The Independent Edition: East Boston

East Boston, which is just next to Boston's Logan Airport, has several sub-neighborhoods. To the west is Maverick Square, roughly in the area where we saw the Shaw's. Eagle Hill is to the north, but unfortunately I haven't photographed any stores there. As far as I can tell, the central area is referred to simply as East Boston, and out east of that is Orient Heights, which actually has a beach. East Boston, Logan Airport, Orient Heights, the independent town of Winthrop, and Deer Island are on this peninsula extending south of Revere, one of the suburbs north of Boston. We're going to check out the stores of Maverick Square, central East Boston, and Orient Heights.

Maverick Square

Los Paisanos Market
Opened: 2008

Owner: Claudia Gallego

Previous Tenants: unknown

Cooperative: none

Location: 11 Meridian St, Boston, MA

and

Carniceria & Legumbreria

Open: ca. 2013 - ca. 2023

Owner: unknown

Previous Tenants: El Tio Supermarket

Later Tenants: Mundial de Carnes

Cooperative: none

Location: 9 Meridian St, Boston, MA

Photographed: May 20, 2022

These two Latin American-focused grocers are immediately next door to each other on Meridian Street near Maverick Square. Los Paisanos has probably been a grocer for a long time -- check out the inside here -- and Carniceria & Legumbreria (which translates to butcher and greengrocer) recently became Mundial de Carnes, also a butcher.

Meridian Food Market

Opened: 2003

Owner: Freddie Noviello

Previous Tenants: unknown

Cooperative: none

Location: 121 Meridian St, Boston, MA

Photographed: May 20, 2022

Meridian Market is less of a grocery store and more of a deli, and not like the corner convenience store and deli -- a serious Italian deli, one of several in this area. (My favorite is Milano's in Orient Heights.) While I haven't been here, I should definitely stop by to get a sandwich. Check out a piece from the Phantom Gourmet on this store here.

Jaqueline Grocery Store

Opened: unknown, before 2007

Owner: unknown

Previous Tenants: unknown

Cooperative: none

Location: 129 London St, Boston, MA

Photographed: May 20, 2022

I'm not sure how long this store has been here, but I'd guess a very long time. Jaqueline Grocery Store is just a block off of Meridian Street, the main drag in this part of East Boston. Before about 2008, the store's name was spelled Jaquelin, and on Google Maps it's labeled Jacqueline. It's just around the corner from Meridian Food Market.

East Boston

Sava's Market

Opened: 1984

Owner: Jay Patel

Previous Tenants: unknown

Cooperative: none

Location: 150 Bennington St, Boston, MA

Photographed: July 22, 2019

Sava's is a store I regret not going into, in part because it's clearly been a grocery store for a very long time, but in part because the approximately 3500 square foot grocery store is a bit more of a supermarket than the other small corner grocers of this neighborhood. It's been Sava's under the current ownership since 1984, but it's also clearly been a grocer for much longer than that. Even though I haven't been inside, you can see a couple interior pictures online here, here, and here.

Orient Heights

El Paisa Butchery
Opened: 2010

Owner: unknown

Previous Tenants: unknown

Cooperative: none

Location: 1010 Bennington St, Boston, MA

Photographed: May 20, 2022

El Paisa Butchery was originally related to a nearby Colombian restaurant of the same name, but that restaurant closed not too long ago. The butcher shop opened in 2010 just across the street from the restaurant. That spot is now Angela's, a Mexican restaurant.

Orient Heights Food Market

Opened: 1997

Owner: Jijnesh Patel

Previous Tenants: First National Stores (early 1930s-early 1960s)

Cooperative: none

Location: 1016 Bennington St, Boston, MA

Photographed: May 20, 2022

And just next door to the former El Paisa and now Angela's restaurant space, is this small grocery/convenience store. The Orient Heights Food Market has been under its current ownership since 1997, but I suspect it's been a grocery store for much longer. The most interesting part of this building is that, until about 2020 or 2021, it was only one level. At that time, higher floors were built above the existing grocery store and restaurant while those remained unaffected. In the Bronx, several floors were constructed above a Key Food supermarket in Longwood. Compare those photos to how the store looks today. Thanks for stopping by East Boston and Orient Heights with me, and up next we're headed to the other side of downtown Boston!