agata's before xmas (lyn)

There’s a major public alert announcement for New York City and surrounding areas:

Impending storm expected:  all grocery and food stores will 

be closed for the next week.

At least that’s what it feels like when I go to Agata's this morning.  First, you need to pick up your basket outside the store as there is no room inside to get one.  The check out line snakes through the entire store-by the prepared foods, around the corner to the fresh fish, and then around another corner to pass the dairy and bakery sections.  Everyone's cart is getting bumped around and there is no room to even walk the narrow aisles.  But everyone seems to be in a forgiving holdiay spirit and the line moves quickly.  I join the crowd and pick up prepared vegetables, salad stuff, a shrimp platter, Agata’s freshly prepared salad dressing, cut up balsamic glazed ham and sliced swiss cheese from the deli counter, a gigantic fruit salad, ingredients for the squash soup I am making today, some total 0% fat-free Fage yogurt, baby brussel sprouts, a brioche loaf (I know I shouldn’t, but I did not buy any pastries).  I go in to buy a few vegetables and leave having spent $99.99.   At least I’m prepared in case we do get snowed in (the no snow forecast could be wrong;  hey, ya never know).