Adios al Mercado de Pátzcuaro *

Fanciful Fruit Snacks at the Calle Codallos entrance to the Mercado

We have long loved the Mercado Municipal de Pátzcuaro. For color, variety and lower prices, it can't be beat. I still have a soft spot in my heart for it. But love grows old and love grows cold.

Recently, we have been more and more shopping elsewhere. We have traded color for convenience. Trudging through the mercado, carrying heavy shopping bags over broken, irregular pavement, dodging porter wagoners (how did he end up here?) and our van parked hundreds of meters away, has become pesado. Convenience implies easy and nearby parking. Our new go-to shopping place is the Tienda Don Chucho's and a fruits and vegetable stand just outside.

Why the change? Tienda Don Chucho's is located on Carretera 14 at Calle Puebla. Calle Puebla usually has easy parking, if not immediately next to the store, then a few meters up the street, where there's shade!

Don Chucho's is in the white building on the corner

Not only is there convenient parking, but the sidewalks and street pavement are in good condition.

But one of the best reasons to shop there is that the wonderfully friendly staff of Tienda Don Chucho's are service minded, and will go out of their way to help you. Don Chucho's is one of those amazing stores, where if you don't see what you want, just ask, and it's likely that they have it in stock. The amplitude of the inventory boggles the mind.

A sample of delicacies available at Don Chucho's

I have an unconfirmed impression that prices are slightly higher at Don Chucho's than elsewhere, but for me, it's worth it for the breadth of variety and the friendly service. Note: the store is very popular, and during peak hours, you may have to wait a few minutes to be attended to.

The fruits and vegetable stand, independently owned and operated by Sr. José Luis, has a sufficient selection of almost all verdura except for the most exotic.
If you like to comparison shop, you'd do better elsewhere, but José Luis' fruits and vegetables selections generally suit us. Sometimes if he doesn't have what you want, go in Don Chucho's, and it's likely that they stock it.

Another plus is that from about 8:00 a.m. daily, a matronly señora stands next to the Calle Puebla entrance to Don Chucho's, selling pan de leña from Panadería La Espiga. But you need to get there before 10:30 a.m. to get some.

Then, across the street is a string of menuderias, which I have described in part in a previous post titled Intestinal Fortitude. Testing is still in progress, but so far, I favor Menudería Lupita's and Menudería Los Dos Mundos.

We supplement our food shopping at Bodega Aurrerá, which adequately fills our needs. Not only is it conveniently located, with ample parking, the line of produce, while limited, is relatively clean and you can buy smaller quantities that keep longer. Our experience with mercado produce is that it spoils faster.

 

*Yes, I'm aware that "adios" is properly used when saying goodbye to the one who is leaving. But in popular GringoSpeak, it's o.k. for the one leaving to say it to the one staying. ¿Me entiendes?