Welcome to my newest feature, SnackTime With Jen. This midweek morsel is a small taste of something fun. Topics range from food (of course) to fashion, amusing little discoveries both locally and abroad, and a variety of interesting intel too tempting not to share. So let’s get snacking…
On the busy corner of Bleecker Street and 6th Avenue in NYC sits a wonderfully curated grocery store that takes the guesswork out of a whole host of shopping stress since they’ve done the paring down of exciting, independent brands and products for you. Enter Pop Up Grocer, a curious new concept store in the West Village whose slogan is “Grocery shopping, but make it fun.” With color coordinated shelves, punchy packaging and perfect placement, this emporium is like an OCD dream come true. (They had me at hello.) They have cute sections for home, body, snacks, drinks, fridge items, and frozen goodies, and their entire inventory rotates seasonally to provide a different experience each time you visit.
I was intrigued with their Flings toaster pastries that were packed with protein and somewhat healthy in Summer Strawberry and Hot Chocolate, the squeezy drinkable yogurt in Peaches + Cream from Little Spoon, and the promise of shaking good fun with a hearty bottle of Everything Bucks Szning from Lil Bucks that includes sprouted buckwheat seeds, dried California garlic, chia seeds, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds, dried onion flakes, and sea salt.
I also grabbed some fiber rich yummy gummy treats from Happy Candy in naturally flavored Raspberry. My hell yes! of the day was a product by Off Limits called Cereal Glitter which you sprinkle over a bowl of breakfast cereal and if your milk turns blue, your wish MIGHT come true. (Who thinks of these outrageous items??) And you gotta love they that had to write MIGHT in case someone sues them for an abandoned or ignored wish. Shaking my head here but yep, I bought one. Too whimsical to resist. Obvi I am their target audience.
I wouldn’t say that I was able to do the bulk of my traditional grocery shopping at this amazing stop and stare startup, but I dug the experience and loved everything I bought and tasted. Although its name suggests this is just a temporary gig, Pop Up Grocer is actually a permanent installation. And since Jen’s Little Black Book is all about fun discoveries, enjoying food, and loving life, I’m giving Pop Up Grocer a permanent spot on my must visit list. So pop into Pop Up for some unexpectedly exciting snackables today and may glitter by your guide.
jenslittleblackbook.com 