Last weekend, bored out of my mind and looking for something new to do, I decided that I needed to explore within my own backyard so to speak. There is a stretch of area on Staten Island from Bay Street up through Victory Blvd that while looks interesting I’ve filed away into my subconscious being that I pass it every single day. So, I got in my car and made the, er, FIVE minute ride down Victory Blvd. My first stop was the Grocery Lanka (353 Victory Blvd) down just before Cebra/Castleton.
This store looks completely non-descript from the outside, like any other bodega but is actually a treasure trove of Indian/Sri Lanken & Asian spices. I’ve recently started experimenting with Indian cuisine and LITERALLY had just ordered Garam Masala and a few other items online, which cost me a good amount of money. So, you can understand my surprise when I walked into the Grocery Lanka! The place is tiny but PACKED with the biggest selection of spices and cooking ingredients.
A huge variety of roasted curries, all sorts of different lentils, flours, rice, spices and so much more all inside this tiny grocery store! In the back I noticed one of the owners sorting through a huge box of dried green leafy things, which I thought was Fenugreek leaves, but when I inquired, he told me they roasted their own curry and shipped it worldwide! I picked up Gram flour (chickpea) for some Paneer Pakora I wanted to make, green cardamom for $1.99, which retails for $15 at the supermarket, Garam Masala, some dried roasted curry powders, garlic & ginger paste, Tumeric & basmati rice for about $15. Leaving with my armful of groceries and the owner scratching his head at me asking “Do you cook a lot of spicy food?” YES, yes I do.
I was thrilled with my bounty and continued down the road. My next stop was a little further down, a Mexican grocery store called Frutas y Abarrotes Mexico Deli & Grocery (54-A Victory Blvd). In this instance, you would likely expect a standard Mexican fruit & deli, right? This place IS pretty standard but does stock a good variety of dried chiles, tamale wrappers, spices and here’s the kicker for me, HUGE pieces of CHICHARONNES, which if you don’t know are pork rinds. The chicharonnes here are lightly salted and sold by the pound in huge plastic bags. I realize these might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I happen to really love chicharonnes. I left with a half pound, which were fresh and delicious and some dried ancho and guajillo chiles which I plan on using for a chocolate mole sauce.
I was about to leave the area and was heading back to my car when I noticed ONE more place just across the street, The Polish Place (19 Corson Avenue). The Polish Place was a restaurant on one side combined with a Polish deli attached, presumably operated by the same owner. I quickly looked it up on UrbanSpoon and surprisingly, The Polish Place had ALL excellent user reviews. I headed into the deli, since I wasn’t looking for a sitdown experience and wanted to check it out. In the back of the store was a deli window where you can order all kinds of hot Polish food to go! They had potato pancakes, a huge
variety of pierogies, blintzes and borscht & of course kielbasa sandwiches. I opted for a kielbasa sandwich and potato pierogies which were satisfying, excellent and CHEAP!
The people working there were warm & friendly and quick to answer all my questions & provide me with suggestions. After declaring my love for Zubrowka vodka one of the ladies recommended a Zubrowka filled chocolate candy. The candies were boozy and reminded me of those chocolate liquor bottles you used to get at your relatives homes during the holidays! I left The Polish Place amply filled and slightly tipsy.
My culinary journey concluded at Everything Goes Café, which while not as ethnically diverse as my previous stops, allowed me to load up on a ton of vintage cookbooks. I left with 5 books totaling about $20. It was a good day & it reminded me that a culinary adventure need not be any further than within your own stomping grounds. I’m excited to get cooking with my new spices and culinary resources!
I was about to leave the area and was heading back to my car when I noticed ONE more place just across the street, The Polish Place (19 Corson Avenue). The Polish Place was a restaurant on one side combined with a Polish deli attached, presumably operated by the same owner. I quickly looked it up on UrbanSpoon and surprisingly, The Polish Place had ALL excellent user reviews. I headed into the deli, since I wasn’t looking for a sitdown experience and wanted to check it out. In the back of the store was a deli window where you can order all kinds of hot Polish food to go! They had potato pancakes, a huge
variety of pierogies, blintzes and borscht & of course kielbasa sandwiches. I opted for a kielbasa sandwich and potato pierogies which were satisfying, excellent and CHEAP!
The people working there were warm & friendly and quick to answer all my questions & provide me with suggestions. After declaring my love for Zubrowka vodka one of the ladies recommended a Zubrowka filled chocolate candy. The candies were boozy and reminded me of those chocolate liquor bottles you used to get at your relatives homes during the holidays! I left The Polish Place amply filled and slightly tipsy.
My culinary journey concluded at Everything Goes Café, which while not as ethnically diverse as my previous stops, allowed me to load up on a ton of vintage cookbooks. I left with 5 books totaling about $20. It was a good day & it reminded me that a culinary adventure need not be any further than within your own stomping grounds. I’m excited to get cooking with my new spices and culinary resources!
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