Bethesda Rookie

Washington's Green Grocer

It's not that we don't like going to the grocery store, or fingering fruits and vegetables to find the finest. It's just that we don't always shop with an eye towards fresh produce, and we'll often get home with the same old staples—bananas, fuji apples, spinach, mixed greens, broccoli and garlic. So Washington's Green Grocer is an exciting alternative for us.

Every week they drop off a box of produce on our porch. This week? Sweet corn (3), vine ripe tomatoes (3), zucchini (2), boston lettuce (1), avocados (1), eggplant (1), portabello mushrooms (2), cantaloupe (1), nectarines (3), bananas (4), mangos (1), valencia oranges (2). It's not always easy to work with produce you don't normally buy, but that's part of the point: to introduce some wild cards, and get out of your culinary comfort zone.

Don't worry; you don't have to eat anything you don't like. Every week you get an email that lists the vegetables you can expect, and you can make substitutions based on allergies, preferences or just whims. They also have pastas, herbs and dairy products you can add to your order each week. (You need to leave a cooler out for dairy.) Deliveries are made on Tuesdays in MD, Wednesdays in VA and Thursdays in DC, and canceling a given week is as easy as responding their email the day before.

You can sign up for small or large deliveries, either entirely organic or conventional and organic mixed. We opted for the small organic box for $33.50 weekly. It's a little more expensive than what you pay at your farmers market or grocery, but they bring it to you. That's the other point. No driving, parking, standing in line or carrying bags to and from the car. You get fresh, local produce with less than zero hassle.

I should mention that we've had to wait for much of the fruit to ripen. And it's been a bit of a challenge to make use of everything that comes in a delivery. But it's not like I can't wait for a banana to turn yellow, or like we never threw out a vegetable before.

Washington's Green Grocer • 301.333.3696 • VeggiesRus@aol.com

BLC on Washington's Green Grocer; www.DonRockwell.com on Washington's Green Grocer; OrganicAuthority.com 

Metro Run & Walk

If there were a television network for selling shoes, Mary Beth at Metro Run & Walk would be on prime time. I went there one night instead of going to my track workout (it was cold out!) and I was lucky enough to get her help picking out a new pair of running shoes. In fact, she started helping me while she was helping somebody else, and she managed to do so without leaving either of us feeling neglected.

I went in on a Tuesday at around 7:00 p.m. and it was very quiet. There were two high school kids there when I got there, each with a parent, and one more came in a little before they closed at 8:00. Every one of us was helped to countless shoes and helpful advice, and nobody was rushed in the least.

While Mary Beth was lacing up some shoes for the girl next to me, she asked me some questions about what the shoes were for, how much I run, any injuries, any preferences. Then she asked me to take of my shoes and roll up my pants a couple of inches so she could get a look at my feet, and she kind of nodded and said she had some ideas. Ideas. How cool is that.

I've been wearing Nikes since 1988 and I told her I'd like to try something new as well, so she brought out stability shoes by Nike, Asics and Brooks. She checked each shoe as I tried them and asked how they were, and brought out more as I ruled them out and never seemed to forget her other customers. She talked me up to a size 9, and into this racey orange version of my shoe, which I think has actually made me a little faster. She was by far the most knowledgable and attentive salesperson I've ever bought running shoes from, and that seems to be typical of Metro staff, who appear to be active, entusiastic and well-treated.

Metro Run & Walk has a newsletter, where they promote clinics and races, and tell you how to select shoes and even training socks; they have four locations; they have a great inventory; and best of all they have charisma.

BTW, of the four of us buying shoes that night, three of us were female, and two of us were girls. Go Title IX.

Metro Run & Walk, 1776 East Jefferson Street, Rockville, MD, 301.984.2900, M-F 10a-8p, Sat 10a-6p, Sun 12p-5p

The Blue House

You would think that being right next door to Starbucks at the intersection of Norfolk and Woodmont would make The Blue House unavoidable, but I managed to avoid it for a good five months. Something about the storefront is daunting. There's just so much there.

Walk inside and it's no different. The Blue House carries jewelry, children's books, cook books, blankets, soap and lotion, clothing, dishes and flatware, rugs, pottery, sandals, lamps, sewing kits, note cards, furniture, and a feast of magnets, note pads, key chains, luggage tags, etc. that can't really be categorized. What does it have it all have in common? It's all creative, beautiful, quirky and/or capricious. It's your one-stop shop for Adorable. But as delightful as it all is, there's nothing frivolous about it; there's nothing there you couldn't actually use. It's Whimsy meets Function.

It takes a good twenty minutes to make your way through the store. Take a look at some of their merchandise: Anne Taintor (above), Bonjour Fleurette (sandals), Charn & Company (lighting), Claire Sanchez (purses), Maine Cottage (furniture), Amy Jo Gladstone (shoes and slippers), Art To Wear (clothing), Silver Spoon (vintage jewelry). Delightful, right?

