Jump to content

Bestworld. 3178 Mt Pleasant Street.


Recommended Posts

...I found something yesterday that I had never seen before, at the Super H in Fairfax: Fresh garbanzo beans, green and still in their pods. There is one bean, sometimes two per pod. they taste a bit like fresh peas, though not quite as sweet. I bought a sackful and shelled them in front of the tv last night. I'm still thinking about how best to use them.

The appropriately named Bestworld (formerly Bestway) in Mt. Pleasant (3178 MtP st) has them, next to the Thai tiger eggplant and under what looks like Thai stink beans. Bestworld, along with A Literri is in the rare league of considerable substance-over-style food shops. Relief from the sterile, vacuous, Vegas-sized national retailers that charge $2 for a generic grapefruit. It is my default-setting for all dinner party proteins & sundries and should be yours too.

Overlooking the folkloric prejudices of shopping in a Latino market, mismatched/misspelled signage (chunk meat, horganic eggs), narrow aisles (by American standards) and bric-a-brac consignment store feng shui reveals a formidable selection of charming food stuffs; the confluence of Latino, Asian and Gringo sensibilities. The produce selection is far from exhaustive, but they routinely carry enough esoteric items to please any savvy consumer. The fish showcase is far and away the best in area –not luxury fish, but excellent quality and recently labeled with origins. Whole fish, scaled and gutted to order. Never been touched by a knife, packed under ice. Spanish mackerel, mullet, pompano, striped bass, flounder, porgy, white bass, squid mantles, perch, croaker, freshwater sheephead, bluefish, catfish and vermillion snapper (*erroneously labeled as red snapper*), butterfish, blood clams, surf clams, head-on shrimp (not wild), etc…no more than $8/lb -leave a gratuity in the tip jar if they filet it for you. And say "hello", "please" and "thank you."

Though the land based proteins are pre-cut (pork and beef can be cut to order at the prodigious grain & dried legume "El Progreso" 3158 MtP st, down the street), beef, pork and chicken parts/offal are readily available (tongues, tripe, hearts, livers, gizzards, tails, ears, smoked hocks, bellies, and so on) and when asked nicely, they will provide whole/uncut items if they have them. While the meats make no claims of small scale local quality and consciousness, the variety is simply unmatched.

Acceptable beer & wine offerings, multitudes of spices and dried chilies, salt cod, smoked herring, crema, fresh Central American cheese, lots of rice, rice noodles, fruit nectars, Asian condiments, frozen quail and rabbit (better than no quail or rabbit), occasionally Confucius style (head & feet on) chickens, 10 for $1 limes, 4 for $1 lemons, tropical fruit and for those privy to the tiki bar hangover curing properties of $6 Pedialyte, the Latino $4 Suero-Oral counterpart comes in horchata, mango, pineapple and coconut flavors.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ssshh! Don't let the secret out! I also like the availability of fresh basil in the middle of winter when I'm jonesing for pesto. The selection of Asian condiments, noodles & mushrooms is also a nice thing to have in the 'hood.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My local Bestway has saved me several times-pre trimmed spareribs (when I am lazy & don't want to deal w/ trimming & ribtips), fish, Asian condiments (although I think my favorite Tom Yum paste has been discontinued) & produce-lemongrass, papayas, herbs...my daughter also loads up on Takis...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But what about the smell in the Bestworld? I want to like it, and I want to shop there, but besides some runs for quick staples or lemons/limes I don't because I feel like it usually reeks. Hearing a positive review of the meats may make me give it a second chance. You mention El Progreso. I like them, mainly because they have frozen fava beans in the freezer section, and it is the only grocery in the area where I have found them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But what about the smell in the Bestworld?

What about the smell in the Bestworld?

A meek reek of leeks, beets, meats, fish and probably some bleach to clean the floor. That is the reality of such a store. Other gated-community flavored retailers have a bland whiff of boring. Life smells, or stinks depending on your perspective. So do juniper bushes, dry-aged meat and old people. And, whoever smelled the smelt (which they have) has allegedly dealt it.

I can only hope that 20 years from now, I’d be delighted to have a smell evoke memories from the era during which I lived and shopped at the Bestworld.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When did Bestway become Bestworld? And what has changed? Do they still have stewing hens?

That's what I wanted to know, too, since the store in my old hood which has what I consider a somewhat better produce section and greater selection of dry goods* was still called Best Way in March.

*Snap judgment, midweek. Without a doubt, Bestworld in Mt. Pleasant has a much hipper, smarter crowd at the checkout.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When did Bestway become Bestworld? And what has changed? Do they still have stewing hens?

Yes, the have stewing hens. Gaillenas, I think they're called. Also pork belly on demand and both chicken feet and beef hooves to enrich one's homemade stock.

While I am less sanguine about the fish selection than M. Farci -- someone who didn't know how to buy fish or wasn't paying attention could go terribly wrong -- if you're flexible abouyt what you want you can get finee fresh fish for far less than Whole Foods charges.

And, of course, if you are making your own chili , the vast selection of Central American hots allows for the construction of a superior powder. You'll never go back to McCormick's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Appears that pulque is a "liquor" and thus wouldn't likely be there as it is beer and wine only. Also, according to the always-reliable Wikipedia it's Mexican, which doesn't play to the Salvadoran base in the 'hood, but I will check.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This came through the Mt. P. listserv today. Looks like new owners --

Stop by Bestworld Supermarket and take advantage of the Grand Reopening Specials, today, Friday. Besides today's specials, take note of the new

products, expanded shopping hours, new scanning checkout terminals & display monitors, and other store improvements.

The new owners, the Pak family, formerly of York, PA, took over the grocery store earlier this year and have been slowly making improvements and more are planned. Mr & Mrs Pak are in the store most every day and would love to talk with you about new products that you would like them to carry. Welcome them to MtP and help them become the best grocery store in the area.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What Mr. Farci said.

I had a very enjoyable poke around.  Picked up some taro root and Thai jasmine rice.  This is the kind of grocery store with a multitude of nooks and crannies that require digging.  But plenty of jewels to be found.  Love the fridge case dedicated to crema and various central american cheeses.   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really wish Bestworld would get its act together.  I've given up after one too many run ins with moldy produce and , to Tweaked's year ago post - I'd stay far away from anything requiring refrigeration - coolers are regularly too hot.   The market next to the 7-11 is a better bet for produce and spices etc.

Bestworld Supermarket

3178 Mt. Pleasant St. NW

Closed Sept. 23 because of a failure to minimize insects, rodents and other pests. Reopened Friday.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-maryland-and-virginia-health-code-violations/2014/09/29/743f98b2-471f-11e4-b72e-d60a9229cc10_story.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...