When I visit a new country or move to a new city, I always want to see the local grocery stores.
Local grocery stores speak to the terroir of the places where they are located, sometimes by offering local products from the land right outside their doors, and sometimes by importing items from far away for a population that wants a taste of the terroir.
I remember fresh pears and chunks of cheese from a market in Cortona, Italy. I also remember a hearty egg sandwich from an IGA in Wilmore, Kentucky, and a bag of chocolate-covered pretzels from Trader Joe’s bought on the black market at a grocery store in Seoul, Korea.
So it’s no surprise that a few months after moving to Chattanooga, I found myself at Tienda El Aguila.
La Tienda El Aguila has it all: shelves filled with bottles of Valentina hot sauce, packets of sal de cebolla and heavy-bottomed aluminum steamers.
The coolers were filled with cartons of mango nectar, Topo Chico, and every flavor of Jarritos under the sun.
And the produce was loaded with tomatillos, avocados and peppers, cactus, agaves and tubers, along with your classic cucumbers, silken corn and boxes of citrus.
(READ MORE: A Chattanooga Torta for Every Day of the Week)
Rene Perez Roblero is the owner of Tienda El Aguila. He and his wife, Priscilla, run the store. They have a tienda in Rossville, but it’s undergoing renovations, so they opened a store on Dayton Boulevard in Red Bank three months ago.
Perez Roblero enjoys connecting with his customers and helping them find items they might be nostalgic for. He came to the United States in 2012 when he was 17. He said the economy was still struggling after the recession and the Hispanic community in this area was smaller, so it wasn’t as easy to find foods and snacks as he might have found in his native Guatemala. But he shared how much he’s grown, not only economically, but mentally since living here over the years. He returned to Guatemala last year and said that while he was there, he was homesick for Chattanooga.
We talked about his favorite snacks that remind him of his home country. He pointed past the Guatemalan and Mexican flags to the aisles where the bags of chips were and said the jalapeño nachos were his favorite. But if you’re walking down Dayton Boulevard, not only can you get your snacks and groceries at Tienda, you can also grab Mixta Guatemalteca and Pollo Picante to go from the food truck in the parking lot.
Taqueria La Delicia is leasing the parking space next to Tienda while the food truck owners build their restaurant, which will open in the coming months in the building right next to Tienda El Aguila. The cursive letters of La Delicia could be seen peeking out from under the black tarp on the side of the building—a promise of good food to come.
The concrete glistens in the warm sun, as I stand on the sidewalk in front of the food truck, I learn that the food truck, La Delicia, moved here three months ago from the Rossville area. Owner Alex Aguilar opened the food truck in 2020 and was eventually able to turn it into a brick-and-mortar restaurant. He closed the food truck for a while, but has now moved it here to grow his business. The team is expanding the food truck’s menu from about 21 items to more than 90 menu items.
New items include enchiladas, complex moles and even shrimp cocktails. Menu items will include Mexican and Guatemalan classics.
Tacos al pastor are supreme. Corn tortillas are filled with juicy, tender, slow-marinated meat, topped with shredded cabbage and cilantro. Big lime wedges and an extra spicy homemade salsa complete the Styrofoam to-go box of my dreams.
Tacos al pastor are ready, from the Taqueria La Delicia food truck on August 1, 2024. Photo by Lyric Lewin.(READ MORE: A behind-the-scenes look at running a food truck in the Chattanooga area from someone who’s been there)
One of the dishes on the menu that I didn’t expect was the “Shucos” or hot dogs. When I asked if this was a nod to their American neighborhood, Edwin told me that it was actually a typical Guatemalan dish, just like the Mixta Guatemalteca, which consists of carne asada, shredded cabbage, guacamole, chili peppers, cilantro, and lots of ketchup and mayonnaise.
The first time I ordered from the food truck, a few months ago, I got the pollo picante (grilled onions, chicken with rice and beans topped (but, like, lovingly smothered) in queso) and I knew I’d be back. The place has continued to hold its appeal. Just as Perez Roblero helps people connect with flavors they’re nostalgic for, I know this grocery store and food truck have already helped me establish a sense of belonging with new flavors in my new home.
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