The bite I just took made me feel compelled to post this completely trivial, but kind of fun, story and ask about similar stories from you all.
This past weekend, the family and I were headed back to Seattle after spending an amazing few days at a vacation rental in the San Juan Islands. The ferry takes you back through a fantastic town called Anacortes. We had spent much of the day packing and traveling, so our kids were tired and hungry. As we slogged down the one road leading to the highway from the ferry terminal, I decided to swing into a small mini-mart that I’ve driven by countless times but never patronized. It’s completely nondescript, but had been in the area for decades. I was thinking of just grabbing them something to much on to get us through this final let of the journey. The inside is like any other mart: chips, snacks, a few grocery items, coolers with lots of beverages, etc. etc. When I went up to pay, there was a case near the register with pre-made crap sandwiches and hot dogs, etc. for grab-and-go. However, I glanced and, on the top shelf of the cooler case, there was a stack of items that were clearly different. It was kimchi! It was individually packaged in small plastic Tupperware-like containers. I asked the elderly man behind the counter where it was from, and he beamed and said, “I make it here! Okay, not me, but my wife does.” I chatted with him and, from what I could gather, found out that he and his wife (they’re both Korean-born) are the current owners of the store (I think since 2018). In a sea of processed and pre-packaged garbage was this one item that was pridefully made by the owners. Being a kimchi fan, I of course bought some. It’s fantastic, and finding it was totally unexpected and out-of-place in this sleepy fisherman’s town. (It’s called Steinman’s Grocery on 12th Street)
Have you stumbled upon unexpected food finds or experiences in unlikely places?
