Market
The corner market. Growing up every corner had at least one. We had a couple, the bigger Red and White, the precursor to the larger places like the A&P that moved a few years later and Carbone's Market. It was packed with everything a mom would want, if in the middle of supper preparation something in the recipe went missing. I went there for just a couple things the penny candy and the Italian sandwiches. If it was chewy and cherry or orange flavored, it was probably leaving with me. Old man Carbone had a deal on his sandwiches 35¢ for one 3 for a dollar. On special nights, Mom would splurge and buy us all Italians. That was special. The market was truly a mom and pop store too. Mr. and Mrs C- were the sole employees for the most part, but every once in awhile their beautiful black-haired teenage daughter would be behind the counter. On those days, this 12 year old would linger just a few minutes longer making his candy selections.
"I'll take two cherry licorice sticks and a couple of the orange slices and, ah..."
Candy, indeed.
ReplyDeleteA little eye candy, perhaps.
ReplyDeleteYou're funny, Birdman. We had a family owned market near town, but it was a bit bigger than this. How on earth do you remember prices from so long ago? Your memory is amazing.
ReplyDeletewhen we lived on the eastern prom i headed into colucci's nearly every day. looks like you caught it on a snowy morning.
ReplyDeleteThe corner mom and pop store is alive and well in México with a tienda or two in every neighborhood. Couldn't survive in that country without them. We lost something when these places slowly disappeared. I see them now and then in St. Paul in neighborhoods heavily populated by immigrants.
ReplyDeleteColucci was the name of one of the most famous comic french artists , Michel Collucci, known as Coluche( died in 1986). Interesting to find that name in your neighborhood..
ReplyDeleteI do remember corner markets but I lived in the boonies so the corner was quite a way away!
ReplyDeleteour corner store had a great pop cooler that you slid open the top and then you found a whole tub of bottles sitting in water and ice. So cold and so wonderful on a summer day. Most of the old corner stores here have become residential.
ReplyDeleteAnd the butcher cut the meat and wrapped it in paper for your mom , right?
ReplyDeleteV
Bingo! I remember the freshly cut baloney. A scrumptious smell in the brown paper wrapper.
DeleteI remember a corner store in Duluth, Minnesota. We'd stop on our way to school and buy pieces of candy for 1 cent each. We'd also buy candy cigarettes. But they weren't as good as the real thing! ;)
ReplyDeleteWhen my sisters and I were little kids we had a corner store ritual. Our grandfather would take us almost every day to each get 5 cents worth of candy. We could get 5 penny pieces or we could get 1 five cent piece like a Hershey bar or Necco's. Imagine that, a Hershey bar for 5 cents.
ReplyDeleteUniversal and your own. Excellent post.....LOVE that pic of my past too
ReplyDeleteALOHA from Honolulu
Comfort Spiral
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That is now my Desk Top background!
ReplyDeleteMmmm, I smell hot bread and ham and olive oil and . . .
ReplyDeleteOh those sole proprietor stores -- great memories. A single old Italian lady ran the one in my neighborhood -- we called it Mary's store. Even carried credit if you needed it. Like the store photo! -- barbara
ReplyDeleteI used to know someone with that name.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the Carbone family is still around. We have DiPitro's in SoPo, but it's not quite the same...
ReplyDeleteLOVE that... I'll bet they have good sausage...
ReplyDeleteI think you can till find a few of these small corner stores here, especially in the older, trendier neighbourhoods.
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