Shops and Groceries

Reedies generally shop for groceries at one of the three following places: Trader Joe's, Limbo and Safeway. Renowned for the excellence and value of its products, Trader Joe's is very good for most things. There are just a few notable gaps in its stock: fresh produce – which is overpriced (and over-packaged) – and miscellaneous things only carried by a large supermarket like Safeway (e.g. garbage bags, dental floss, and lint brushes). Handily situated next door, Limbo is the place to get fresh, frequently locally sourced produce. The large bins outside contain cheap seasonal fruits and vegetables. Inside, you'll find the stupendous “wall of spices”. Really more like a corridor, or maybe two facing walls, it's the by far best selection of dried herbs and spices in Portland.

Of course, for fresh seasonal produce, nothing beats a farmer's market. The most well known is the Portland Farmer's Market. It's closed during winter, but the rest of the year sees it setting up on Saturdays at PSU, and on Wednesdays at the downtown Park Blocks. Vendors range from asparagus farmers to chocolatiers. There's also always a variety of fabulous cooked food: try the fresh pita stall. Just as highly recommended is the Wednesday afternoon People's Farmer's Market. Unusually for a farmer's market, it's open year-round. Because of its diminutive size, People's is often overlooked, but the quality of the organic fruits and vegetables on offer is really without rival.

Ingredients of a less local nature have long been found at An Dong (Chinese/Southeast Asian) and Yesenia's Market (Mexican/Latin American) on Powell. However, an Asian superstore which opened out on SE 82nd in 2005 has largely superseded both of these places. With its comprehensive selection (fresh fish and meat, fresh vegetables, dried, canned and frozen foods...), Fubonn may well be the single-best food store in Portland – and one of the cheapest. As a bonus, the same complex that houses the supermarket boasts two truly excellent restaurants: a first-rate Vietnamese (Banh Cuon Tanh Dinh) and the illustrious Malay Satay Hut. Never again will you have to shop on an empty stomach.

For more lavish foods, you need look no further than Pastaworks. Whether it's fleur de sel or flor doppio zero, nutty Lucques olives or stinky Pont l'Eveque cheese, it's here, it's pricey, and it's oh so very tasty. Pastaworks has a sister store over on NW 21st: City Market NW. It is really a co-op that has Pastaworks sharing a roof with a butcher (Viande Meats) and fishmonger (Newman's Fish Market). Indeed, the fantastic stuff sold by Viande and Newman's is reason enough to come here to shop rather than the Pastaworks on Hawthorne. In particular, Viande's housemade venison and cherry pâté is actually a minor miracle of tastiness. If you're specifically after cheese, Curds and Whey in Sellwood has a small but unerringly well-chosen selection. The service is patient, generous and very helpful – even for cheese novices.

Finally, it's been claimed that New Seasons on Division boasts a meat market in more than one sense. Apparently, its brawny butchers vie with their succulent products for prize hunkiness – all before a parade of swooning single ladies. A recent visit failed to reveal what the fuss was all about. Maybe I went at the wrong time of day. But even without the tantalising spectacle of a lust frenzy, New Seasons is worth considering if you're sick of Trader Joe's, and Pastaworks is just a little too much. The selection of meats and cheeses is not on a par with the latter, but replete with far more interesting goodies than the former. Keep your eyes on the meat!

An Dong: 5441 SE Powell Blvd
City Market NW (Pastaworks, Viande Meats, Newman's Fish Market): 735 NW 21st Ave R
Curds and Whey: 8036 SE 13th Ave R
Fubonn Supermarket: 2850 SE 82nd Ave R
Limbo: 4707 SE 39th Ave
New Seasons: 1954 SE Division St; also at 1214 SE Tacoma St.
Pastaworks: 3735 SE Hawthorne Blvd R
People's Farmer's Market: 3029 SE 21st (Wednesdays 2pm-7pm). See www.peoples.coop/community/farmersmarket/index_html for more details. R
Portland Farmer's Market: Portland State University between SW Montgomery and SW Harrison (Saturdays 8:30am-2pm); Shemanski Park between SW Salmon and Main (Wednesdays 10am-2pm). See www.portlandfarmersmarket.org for more details. R
Safeway: 4515 SE Woodstock Blvd
Trader Joe's: 4715 SE 39th Ave
Yesenia'sMarket: 6611 SE Powell Blvd
See also: Otto's and Woodstock Wine & Deli.