Allison C.
Yelp
Not to be a jerk, but my standards have changed over the past four years. (Oh goodness...that sounded a bit horrible, yes? Ha! My apologies.) As a former resident of a small town in Northwestern CT, I used to get SO excited to go to Guido's, because we could get all sorts of awesome items. Everything at my local Stop & Shop or Big Y was so...generic. I could get organic brands I had never heard of, pick my own baby spinach out of a basket, or get a small pint of micro-batched ice cream for an exorbitant price...but who cared! It was local, organic, and had figs, cherries, bacon, and mint in it! (Well, not really, but you get the picture.)
Now...not only does my hometown's Stop & Shop carry many of the once elusive items that only Guido's carried, so does every place in NYC where I now live, and that includes the bodega across the street that carries six kinds of Cabot cheddar and organic chickpea flour. I don't feel it's necessary for me to get more unique items up there anymore when I am visiting home. It's not necessarily worth the 20 minute drive north. Still, all that being said...I still like Guido's. It's a fun and quirky marketplace that still has lots to offer; if I wanted to get something from a local butcher, I'd still trust their selection (namely their seafood) over anything else. I especially enjoy their fresh-made pastas. And who doesn't love to sip on hot mulled apple cider while walking around their store, or picking up complimentary gouda and white wine samples?
This place used to be ahead of the game, but now local supermarket chains are catching up and offering many of the same products. It's the nature of the consumer beast. Still, I consider this place to be quite the staple in Great Barrington. It ain't going anywhere anytime soon.