It's not that's it's all precious, though most of it is. It's more that it's all feel-good. (Remember warm fuzzies?) Walking through the store is like reading a poem, or eating an ice cream cone, or doing a backbend—it gives you a little nudge from left brain to right. It makes you want to paint, or bake, or skip. It makes you feel good. Hell, some of the merchandise will actually make you smile. And all of it will make you think of someone who should have it. If you need a gift for a friend, or mother-to-be, or mother, or cousin, or yourself, start here. If you feel like just window shopping, start here too. They've got a table by the door to hold your cappuccino while you browse.

The Blue House, 7770 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda, 301.656.6088 (No website to be found.)

Tickled Pink

Wow. Are they serious? I thought there would be something palatable in Tickled Pink—a cute camisole, a relatively simple dress—but it's all horrific, like walking into a southern belle's nightmare, less the cicadas and Spanish Moss. You can just look at who's wearing Lilly to get the picture.

It hurt to be in there (Beaten Pink?), but I survived long enough to dig through a bin of Eliza B. sandals. They're cute and comfortable and it was actually hard not to buy more than one pair ($45).

But not as hard as it was to go back into the store for my scarf.

Tickled Pink (a Lilly Pulitzer signature store), 7259 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda, 301.913.9191

Orchard Gallery

Anne and James Kim are the owners of Orchard Gallery, and they couldn't be nicer. They rotate shows at least monthly, and they feature mostly unknown artists. They look at what's brought to them, and they show what they like. It's that simple. The fact that the art is by people who aren't (yet) established artists allows them to sell exciting work at relatively low prices.

We were drawn in by the work of a man named Bob Dodsen—mostly local landscapes and farm-scapes, but also some wonderful drawings of nudes—and we walked out owning two paintings from the show (our first red dots!). We went back for the reception the next day and met Bob and drank surprisingly good wine and ate pretty awful cheese and had a great time.

Orchard Gallery participates in the monthly Bethesda Art Walk. It's the second Friday of every month from 6-9pm, with 11 galleries participating (as of today) and offering free refreshments. Free guided tours are scheduled for the March, April, May, June, September and October Fridays—nice warm months.

But stop in the gallery any time (we went after dinner); they're on Norfolk between Cordell and St. Elmo. Anne and James seem to know what they're doing and love what they're doing and they're a pleasure to talk to. Anne and James chose the name Orchard for the growth and abundance it connotes. They want their artists thrive and bear beautiful, juicy fruit, and they do what they can to make it so.

Orchard Gallery Art & Framing, 7917 Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, 240.497.1912

World Market

Live in New York City for any length of time and you'll become reliant on the delis. There's one on every block, and with NY kitchens the way they are, and restaurants for every night of the week and every mood, you'll stock your mostly-bare cabinets at your local deli and go months, or even years, without setting foot in a grocery store. The delis carry all your staples — fruit, vegetables, milk, cereal, pasta, coffee (by the cup too), ice cream, toothpaste, toilet paper, fresh flowers — and most even branch into some ethnic or gourmet items. They're a cornerstone of NY's intractable village temperament.

Less the produce and the flowers, World Market is a close cousin to the NY deli. You can go there for most necessities, and they have a wall full of wine to boot. There's nothing high-end, but there's quite a selection nonetheless, all ranging from $5 to $30, including a few magnums. They also carry a couple dozen kinds of beer. And Cafe Bustelo. And cookies. And soup. And tortillas and crema fresca. And a deli for made-to-order sandwiches.

It's not your one-stop shopping, and it's certainly not going to scratch your TJ's itch, but they have a few parking spots, both on Wisconsin (metered) and on Highland (free), and they're open until 11:00 most nights, making it incredibly convenient to get whatever you forgot at the store earlier. They're the friend you can count on in a pinch.

World Market, 8125 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, 301.654.4880

The Purse Store

What does Bethesda have in common with flourescent light? It makes everybody look bad, including The Purse Store, which is actually quite a respectable little shop. Its stodgy exterior had me fooled, but now I know...

Inside it's full of designer purses, shoes, denim, jewelry, belts, "and more" (see their site for a list of designers). They opened in Baltimore in 2003, and then put a second store here in Bethesda in 2005, and they attribute their selection and their success to the transplanted owner's NYC fashion sense. Carla Mancini, BCBGirls, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Suzi Roher, David Aubrey, Moschino, all grace the shelves and walls in a dizzying array of nights that probably won't come to pass in Maryland, but it does give one hope. I myself fell prey to shoes and a skirt that will be lucky to see the light of day this year, and I went home with a spring in my step for it. (and the purse i bought is actually quite practical.)

Prices are steep, but let's face it, even the most practical girl needs to splurge, and feel like her day-to-day might just give way to some super sensational evenings. And she better have a nice, impractical pair of shoes ready when it does.

The Purse Store, 8211 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, 301.951.1005, Mon 11-5, Tues, Wed, Fri 11-6, Th 11-8, Sat 10-5

Baltimore Magazine's 2005 Best of Baltimore

Mustard Seed

If you dislike shopping at retail chains as much as I do, then you'll be glad to know that nestled between Friendship Heights and White Flint Mall is a little bit of one-of-a-kind. Mustard Seed is a delightful clothing store on Wisconsin Avenue, just south of Old Georgetown Road. They curate a nice mix of new and used clothing, accessories and shoes, "from Target to Prada," for men and women.

