New neighborhood deli, shop opens in NoDa

There's a new neighborhood store for food, prepared meals, beer and wine in NoDa, called, simply enough, Bodega.

The store, at the corner of 35th Street and McDowell, had a soft opening last week. Lynn Matta is co-owner of the 2,200 square foot store, along with her sister and her brother-in-law.

"We had always seen this little store that was there, and we had always called it the bodega. They had gone out of business, and we loved the building," said Matta. They've spent the past six months renovating and refurbishing the building, preparing to re-open it as a food and beverage shop geared to the neighborhood's needs.

"We've been doing a lot of wine tastings and beer tastings, getting the menus ready and meeting with representatives from international food distributors," she said.

They carry homemade pimento cheese and hummus, local beers, upscale olive oil and balsamic vinegars, deli sandwiches, prepared foods and wine "you won't find in a grocery store," Matta said. They still have room to add more to the store, and Matta said they plan to put in bulk food, such as granola, grains, and chocolate-covered espresso beans soon. Matta said they also hope to start catering.

They're hoping for more input from the community, Matta said. "Everything we did up to the opening was stuff we picked, and now, we want to hear what the neighborhood wants...Come out and tell us."



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