great way to go if you're craving some home-cooked South Asian delicacies.