It doesn’t take long to go through the store. You might find something, you might not. But at least you’ll know in minutes, and you aren’t stuck in some department store maze, like a casino sans clocks and daylight, wondering if you might have missed something. It's not a place to find basics, as much of their inventory is too stylish for everyday wear, and if you're a thirty-something you do run the risk of coming out with twenty-something rags a la Carrie Bradshaw. BUT the selection is well vetted and chances are you'll find something you like. And the prices are surprisingly reasonable for a vintage shop, where they tend to charge a premium for sorting through the dregs.

Mustard Seed also buys clothes, and unloading clothes is almost as gratifying as walking out with something new. The owner fingers your offerings with agility and conviction, looking for things just contemporary enough, vintage enough, stylish enough, to make the cut. She won’t even take 501s—a vintage staple for decades—because they don’t meet with her InStyle standards. She's not looking for that boxy, curve-concealing vintage look of the 80's; she wants sexy, bold and tailored. You don't need an appointment to bring clothes in. Come by any time, but bring seasonal items as she doesn't want anything she has to store.

Getting there is easy, either via Metro or parking in the nearby public lot. Sadly, downtown Bethesda doesn't offer a very satisfying shopping experience, but you can cobble together a respectable stroll if you tack on Coco Mio and Luna.

Mustard Seed, 7349 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, 301.907.4699, Mon-Sat 11-8, Sun 12-6

Cultureflux on Mustard Seed; Mustard Seed in Judy's Book; The Hoya on bargain shopping; DCist on vintage and consignment shops; washingtonpost.com on selling clothes

L'Imagerie Photography Center

I don’t like this place. At all. Granted, I should have known that L'Imagerie was not the place to get my vacation photos developed—I didn’t check the website first—but I’m not sure it’s entirely appropriate for them to take advantage of my stupidity. If you walk into Brooks Brothers looking for khakis, they probably point you towards The Gap before they sell you $200 tan trousers. But the folks at L’Imagerie were happy to let me spend twice what I would elsewhere to develop 7 rolls of film and have photo CDs made. I’ll say it again, I should have known better. But that said, here’s what happened.

M- and I went to Italy in October and I wanted to get the film developed to see if any of the photos might make a good Christmas present. And yes, I was actually using good old fashioned film. With all the recent trips up and down Rockville Pike I was excited to see somewhere so close to our house, so I decided to take it there.

I took my bag full of film straight past the jaded mannequin sitting on the sidewalk and was promptly helped by some goofy French guy with a handlebar moustache (no joke) who reeked of cigarettes. He told me that film is normally taken downstairs, but he would help me anyway, and he told me that I could have the pictures by the following Monday. What he didn’t tell me was that I’d be paying 25¢ per print and $7.50 per roll of film put on CD. In fact he didn’t mention cost at all until we got the B&W roll, at which point he told me that those would cost 60¢ per print. When I asked about getting a contact sheet instead, he did not tell me it would cost $6 per print to develop them later. Yes, I know I should have asked for a price list, but I didn’t. When I went to pick up the contact sheet, and got upset about the undisclosed cost, I was told brazenly that I was told the cost (which I would remember, because I remember what things cost), but that if I developed all 37 B&W prints, I could have them for $4 per print as a "special deal." I opted for just 11 of the photos at full price. All told, for the color and B&W film, I spent over $250 to develop my vacation snapshots.

So I’m not saying I didn’t walk right into this one. All I’m saying is that the professionals in this case could have saved me a lot of money and frustration, and I prefer business people who don’t see the need to take every customer for what they’re worth. Luckily M- got me a Casio Exilim for Christmas, so I won’t be dealing with Ritz (4901 Elm Street, 301-652-5646) and CVS (7809 Wisconsin Avenue, 301.986.9144) to see which is better.

L’Imagerie, 8216 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, 301.986.4746

TopTenREVIEWS on digital photo processing

Signature Cigars

Even with the smoking ban, cigar smokers are safe in cigar bars and tobacco shops. We have a couple of cigar shops right here in Bethsda, one of which is Signature Cigars, "serving Washington and Maryland since 1996."

They boast an extensive inventory, including pre-embargo Cuban cigars, and a friendly staff to help you with whatever you need. I wanted an assortment for my father and they did all the work for me, choosing a dozen in the price range I specified, packing them in plastic, and putting them in a lovely cigar box they had in the back. They also have a ton of hard-to-find cigarette brands, for those of you who haven't kicked the habit (it took me ten years) and like to splurge on flavor.

The Signature Cigar Club offers a place to smoke, watch TV, drink free coffee and, in Rockville, play pool and Golden Tee Golf. It's not my bag, but I'm an advocate of social vices, so more power to 'em.

Signature Cigars, 4919 Cordell Avenue, Bethesda, 301.652.5660

Smoke Magazine on DC; CDC's cigar fact sheet; RTDA members in MD