Shopping at Berkeley Bowl: non-denominational?

We couldn’t resist hoisting from the comments this reflection by EBGuy on food shopping as religion (prompted by today’s opening of Berkeley’s Trader Joe’s) :

I have a theory about Berkeley.* With organized religion on the decline, we look to food to provide a shared communal experience. Grocery stores are our cathedrals. Feel free to make your own list mapped to a different faith tradition:

  • Farmers’ Markets: outdoor tent revivalists. This is where the Food Fundamentalists go.
  • Berkeley Bowl: non-denominational mega church. Draws from the surrounding region. You go there, right?
  • Berkeley Natural Grocery: storefront religion at its finest.
  • Monterey Market: Baptists. True believers. Schisms.
  • Trader Joe’s: Assemblies of God. Fervent believers. Growing fast.
  • Safeway: Mainline Protestants. Trying to revamp but slowly dying.
  • Andronico’s: high church Episcopalians.
  • Farm Fresh To You CSA: Jehovah’s Witnesses

*This post should not be read by the humor impaired.

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Tracey Taylor is co-founder of Berkeleyside and co-founder and editorial director of Cityside, the nonprofit parent to Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside. Before launching Berkeleyside, Tracey wrote for...