So I am vamished from barely eating due to heavy fog in the mountain passes. It was pouring down rain and/or fog so thick I couldn't see my own hand let alone have dry wood for cooking. It has been basic eating or fast food which my system agrees is fowl. I finally made it into NJ with my truck screaming and kicking. I see a stop and save, which is a basic grocery store. I am searching only for breakfast.
I stop in my tracks as I see the cheese bar, then the olive bar. At the corner of my eye I see the Wise Cheese Doodles which were my monthly staple growing up. Then there is the salad section. This salad section has homemade veal, brisket, lamb chops, London broil (any way you want it cut.) I am standing there with my mouth wide open and looking everywhere. I wanted only some cold cuts and cucumber salad for breakfast and maybe a yogurt. I left with a 1/3 lb of London broil, a huge piece of Parmesan encrusted chicken breast, anti-pasta salad, olives, 2 different types of cheese, homemade humus, cheese doodles, and a smoothy.
This was only in NJ. I can't wait to get to Bleaker St in NYC and get some sausage, cheese, homemade pasta and pasta sauce. oh and the spice shop. I hope that spice shop is still there. And the sausage is veal sausage, rabbit sausage, chicken sausage. They even have fennel sausage, parsley sausage. Basically if it is in season they make sausage out of it. Oh I almost forgot about the meat market with fresh lamb, rabbit, duck and anything you could possibly want.
Sigh I just ate however I am hungry again. This trip is going to mean I will need to do a lot of hiking later.

If that spice shop is Paprika Weis on 2nd or 3rd - it is gone.

Li Jake it was over on Bleecker - you take the e train there. Also what the bloody blazes happened to the subway system? Half the lines don't go where they use to and there is no longer a real north/ south Brooklyn subway line anymore! Also there is no longer a day pass?! Who's intelligent idea was that! Sorry to vent.

I was in New York City once but didn't get to see the sights because of my agenda. I was on my way to Europe in a professional group trip. I was supposed to meet my roommate in Dallas, but my plane was late. It landed at the wrong airport in NYC. I don't remember why. I had to take a bus system that goes between airports. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that it was the last bus for the evening! I thought NYC would have 24-hour service. My roommate stayed up at the motel with food for me. As we greeted each other, the desk clerk, the only other person in the room, realized that not only had we never seen each other before, but that we were hugging each other, strangers. He said, "But, but. . . you just met!?" I thought that deserved an answer so I said, "Everybody in Texas hugs." He said, "You do?????" Ok, clarification needed. I said, "Unless they look suspicious." He said, "But, but, that's why we don't hug in New York!" I wish you could hear the way he said those things. The next day was rainy and I was saving my small stash of money for tours in Europe, so I didn't even get to see the Statue of Liberty.