Latin flavor: New grocery store opens in downtown Dalton
What you need to know about El Deseo
What: El Deseo Latin grocery store
Where: 47 W Main St., Dalton
Hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. every day
DGKN PHOTOS
Maria Lorena Quinteros shows some of the unique items for international cuisine available at El Deseo Latin grocery store, which she opened late last year in downtown Dalton.
DALTON Depending on where you’re from or where you live, you might refer to the long root with the brown peel and white interior used in Latin American or African cooking as either cassava or yuca.
Either way, that ingredient and many fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen foods, meats, snacks, spices and other international food items your heart desires and your tastebuds crave are all available at a friendly corner shop at 47 W Main Street in Dalton.
Aptly named El Deseo, which translated from Spanish means “desire,” the little Latin grocery store opened around Thanksgiving in downtown Dalton.
El Deseo is worth a visit at least once a week as a range of unique offerings continue to make appearances on the shelves and in the freezer section.
A smiling Maria Lorena Quinteros, who lives in Wooster, explained how she previously had a store in Orrville and she opened the business in Dalton thanks to an opportunity for an affordable space that is centrally located. She already has drawn customers from all directions throughout Wayne County and from New Philadelphia, Canton and Akron.
Originally from El Salvador, but living in Ohio for more than two decades, Quinteros makes sure to put the best quality products from her native country as well as other Latin American countries on her shelves. She puts energy and time into making sure a wide variety of the most delicious affordable international foods are available to meet her customers’ needs. She travels to larger cities such as Columbus and Chicago and other states such as New York and Maryland to personally pick out the best foods to fill the freezers and shelves and also to fulfill requests of customers.
Depending on which day you visit, you might find a treasure. That yummy looking piece of cake in the freezer? She just picked that up fresh from Columbus. What if you’re in the mood for Indian or Asian food? More spices than you can name hang near the front window. The cooler section has goat meat, chicken, tamales and more. A package of tortillas is only $2 and a large fresh papaya also is just 2 bucks.
Recently, she had bunches of bananas piled high in her store along with dragon fruit, juicy-looking nectarines, kabocha squash, ginger, and cactus leaves. Dried mango leaves and other ingredients are available, which she said are popular for people who enjoy making their own tea with numerous health benefits.
