Best Local food market

1. Kiva Grocery Store 125 W. 11th Ave. 541-342-8666. KivaGrocery.com.

2. Capella Market 2489 Willamette. 541-345-1014. CapellaMarket.com.

3. Market of Choice MarketofChoice.com.

Everybody had their pandemic comfort during the height of COVID-19. Mine was The Kiva Grocery. Not only did it feel safe to shop there, thanks to Kiva’s careful protocols, but the little grocery at the corner of 11th and Olive has that little bit of everything that makes it feel bigger than it is. German gummy candies? Check. Cheap wine (and nice wine, but let’s face it, I’m a $7.99 wine kinda journalist)? Check. A deli that delights meatatarians and vegetarians alike? Check. My only complaint is that the kimchi tacos don’t happen often enough. But that’s OK because the pimento cheese sandwich makes up for it.

The folks that work there are helpful and totally themselves — there’s no corporate uniform, just their own unique styles. And that little bit of everything includes an array of excellent books, awesome cards and fascinating doodads. I can combine my grocery trip with my gift shopping and feel good about it knowing that it’s a healthy place for folks to spend their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) money and also participate in Double Up Food Bucks, the nutrition incentive program that doubles the value of SNAP benefits when people buy fruits and vegetables.

Kiva’s been doing its market thing for 50 years now, so if you see its proprietors — Melissa Brown is usually spotted in the store’s aisleways, and George Brown is often out sweeping the sidewalk — tell them congrats on a half century of being amazing. Melissa Brown tells us, “It’s always an amazing honor when we place and super fun when we win.”

She adds, “Honestly, it’s been a really hard couple of years for everyone and the community’s support for the little stores and markets is incredibly special.”

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

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None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!