University of Virginia Library

Crafts, Clothes, And Carrots

Signs of the crafts, natural
foods, and "do it yerself"
movements are showing up on
good old Elliewood(Band Box)
Ave. Noonday's and the trusty
orange record shop have
recently been joined by several
new stores and a natural foods
restaurant.

John and Apple's Natural
Foods Store, open since May,
specializes in grains and
flours, fresh organically-grown
produce, cheeses and
nuts, herbs and spices, as well as
many books on nutrition and
gardening.

"We want to turn people on
to the right things to eat" says
Canadian-born Linda Apple.
"We believe that you are what
you eat."

Ms. Apple explains that she
was on her way to Europe this
spring but first stopped to visit
John Ray, then a University
student. She was having her
belt repaired in the Trilogy
Leather Shop, when Sam
Delaura, the owner, suggested
they rent one of the stores
next door and open up a
natural foods store. They did.

The Carrot Cafe

In conjunction with the
store is the Carrot Cafe,
specializing in fresh carrot
and apple juice, freshly baked
bread, an assortment of
sandwiches, and smoothies–a
milkshake-like drink made with
yogurt, wheat germ, honey and
fruit. Also among the items on
the menu are lentil soup,
raw corn, pumpkin seeds, and
$.05 herbal teas.

Both Marsha Guzallis, who
runs the Cafe and Ms. Apple
were turned on to eating
natural foods in San Francisco.
It was there that Ms. Apple
worked in a health food store
and read extensively on the
subject of nutrition. M.W.
Walker's book "Become
Younger" was the catalyst for
Ms. Guzallis's interest in natural
foods; then after her baby
was born she became even
more concerned with foods.

Texas Grains

The grains they use are
shipped from Texas(where the
soil is richer) and much of the
produce is sent from Maryland,
Pennsylvania, and Rhode
Island. Much of their bread
and eggs are supplied by
Innesfree Village, a farming
community for the mentally
retarded near Crozet.
Whenever possible, the Cafe
and store try to purchase from
local organic gardens and
farms.

Adjacent to the Carrot Cafe
is 'Trilogy,' a combination
leather and head shop which
opened last year. Mr. Delaura
claims his is the only store in
town that does quality custom
leather work; he also repairs
leather goods.

Mr. Delaura worked with
leather for "four or five years'
as a hobby, then last year
decided to drop out of
Catholic University Law
School and open up his own
leather shop.

The long-haired,
mustachioed craftsman gets
frustrated with customers who
are afraid to barter over
his merchandise. "I had a
barter sale and only one person
came in and tried to barter. I
gave him a $40 bag for $20 just
because I was so glad to see
someone who wouldn't
immediately pay the marked
price."

He also found that he
wasn't drawing enough
customers with just leather
work. I had to make it into a
head shop in order to survive."
Along with the leather goods
he sells candles, incense,
blouses, and underground
comics and newspapers. However,
he emphasizes that this
year he will be selling only
hard leather goods, with the
exception of a few choice soft
leather pieces, and, in his
estimation, "some of the finest
hand-crafted pipes within a
hundred miles. And that's all I
sell. Just pipes."

Guatemalan Imports

Located above the Carrot
Cafe at 9 Elliewood Ave. is "La
Iguana," owned and operated
by Marcio and Ashley Acuna.
Their store, opened last May,
carries imports from
Guatemala, including clothes,
stuffed animals, blankets, rugs,
wooden rugs, wooden objects
and works of art.

Upstairs from "La Iguana"
is "The Gift and Game
Gallery' which has been in
business since April. Mark
Allen moved here from

Missouri to run the store with
his partner. The shop carries
several unusual items such as
Australian boomerangs and
"Elephant Chess", an Indian
version which is much more
difficult than the usual chess
game.

"That Tuxedo Place," was
opened by Peggy Barnett in April.
According to Ms. Barnett,
the store offers "over 40
selections of coats and 13
shades of tufted shirts." She
ran a bridal shop in
Harrisonburg for many years
before she struck on the idea
of opening up a tuxedo store
to go with her bridal trade.
"For the longest time I
thought I couldn't do it because
women can't measure
men's inseams. But then I
found out that all you have to
measure is the outseam."

As self-proclaimed
vice-president of the Elliewood
Ave. Merchants Association,
Mr. Delaura explains why he is
pleased with his new
neighbors: "All the shops
around here are individually
owned –you aren't dealing
with Leggetts."