Food

Large selection, reasonable prices

• Safeway---Middle Avenue and El Camino, Menlo Park; or 2811 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. Open 24 hours.

• The Co-Op---2605 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto.

• Lucky---3445 Alma, Palo Alto; 2080 Channing Avenue (off Embarcadero near 101), Palo Alto.

Fancier and more expensive

• Draegers---1010 University Drive, Menlo Park. Many gourmet foods, good meat, expensive produce, and there's a café up on the 2nd floor where the kitchenware and stationery sections are. Great to visit, even if you aren't buying.

• Mollie Stone's---164 S. California Avenue, Palo Alto. Many foreign items and some organic foods. Good for bulk spices.

• Town & Country Market---corner of El Camino and Embarcadero, Palo Alto.

• J.J.&F---520 College Avenue, Palo Alto. Small store, excellent meat. Convenient if you live in EV or College Terrace. Only open till 7.

Specialty shops

• Oakville Groceries---Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto. Gourmet foods. Hold onto your wallet.

• Monterey Market---Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto. An anomaly in the Stanford Shopping Center, they sell a large selection of produce at very cheap prices.

• Schaub's Meat Fish & Poultry---Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto, next to Monterey Market. Excellent meat, fish and poultry!

• Whole Foods Market---corner of Homer and Emerson, downtown Palo Alto. Large selection of healthful, organically grown, expensive foods.

• Trader Joe's---Menlo Ave in Menlo Park. Great selection of well-priced food-stuff, from tortilla chips to pasta dressings. This is one of the best places to stock up on food for parties.