Reno Ethnic Shopping Guide for Visitors

Clothing, Art, Toys and Food with a Foreign Flavor

Sep 27, 2008 Connie Emerson

From African masks to East Indian videos; Chinese antique furniture to Mexican vanilla, Reno's ethnic shops offer hours of shopping pleasure for residents and visitors.

Not long after each ethnic group has settled in the Reno area, stores and restaurants have opened to serve their needs. These stores offer exciting shopping opportunities for visitors as well as residents. Some of the most interesting are listed below.

Bantu Spirit

Located on the ground floor of the Riverside Artists Lofts, Bantu Spirit (17 South Virginia Street, Suite 140) specializes in crafts produced in Zimbabwe. Carved ostrich-eggs, batik wall hangings, hand-ceremonial masks made of leather , carved animals and chess sets are among the traditional items on display. Wearable art includes Bushmen-themed safari outfits as well as contemporary hats of ostrich feathers with beaded bands. Bantu Spirit participates in the monthly Reno Wine Walk and also sponsors special events such as the 2007 “River Roots Reggae” celebrating the music of Bob Marley.

A-l Appliance Indian Grocery

A-1 Appliance Indian Grocery at 2302 Oddie Boulevard, Sparks (the backs of the stores in the shopping center face Oddie Blvd.) is primarily a grocery store, with East Indian snacks, plastic bags of exotic spices, canned lichees and huge sacks of rice piled on counters and shelves. Package mixes for naan and other breads and traditional desserts as well as bags of multi-colored lentils, chick peas and other legumes are other groceries displayed in great abundance. Shelves in one section of the store are piled high with videos from India and Pakistan, Bollywood-produced movies and magazines printed in Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi.

Bavarian World

Bavarian World’s delicatessen (595 Valley Road; corner of East Sixth Street) is the place to buy specialty foods and gifts imported from Germany. Among food products are senf (a German mustard-mayonnaise), canned red cabbage and boxes of spaetzle mix. Christmas cards and decorations, magazines, figurines, dishes, Lederhosen and dirndls are among other popular items for sale.

Wells Avenue Shops

The largest concentration of Reno’s Hispanic businesses are to be found on lower Wells Avenue (El Mundo Latino (1129 South Wells; Mexican-style western wear, El Mundo Latino (1200 South Wells, wedding gowns) and Mercadito Latino (1575 South Wells, groceries from south of the border). However, more authentically Hispanic stores in residential neighborhoods, such as those along Wrondel Avenue – El Mexicano Grocery & Video, El Rancho Market and El Amigo Market. Not only do they carry food products imported from Central America, but piñatas, gift items, paper napkins and other items with a south of the border flavor.

Dragon Spring

People who like to spend hours searching out treasures will love Dragon Spring (1707 South Wells Avenue). It’s a crowded shop, with antique cabinets displaying Chinese knicknacks, paper cuts, tiny satin brocade envelopes, vases, small statues and other items imported from mainland China. Pictures and wall hangings, and extensive array of antique Chinese furniture, lamps, silverware and other decorative accessories add to the shop’s appeal.

One-Stop Shopping

Shoppers who are short on time will be able to buy foods from many parts of the world at International Market (95 East Grove Street). It’s a warehouse-type operation with both fresh and packaged products.

On of the newest shops in Reno (3368 Lakeside Ct.), Artisans Fairtrade is the place to find crafts as well as artwork produced in Peru, Mexico and other parts of Central and South America, the African continent and other places where craftspeople are paid fair wages for the goods they create.

The copyright of the article Reno Ethnic Shopping Guide for Visitors in SW U.S./Hawaii Travel is owned by Connie Emerson. Permission to republish Reno Ethnic Shopping Guide for Visitors in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

A-1 Appliance and Grocery

Dragon Spring Features Potpourri of Chinese Items

Mexican items sold at Artisans Fairtrade.