So, Pico Glatt is an experience that improves if you go more often. If you go once, and you're used to a standard chain grocery store, it's an interesting experience which may or may not appeal to you. There's less parking than you'll be used to, because of the size of the lot and also it's very much catering to the neighborhood and many patrons walk there. Meat is expensive because it's all kosher, the hot food counter serves largely Persian food and a few types of sushi, the product selection reflects the wants of the people in the neighborhood, and the brands of even "normal" American fare will often be unfamiliar. Many members of the staff have worked there in excess of 20 years and pal around like it. The owner himself is often present and working, and until recently, I often spotted his wife filling orders, shopping along with everyone else. There are many languages going at once (English, Spanish, Hebrew, Farsi, and I think both Thai and Tagalog are spoken by people who work and/or shop there). The store closes early on Friday, is closed all day on Saturday, and while it's closed on Jewish holidays, it's open on Sundays and secular and Christian holidays. I've seen people get very excited because Pico Glatt sells so many Middle Eastern/Central Asian/South Asian specialty goods and because shoppers will chat you up and the staff is all so friendly. But I've also seen people walk into Pico Glatt for the first time and look overwhelmed and slightly shocked, particularly if they shop while the neighbors are preparing for Shabbat or holidays and it's crowded.
Hence, is someone shops at Pico Glatt once and pans it, I can understand it. However, if you live in the neighborhood, and you go into the store more than once, you will find the place increasingly welcoming. For example, the workers will recognize you from the street, from previous encounters in the store, from the local schools, etc. They will often note your name, your kids, what things you like, sometimes even your job or other identifiers. If you haven't been in the store in a month, sometimes a worker will light up when they see you and say, "I haven't seen you! How have you been?" If they get in a kind of seasonal product you look forward to, they might point it out even before you ask. And if you live/work/attend school in the neighborhood, you will bump into people you know among the other shoppers and have a delightful interaction with buddies.
I have witnessed so many kindnesses and giggles and favors while walking Pico Glatt's aisles over the years and experienced all of these things first-hand. Shopping there is a very human experience at a time where many people just order their groceries online and have them delivered and isolate themselves from community.
I've been shopping at Pico Glatt for nearly 27 years. There are fancier markets, even fancier kosher markets, in the neighborhood. But Pico Glatt is my fave. read more