Did you know there is a grocery store in downtown Oshkosh? How about a deli? Know of a place to get your supply of cactus and fresh green salsa downtown? No? I do.
Walking south on Oregon Street your eye is drawn to a little store in the 800 block. The big picture window and handmade signs promising Barbacoa, carnitos, tamales, tacos, pozole and menudo provide you with assurance this isn’t your usual big box grocery. When you walk in the door, the smells, the products and the conversation make you so glad you took that walk.
The store has been open about a year and a half and what started as a community grocery store for our burgeoning Latino community has morphed into one that caters to the very diverse South Side neighborhoods. Owner Dora Fabian tells me the evolution of what she stocks and serves in the deli now suits a wider palette. That doesn’t mean you can’t still get a salsa that will make you weep from every poor, just you can now get salsa that won’t.
Dora travels weekly to Chicago to buy her stock. Knowing where and when to buy has enabled her to provide what she considers the most flavorful ingredients available. She is also keenly aware of the prices other stores charge for similar items and it is crucial for her to be able to offer her customers a better deal. The day I was there she had avocados at .90¢ while other stores in town, including the big box on the frontage road were charging $1.25. A smile showed me how her hard work, long hours, many miles and determination made her proud of her accomplishments.
Next Monday night the store will be giving a cooking demonstration through the Baliwick Workshops, that really cool company that promotes Oshkosh businesses, but more on that another day soon. The sad news is the demonstration is sold out. There is a plan to add another opportunity for you to learn how to make Fajitas and Salsa, maybe even some other items, soon.
Many neighbors and downtown workers stop by for lunch and their highly rated tacos. The tables fill up quickly and often you either have to take it to go or learn how not to drip all over your work clothes while eating standing up. Just a couple hours later, the tables cleared, the store becomes a place to sit, watch television, and simply catch up with your neighbors.
