By now you may have realized that the campus supermarkets don’t exactly live up to their names. Products are rarely fresh nor are they supreme; have a marketing major solve that riddle for you. Fortunately, for the dedicated who are content with making the occasional trip further afield for finer foodstuffs, there are a number of good options for natural foods grocers.
Further up Baltimore Avenue is the Mariposa Food Co-op. After a one-time trial shopping trip, you must become a member to revel in the natural food paradise that is Mariposa. Members must pay yearly dues and work a two-hour shift every four weeks. While this commitment may seem like a big investment for your weekly shopping, as a part owner of the store, you gain many advantages. Mariposa boasts a great selection of high-quality natural, local and organic foods for reasonable prices, and members can easily bulk order foods at even lower rates. Mariposa has an infamously long waiting list for new members, but the co-op's planned expansion will accelerate the membership process.
On the other hand, if you just want to buy your organic pasta, Fu-Wah Mini Market is right around the corner from Mariposa and allows one to shop in anonymity. The convenience store-esque appearance of this market is deceiving; an impressive number of affordably-priced natural and organic foods are stocked inside. Fu-Wah doesn’t cover all the bases but it's a great place for meat substitutes, Asian condiments and natural snack foods. Plus, they make a killer tofu hoagie.
If you have a car at your disposal or feel particularly fond of SEPTA, travel to the Essene Market. You be will rewarded with virtually any natural food product you can dream up. Among its wonders are a robust produce section, bulk spices, beans and grains, and an entire section devoted to natural health products. Few things at Essene are a bargain, but the selection is hard to beat, and you won’t find yourself making this trip regularly enough to do real damage.
We all know griping about FroGro is a favorite pastime many are unwilling to give up, but the adventurous, hungry and dissatisfied will find that these stores do not disappoint.
Essene Market & Café
719 South 4th St.
(215) 922-1146
9 a.m. — 9 p.m. Monday-Friday
9 a.m. — 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Mariposa Food Co-op
4726 Baltimore Ave.
(215) 729-2121
Fu-Wah Mini Market
810 S. 47th St.
(215) 729-2993
FARMERS’ MARKETS ALL YEAR ROUND
Fitler Square Farmers’ Market 23rd St. & Pine St. Saturdays 9:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m.
Rittenhouse Farmers’ Market 18th St. & Walnut St. Saturdays 9:30 a.m. — 3:00 p.m.
Clark Park Farmers’ Market 43rd St. & Baltimore Ave. Saturdays 10:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m.
