A New LES Used Bookstore Pays Homage to the Neighborhood’s Pickling Tradition | Eater NY

"Opened in November on the Lower East Side, I found Sweet Pickle Books at 47 Orchard Street to be a risk-taking used bookstore and specialty food shop launched by Leigh Altshuler after she lost her marketing job at the McKittrick Hotel early in the pandemic. The shop pairs a curated selection of used books — niche topics like psychedelics, “books you lied about reading,” and a robust vintage cooking section that tends to be a best seller — with a singular, custom line of pickles made exclusively for the store in collaboration with a Texas farm: 32-ounce jars of dill and a jalapeño-spiced version (the only place they’re sold) priced at $12.95. Altshuler sources cukes grown on the partner farm that are bottled and sent to New Jersey for pickup; she plans to expand into other pickled goods like beets and sauerkraut and emphasizes the neighborhood’s immigrant pickling history. The pickle theme runs through the merch (vintage mugs, tote bags), the shop’s approachable, playful vibe (complete with a hanging disco ball), and programming that supports other small businesses through pop-ups; the store is generally open most days except Mondays (weekday hours about 1–7 p.m., weekends 11 a.m.–8 p.m., with daily hours posted on Instagram)." - Emma Orlow