Bittersweet Spice News

Charlie Suisman's essential Manhattan User's Guide newsletter today reports the sad news that specialty purveyor Adriana's Caravan is being evicted from their Grand Central Station home:

the MTA is not renewing their lease, even though "our rent is paid, our numbers are up, our customers love us..." as owner Rochelle Zabarkes writes on the company’s website. Word is they have to vacate by the end of the month. Our source says that Adriana’s didn’t fit in with the more "corporate" image the MTA wants in GC.

When the blurb also mentioned that the MTA leased the very same space to "a spice chain from the Midwest," I suspected that chain must be Penzey's, the spice shop that's taking over the world. (Suisman kindly confirmed this.)

If you're a Hedonista reader, you might remember I mentioned Penzey's back in the day.

My evaluation is the same now. Great design in the shops, terrific spice selection, ugly catalog and website. Of course, bad print design doesn't stop me from snatching up fistfuls of fragrant juniper berries and Szechuan peppercorns or vials of double-strength vanilla extract every time I go back to Minneapolis.

I'd like to issue a protest to the MTA's latest display of devotion to the dark side of the force. Replacing Rochelle Zabarkes's homey little shop with a national chain (even one I happen to enjoy) is morally offensive. It's wicked. It's clearly in opposition to my core values. (Truth, Justice and Afternoon Naps)

It's also going to be awfully tempting to gape at the awe-inspiring GCS ceiling, buy a nice cheese at Murray's and take my greedy nose on a tour through Penzey's perfumed aisles.

In sum: Congratulations, Penzey's. I'm sorry, Adriana's Caravan. I hate you, MTA.