When we lived in Sharjah, once every six weeks or so I’d make a pilgrimage to the Spinney’s grocery store in Mirdif Uptown. This trip took long enough under normal traffic conditions on the 311, but after they started doing construction I had to re-route to the 611 and it took even longer. So I went less and less often, and each trip became more and more special.
I usually had a specific reason to go to Spinney’s (Easter candy, or hot dogs for camping, or black beans), but there were other items I bought there that I never had to write down on a list. I would just pick them up every time I was there. I did this enough times over the years that the tastes of these foods became associated with each other in my memory.
I present to you my own personal Spinney’s pairings. Not necessarily eaten together, but eaten within the same 48ish hours.
fresh hummus from the deli (Spinney’s had the BEST deli hummus)
BBQ roast chicken
whole grain sliced bread
A&W root beer
purple grapes
strawberries from Holland!!! These are the best strawberries (we get them here in Finland in the shoulder seasons, too!). At Spinney’s they cost 35dhs per 500g package, which is almost $10, but I daresay they were worth it, at least as rarely as I got to buy them.
string cheese
Russet potatoes
bacon
I find that now we’re in Finland, it’s the purple grapes that set me off down memory lane. Something about them (maybe their deliciousness) reminds me what a treasure they were to enjoy in the UAE!
