Groceteria.net: “a site on the subject of supermarket history and architecture, roughly covering the period from the 1920s to the 1970s. It is not a site about current supermarket issues and locations, except in historical perspective, and it is not connected with nor owned by any supermarket chain, past or present.”

My friend Duncan used to theorize that the price of a can of tuna could be used as the basic measure of any given city’s cost of living. He was right. You can learn an awful lot about a place by visiting its supermarkets.

Supermarkets are one of the most important and overlooked elements of American life. I’m fascinated by them, and my road trips always include visits to the local chains, from Winn-Dixie in the south to Giant in Baltimore, from Cub Foods and Rainbow in Minneapolis to Kohl’s in Wisconsin. Harris Teeter, Alpha Beta, Piggly Wiggly, and the “holy trinity” of Safeway, Kroger, and A&P: I’ve done more than my share…

I’m really picky about my supermarkets. By this, I don’t mean that I shop in the newest, sleekest stores with the most fabulous produce departments. On the contrary, I’m more drawn to smaller and older stores which are perpetually in danger of being either closed or “upgraded”.