Found: Sense of home in local grocery

By Jillian Thaw

Next time you’re in the market for exotic ingredients, bypass the sprawling superstores and head to Samir’s Imported Foods at 811 E. Genesee Street. The family-owned grocery welcomes every customer that passes through its doors with open arms, and even if it’s your first time inside, the sense of home is immediate.

The local grocery is as stuffed as the dolmas (grape leaves) sold in tin jars: The narrow aisles are packed with gallon bottles of dark olive oils, jars of tahini paste, plastic packages of flavored halva and bags of Middle Eastern spices.

But what’s most notable are the customers who keep returning to shop at Samir’s. Many are addressed by their first names, and shoppers whose families are from the Middle East and Europe note that the imported foods—often Arabic—provide a sense of home from so far away.

After more than 25 years of success, the grocery is opening up a second location on Erie Boulevard, with hopes of welcoming customers by the end of the summer. The new location, which was once a restaurant, will allow the grocery to sell homemade hummus, dolmas, Mediterranean pastries and more varieties of cheese. And with more room to share the love, there’s more room for family.