Eureka Market

The kids love to walk to the corner store or Walgreen’s late at night. We will often be close to bedtime already pajama clad and one of them will get the urge to walk in the dark. Usually it’s when there isn’t anything good for dessert in the house. Many times we will take our snack and also go to the park where passers by can stare and think that the kids should be in bed.

A few months ago when grandma was visiting for their birthdays we got the urge to walk down to Adorabella’s. It was close to 9 and they were closed. Since the kids were in their pajamas Vida didn’t want to go to the big supermarket so we went walking to Eureka Market a couple of blocks away on the corner of 17th and Eureka. As long as I have lived here I had never gone to this market even though I drive by at least 4 times a day. You just get into the habit of going to your corner store no matter how lame it is. There have been a couple of different owners and although it looks better now I still have an image of it’s decrepitude stuck in my head. It has a 10 minute parking zone in front but it’s a very busy intersection and difficult to get in and out of.

What is remarkable about the current Eureka Market is its cleanliness. The floors are spotless and the shelves are more or less dust free. Almost half the store is stocked with wine—on shelves and neat case stacks on the floor. They offer a friendly greeting and casual conversation when you walk in. On this visit the kids went straight for the ice cream freezer in front of the register. I picked up some candy including Butterfinger “sticks” since I had never had them before and a Hershey’s. It was Pride weekend so we had to witness a reveler’s desperate search for her brand of cigarettes. The coolers are stocked with the usual assortment of beverages and staples including lots of lunchmeat. The only thing that slightly dampened my enthusiasm was my discovery, once we were home, that my Butterfinger treat had expired six months previous.

On a Friday a couple of weeks ago we invited Rara over for dinner. I was feeling festive so when Vic asked for a late afternoon Popsicle treat I pulled over to Eureka Market. They were just as friendly as they were the first time we visited. I couldn’t remember what the kids had bought last time we were there so I thought to ask Victor. He gave a lengthy hmmmmm and then said “it was strawberry” and it all came back to me. I thought it remarkable and telling that he could remember what he had for a treat almost 3 months ago and I couldn’t. We circled the Ravenswood case stacks for a few minutes just seeing what they had. I was a little irritated to see stacks of a wine I had been talked into buying just the week before. It never looks good to my mind to stock the same wines that can be had at just any corner market. I picked out a box of Honey Nut Cheerios for Vida and was happy to note that it wasn’t anywhere near the expiration date and a Bud Light in a quart bottle for Rara and I. Victor picked out a colorful Popsicle and the guy behind the counter chatted with him while he rang us up. He was so friendly that I didn’t think he would mind if I took of picture of Vic in front of my favorite feature of any corner store, the candy rack. He gave us a nice “G-d bless” as we left.

Vic’s snack—Popsicle Vida’s treat—Honey Nut Cheerios—Beer of the Day—Bud Light quart.