At the corner of 34th Street and Dent Place, one block south of Reservoir, Le Petit Corner Store is a half-house, half-storefront whose interior is a homey, welcoming, albeit assorted mixture of a deli, café, and community rendez-vous spot.
If you’ve ever walked up 34th Street to Safeway or along Dent to Visitation, then you’ve walked right past this epitome of Georgetown quaintness. Its current managers, Mr. and Mrs. Sohielinia, have been running the corner shop for the past three years, but it was founded over 60 years ago when its original owner, Mrs. Rosen, first opened its doors to the community. Although the Sohielinias don’t live upstairs, Mrs. Rosen raised her family here at 1643 34th Street during the Great Depression, when she only granted entry to customers who rang a bell that’s still bolted next to the front door.
Standing anchored in the center of the store are wooden shelves that house products varying from Chef Boyardee canned goods to Tek Süt Kaskaval Cheese, organized in more of a sprinkled continuum than strict categories. Boxes of Quaker cereal and bottles of red wine vinegar, aged twelve years, casually sit atop the shelves, across from refrigerators of chilled beer and bottles of pomegranate juice.
Since Mrs. Rosen’s time, the property has since been bought and the house upstairs rented out, but the grocery remains. When Mr. and Mrs. Sohielinia took over its operation in 2005, the current owner, who is Turkish, had converted it into a Turkish specialty store, which explains the interesting assortment of goods offered.
While I browsed the store, a regular preparing himself a cup of coffee opened up the deli meat case and took out an inconspicuous ceramic cup. He poured himself some milk from it before returning it to the case, carrying himself with the kind of nonchalance you can’t fake. The Sohielinias customers make themselves at home, which, judging from the décor, isn’t hard to do at all.
“The Turkish Delight is my favorite,” says Mr. Sohielinia as he reaches for the box to show me. In addition to groceries, there is also a full sandwich menu, deli meats, and other prepared foods. The store offers homemade baklavah, tabbouleh, a chicken curry salad with apricots and walnuts, weekly soups, and specials like stuffed grapes and Borik, a spinach pie with light feta cheese.
The store’s real gem, especially for the passing student, is the delectable selection of sandwiches and paninis, along with Boar’s Head deli meats and cheeses sold to go. Chicken breast with walnut mayo and lettuce; turkey and provolone cheese with cranberry jam; as well as a roast beef panini with pesto sauce, mozarella cheese and tomatoes—all are $6.99 including tax.
Sohielinia, who’s worked in the restaurant business for over 20 years, said he loves his corner store. “This is a neighborhood store, and we meet a lot of nice friendly people. Everyone knows me here by name and I love to know everyone. Old customers, graduated students, always come back for homecoming to get sandwiches … It’s great to see them.”
Whether you go to Le Petit Corner Store for coffee, lunch, grocery shopping, or just a game of backgammon with the regulars, you’ll be sure to find good food and good people. For those looking for a good Leo’s alternative, a sandwich here will be sure to spark you fancy. The only thing missing to make Le Petit Corner Store feel more like a neighborhood store would be Mr. Rogers in the corner tying his shoes. But hey—fall is on its way, and I have a ton of sweaters.
Won’t you be Michael’s neighbor at mhk9@georgetown.edu?
