In Hyde Park, tucked between the craftsman bungalows and gingerbread Victorians north of the University, Avenue B Grocery quietly approaches its centennial. The current owner has run the worn little place for more than two decades, dishing out sandwiches and stories and swapping grievances. (He lives in the back and so when he’s on vacation, so’s the shop—call ahead.) Each week, he makes his own soups, and these are consistently delicious and comforting, especially the deeply flavored gumbo.

Sandwiches, although pretty conventional, are generous and thoughtfully executed. We’ve found ourselves completely obsessed with a “Jesus” (short for “Jesus, That’s a Good Sandwich!”) of unspectacular roast beef (low sodium; ask for it salted), melted brie, a little horseradish, and slivers of ripe tomato and red onion on wheatberry bread. It’s dreamy. Also great is a vegetarian “Queen B”—three kinds of cheese, ripe avocado, a slew of vegetables, and pickled jalapeños. There are Maine Root and Topo Chico sodas, as well as Zapp’s and Kettle Chips.

Enjoy these on the picnic benches in the leafy yard, where you forget all your modern troubles. Avenue B’s charm is that it manages to serve up everything you could possibly want, from toiletries to toilet scrubbers to toy airplanes, and yet it somehow manages to feel just like it must have in 1925.