The closing of Cosetinos in San Jose, Ca.

I have recently learned that Cosentino's in San Jose, CA. closed on Saturday, February 27, 2011.  This store is near and dear to my heart, as this is where I discovered 'real' chocolate.  Previous to the summer of 1970, my experience with chocolate was limited to Hershey's milk chocolate bars and M&M's.  We had recently moved into the area and Cosentino's was a mile away, walking distance, from my house.  The first time we shopped at this store, I experienced an awakening of my culinary senses.  Here there were barrels filled with pickles, a real butcher shop, a cheese counter, a bakery of wonderful goods (oh, my aching sweet tooth), and vegetables I had never seen before in my life. The aromas from this store were both tantalizing and confusing as many of those aromas I was unable to identify at that time.
My favorite was the chocolate aisle.  Along one end of this aisle lay before my eyes a mass of chocolate candies from different countries and I remember taking my allowance and purchasing the dark chocolate that cost me the entire allowance. That first taste is, to this day, an experience that shaped my opinion of what chocolate should taste like.  I spent my entire weekly allowance on different chocolates at this store, carefully dividing it into seven days, long enough to last until my next purchase.  Every week without fail I walked to this store and  purchased my treasure, except of course when I lost my allowance due to some negligence my parents felt was inexcusable.  Those were long weeks. To this day I am closet chocolate eater and now a chocolate maker.  Thank you Cosetino's.
I am sad over this closing.  It was a wonderful store.  I shall miss it.