Detour to A Dong

A Dong, the giant Asian grocery store on New Britain Ave, is a staple in many people's lives around here. I can't really remember how long they've been open, but it's been a long time and I've been going there since whenever that long time began (I think some time in middle school). One would think that since I've been living within two miles of it, I'd be going there far too much and eating more ramen than ever. But, in the three, almost four years, that I've been living in the South End, I've been going there less and less. While the Stop & Shops are on sort of bike friendly routes, the obvious way to A Dong is New Britain Ave and I hate riding on New Britain Ave. I think riding on that street with a bike loaded with groceries is especially unattractive.



Two weeks or so back, I bit the bullet and rode over there and it wasn't terrible. I forget that it's so close that my time on New Britain Ave is pretty inconsequential. Last night I went over there for a new cleaver and bottle of Sriracha sauce. Johanna and I are going up to Vermont and food prices are high up there. However, the most overpriced food of all is Sriracha. If you want to make good money in Glover, VT, sell Asian condiments (or tofu or kimchi). If you sell them at 250% markup above A Dong retail and undercut the present 300% markup, you'll make a killing! To wit: the big bottle at A Dong is $2.95 and at the Parker Pie store the small bottle is like $7! Not that I have anything against their pizzas, beer, chicken wings, salad, etc., but things vaguely Asian are super expensive! Those aforementioned things are not expensive and I really like them. Anyway, I digress from my digression.

Anyway, I took the scenic route and encountered a man who pointed out some lichen that looked like a panda bear and kept the A Dong trip on about 50% dirt. I think once you ride the De Tour, you will only pick routes that are 50% dirt and quintuple the travel time.