For those of you in that have not heard of, or been to, Rodman’s Discount Gourmet, for shame. Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised if many people in the area haven’t heard of Rodman’s. I only learned about this spot a couple of weeks ago from a friend of mine, who was looking to buy Crabtree & Evelyn products in the District. She had stumbled across Rodman’s and was hooked.
Rodman’s is located in the Friendship Heights section of Northwest, and from the outside, doesn’t look like anything special; just a normal neighborhood store. However, once you enter the store front, you realize you’ve now entered the greatest and most diverse grocery and everything-else-under-the-sun store. I grew up going to international stores, since my mom is Thai, and she would be on the hunt for a certain type of vegetable or noodle, but Rodman’s is definitely anything above and beyond what I’ve seen.
The cuisines available in Rodman’s include Russian, Thai, Mexican, British, French, German, and Filipino (there were plenty of others, but those are the countries from which we purchased goods that day). There is also a large cheese selection, a produce section, and several aisles of international beers and wine. I was able to find German Christmas cookies I have not had since I was a child, fig jam I had been on the hunt for since early spring, these Thai sardines that always grossed me out, and canned snails. I almost purchased a giant wheel of Brie, since it was only $10 (four times the size of a standard President Brie), but then I snapped back into reality and purchased a smaller one. That being said, the prices are rather comparable to what you would find at a normal grocery store, but you can find good deals like the Brie there.
Downstairs in Rodman’s is mesmerizing. In addition to kitchenware, the downstairs had a slew of international beauty products, a pharmacy, and a cleaning products section. I think we spent about an hour downstairs, looking through the serving pieces and kitchen tools. A ceramic alligator crafted like a serving dish nearly ended up in my basket (if it’s there when I go back, it was meant to be). There were pitchers, pepper grinders, cake pans for all occasions, thermometers, utensils, scales, measuring cups, silicone pot holders of all colors, and every other cooking/baking tool ever imagined.
Needless to say, the store is a paradise for anyone looking for an inclusive international store. It does get a little crowded, since the aisles are narrow, but fully stocked. Right now the store is chock full of holiday goodies from around the world, so get there ASAP and stock up. I know I’ll be going back and getting enough of those German cookies to last until next Christmas season.
-JDS
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