Alan Ilagan

With all the do-good cries of “Buy Local! Buy Local! Buy Local!” it is part of my inherent against-the-grain negativity to want to give all my money to the biggest chains I can find and toss a Target bulls-eye bag out of my window as I pass the local suffering farmstand. I suppose one of the reasons I don’t like those public service announcements is because I already buy local.

This week alone I will have stocked up on supplies, food, and entertainment from only local businesses, starting with Sweet Temptations – the new bakery that opened up just around the corner from us. They had the amazing half-moon cookie that you see here, along with an awe-inspiring assortment of delicious (and pretty) cupcakes and cannoli. The best (or worst if you’re struggling with a paunch) part is that they are literally just a walk away.

Next up is Eddie’s Aquarium, which has been a favorite haunt of mine since about 1990, when it was the only place in the area that carried saltwater fish. It’s still going strong today, and I’ve been making regular stops there to procure some established gravel for our new fishtank. (A few of the folks at Petco and Petsmart didn’t even know what fishless cycling was, going so far as to ask when I was going to put fish in the tank.)

Tonight, if my cold permits, we will be having dinner at the New World Bistro Bar, where our favorite waiter Aleph works. Afterwards, we’ll head down the block to the Spectrum 8 to catch ‘A Single Man’.

So the next time someone tells me to “buy local” I’m going to knock them off their soapbox and tell them to kiss my half-moon ass.