Shop Local: Editor Gets a Taste of Port's Downtown

Other than random ins and outs at a few downtown Port Washington businesses, I was relatively embarrassed as a Patch editor to say I have never shopped our local retail offerings.

But comments from shop owners about offered that extra boost I needed to get downtown and see what it was all about.

So, Thursday night — bundled with a jacket, hat and mittens, as I picked the coldest day yet for this adventure — I hit the streets with some serious shopping on my brain.

I headed downtown at about 3:30 p.m., and finished my shopping trip just after 6 p.m. Yes, stores were still open.

I learned a few things. is the ideal place to take children, or prepare for next year's Pirate Fest, and also to purchase my cousin a Christmas gift catered to his interest in Pirates.

(Port Tobacco) is a pretty cool store, with yummy smelling cigars (should the need for celebration ever arise) and also a decent selection of beer in their back cooler!

has everything we are going to need to , and we even purchased one piece to replace a previously broken one.

is a clash between a Pier 1 and something else that I can't quite put my finger on — but I love it.

Oh, and is a great place to take the boyfriend.

The list goes on.

After all that shopping, it was time for some dinner. Rather than hit up a local restaurant that's already been checked off my list (so far including , , or ) Nick and I decided to try something new, a place we've been wanting to head to for some time: .

Taste of Africa hides in the basement of , and because of its near-secret location I'm afraid it gets far less traffic than the quality of it's food deserves. It was delicious! Start with an appetizer of fried plantains (yum!) and you'll grow very impatient for the delicious food that is to follow.

At the end of my shopping experience, I realized a few more things: I wish I would have done this in the summer; but, it's a worthy shopping experience to repeat again soon despite it being winter; and I think I will bring my family out to shop Port whenever it is they visit.

But I think the most important thing to remember is something that's recognized in all parts of the country but only makes a difference if we practice it at home:

"We need to start taking care of our American businesses rather than the large conglomerates," as Barbara Powell put it. Powell is the owner of a charter fishing fleet in Oregon whom I interviewed for a recent story about the .

That's the point. Shop local. Support the businesses in your downtown, and help our city's economy to grow so that it can foster our resident's needs.

It seems that some people are willing to do so, from on Patch that asked people about their shopping habits at Fair Trade for All. Thiry-four percent said they have already been to the store in Port, and another 34 percent say they would like to go; 31 percent said they probably wouldn't stop by the store.

If that 31 percent won't go to Fair Trade, I hope it's because they have no need for the types of gifts and other products sold there, and not because they don't feel the desire to shop local.

Editor's Note: This is not a scientific poll. Results are as of 9:28 a.m. Friday and include 70 votes.