Shopper’s Corner customer spotlight: Brittany Barrios and Scott Williams

For over 80 years, Shopper’s Corner has been a staple of the Santa Cruz community, serving fresh produce, specialty products, and high-quality meats. The market’s longstanding reputation for quality and friendliness has earned it a loyal customer base, including Scott Williams and Brittany Barrios.

Scott Williams, a project coordinator for Mint Systems, has been a customer of Shopper’s Corner for 33 years. He attributes his loyalty to the market to his family’s history with the store. Williams’ grandfather and Bud Beauregard, childhood friends, purchased the store for a dollar in 1938. Williams’ father later owned 50% of the store with Jim Beauregard, and Williams himself worked at Shopper’s Corner when he was 14.

Brittany Barrios, a wholesale customer service rep/buyer for Buell Wetsuits, has been shopping at Shopper’s Corner for 13 years. Barrios was first drawn to the market for its fresh produce and friendly staff. She now shops at Shopper’s Corner every other day for a variety of items, including fresh ingredients for cooking and specialty products for entertaining.

As the holiday season approaches, Williams and Barrios plan to continue their tradition of shopping at Shopper’s Corner. They both have their eyes set on the market’s prime rib, ham, fresh produce, and hard-to-find specialty products. Williams notes that Shopper’s Corner carries the best wine selection in town, while Barrios raves about the market’s small quantity offerings of cheeses, marinated olives, jams, store-packaged chocolates, sweets, nuts, and more.

(Paul Eisenberg)

For those new to the Santa Cruz community, Williams and Barrios highly recommend Shopper’s Corner for its family-owned and quaint atmosphere, high-quality products, and fair prices. Williams emphasizes the market’s expertise in breaking beef, a lost art in today’s market, while Barrios appreciates the friendly conversations she has with other customers in line.

Overall, Shopper’s Corner’s longstanding history and reputation as a friendly, high-quality market make it a beloved institution in the Santa Cruz community.

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Get to know Brittany Barrios and Scott Williams

Brittany Barrios, 13-Year Customer, Santa Cruz
Occupation: Wholesale Customer Service Rep/Buyer, Buell Wetsuits
Hobbies: Skateboarding, art, bike tinkering, family life, cooking

Scott Williams, 33-Year Customer, Santa Cruz
Occupation: Project Coordinator, Mint Systems
Hobbies: Skateboarding, dirt biking, disk golf, family life, cooking

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Recipe of the Week

Fresh Blackened Rockfish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Tartar Sauce

Ingredients

Cilantro Lime Tartar Sauce

• ¾ cup tartar sauce, use your favorite brand
• ¼ cup minced cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice

Rockfish Tacos

• 1 ½ lb rockfish
• 2 tablespoons blackening spice, see notes
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 12 4-inch tortillas, warmed
• Minced red onion, cilantro, and avocado slices, and lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

• In a small bowl, mix the tartar sauce, cilantro, and lime juice.
• Dry the rockfish with paper towels then season both sides with blackening spice.
• Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
• Once the pan is hot, add the rockfish.
• Let it cook undisturbed for 4 minutes then give the pan a shake so the fish releases from the pan.
• Flip the rockfish over and let it cook for 2 more minutes then take the pan off of the heat and break the fish into many smaller pieces.
• While the fish is cooking, make the slaw by mixing ¼ cup of the cilantro lime tartar sauce with the shredded cabbage.
• To serve the tacos, pile some slaw on a warm tortilla, top with a few pieces of blackened rockfish, any or all of the toppings, and a spoonful of the cilantro lime tartar sauce.