our Rocca’s routine

I haven’t written about our local Rocca’s Market for some months, but Rocca’s has become part of our weekly routine. Each member of the senior staff, Tom, who runs the meat department, Dan Rocca, who manages groceries and wine, Dan K, the sausage guy who often works the meat department, and Mike “Poppy,” our long-time seafood guy, knows who we are. Dan K and Tom call me by name.

Terry and I both enjoy going there. I won’t say we fight over who gets to go, but it’s much more of an “I can go,” and almost never a “Why don’t you go,” unless there is a specific reason. For example, last week Terry was coming back from an appointment up in Mountain View,  meaning it was on her way, and she needed to select a steak for herself for our surf ‘n turf  Saturday dinner. That means Terry has a steak and I have halibut. When she got back, I asked her as I always do who was working the meat counter. She told me it was Mike, but I really didn’t need to ask. Simply looking at the meat wrappers gave me the answer. Tom and both Dans do a  good job of being descriptive when they mark the wrappers. Mike not so much. For example, if we buy both country breakfast sausage and a pair of hot Italian sausages for spaghetti, he will mark both packages “SAUS.” Right. Thanks. But we love Mike anyway.

We rarely buy our meats and seafood anyplace other than Rocca’s now, and after that nasty Foster Farm’s salmonella scare, we are even happier to be buying the free-range chicken that Rocca’s sells. We ordered our organic Thanksgiving turkey in late October and will pick it up on Tuesday. Last time I went in to Rocca’s I asked Mike for some of that aforementioned country sausage. He said, “I think we’re out. No, wait, I guess he [Tom, probably] made some while I was out to lunch.” At what supermarket would you hear that?

Those are my Rocca’s thoughts. That and $3.40 will get you a personal grande decaf cappuccino, dry.