by Stacey Forbes

Do you enjoy downtown Marine? Well, you can do most of your food shopping there. It’s wonderful: start at the north end of Willingdon and purchase properly stored nuts, and gluten-free breads at Kelly’s; move next door to Chopping Block to buy store made lard or tallow, meat and fresh seafood. Heading south on Marine itself, there’s the well-stocked Asian grocery store that is Golden Gate Variety. There are quality Middle Eastern items at The Flying Yellow Bread Bowl just behind. Across the street Aaron service, sells (unfortunately not Canadian) recycled bathroom tissue and “Kleenex” in nice big boxes. Rene’s pasta, next door, makes tender fresh pasta, sauces, soups, baguettes—all takeaway. His homemade gelato is as good as I’ve had.

Another block south and you arrive at BC’s first certified organic food store, Silke’s Organic Market. A pleasure to shop at, Marine Avenue’s newest addition features all organic dairy, chicken, fresh-ground flour and colourful produce, including an array of vegetables, fruit, and eggs from local certified farms. Aside from a very few items—this is real food. For good salami, prosciutto, seasonal cheeses and pastas in many wonderful shapes, stop in just 3 doors down at The Italian Grocery Store.

Unfortunately, south of the popular stores mentioned, there begins a decided lack of food items (hmm... we need a specialty food store and an all-butter organic bakery... anyone?) until you reach Rocky Mountain, lastly, for delicious country breads and fresh ground coffee. Be sure to ask your purveyors if they use any hydrogenated shortenings or margarines—you don’t want these trans fats. Here’s to quality food, and bon appetit!