Grocery Shopping Houston Style: Some Options to Explore During COVID-19
It’s hard to miss that how we do our grocery shopping has changed. From curbside pick-up to delivery, grocers are working hard to provide us food and supplies during the corona crisis. Shopping at small shops are a refreshing break from the large grocery stores that can feel overwhelming. Plus you can get goodies that you might not be able to find in the bigger stores - offerings from Houston’s local and varied immigrant cultures could be just the thing you’re looking for to add variety to your make-at-home meals (many offer prepared foods too). Please visit their websites to determine hours and shopping options. Here are some suggestions:
1780 Blalock Rd.
Sharing a building with Polonia Restaurant, this local spot is a favorite in the Polish community. You can find any variety of sauerkraut and pickled beet, along with imported candies, chocolates and all the egg noodles you could ever want. Pick up some Germanstyle liver, smoked Oscypek sheep cheese, Bacon pâté or one of their 23 kinds of Polish sausage (kielbasa included, of course). Whatever you do, they might not let you leave without a package or two of Alexandra’s Pierogi & Blintz. From Sauerkraut & Mushroom to Plum, every flavor one might need is in the back freezer.
- 12141 Westheimer Roadm Houston, TX 77077
- 1001 Austin Street, Houston, TX 77010-4023
With two locations, Phoenicia Specialty Foods offers down-to-earth pricing from more than 50 countries. Fresh-baked artisan breads, European pastries, boutique wines and beers, quality meats and cheeses, fresh seafood and meat, hot grille items, catering, prepared foods, exotic produce and housewares are all available by Phoenicia’s buying power achieved from international imports.
History
Phoenicia Specialty Foods is a dream that started modestly nearly 30 years ago. In 1983, Bob and Arpi Tcholakian, formerly of Lebanon and of Armenian descent, opened Phoenicia Deli, a 2,500–square-foot Mediterranean-style delicatessen and grocery near Beltway 8 on Westheimer Road. In 1992, Phoenicia Deli rented out a lease space to store the many imported goods the Tcholakians were receiving. Soon, retail and wholesale customers started going to the storage space for a case of their desired hard-to-find specialty items and eventually this grocery section became a small specialty foods market. In 2006, the family further branched out and opened Phoenicia Specialty Foods, a 55,000-square-foot international food market across the street from the deli. The enterprise has continued to grow ever since and carries on with Phoenicia Specialty Foods Downtown.
715 Henderson St.
This sixth-ward shop offers a new twist on the classic days-gone-by general store, and practically everything is local, Houston-made. Pick up some vegan treats from Pat Greer’s Kitchen, or delve into a delicious barbecue plate, smoked by owner John Avila, the pitmaster of El Burro & The Bull. If you’re looking for gifts, there are handmade soaps and shaving kits next to local cross stitching, jewelry and pottery for sale. They’ll also have baskets of preserves, snacks and wines for the holiday season. This welcoming spot will soon be expanding to supply locally made toiletries and a sit-down area to enjoy food and drink in the backyard.
1801 S. Dairy Ashford Rd.
If there’s a particular type of seaweed you’ve been searching for, this Japanese grocery has you covered. Nestled in a strip mall off Dairy Ashford, some stop by for the bento boxes or homemade matcha puffs, while others come in to do their weekly shopping. Since it’s part deli/café and part supermarket, it often becomes a one-stop shop for families in the neighborhood. The fridges are full of bitter melons, nira, mitsuba and miso, and their chillers other a wide selection of fresh seafood, including ready-cut sashimi. In the wide aisles you’ll find bonito flakes, sweet rice and addictive snacks such as Matcha Kit- Kats. Looking for a gift? Shake up the holiday season with a smoky Kyoto Craft Beer or a refreshingly unusual Yuzu Sake.
