Keep it local

When I want a quick, healthy meal with minimal prep or fuss, I'm not out of luck. More and more I venture across the street to the Willy Street Co-op, the natural-foods emporium whose deli counter has hot dishes every night. These are generally tasty, and always wholesome. Last night I had tuna casserole and a squash gratin, and I bellied up to the salad bar. Delicious! The process feels a little like the cafeteria back in college, but more vegan.

I can't sing the praises of the Co-op enough, especially in light of a recent thread on Isthmus' Daily Page Forum. Someone wrote to complain of rudeness from a clerk, and others piled on. Now c'mon: I've certainly had a run-in or two there, but I chalked them up to the eccentric charm of the place and learned which lines to avoid. Dissing the Co-op seems unproductive. In the words of Sinead O'Connor: Fight the real enemy.