Lakeside Urban Grocery: love, quality, convenience

“We love having Lakeside Urban Grocery so close by,” said Kevin Clark, who along with wife Robin moved back to Texas from New York City in the summer of 2020. Living in The Nexus Lakeside with no car (just a U-Haul truck), the couple immediately began to rely on Lakeside Urban Grocery, located next to Mena’s on Northwood Dr. just north of Lakeside Parkway. “We’d run in and grab stuff. They have everything — the convenience is reminiscent of New York. And Wilma [Cheshier], Isabelle, Alexa, Caroline, and everyone there is great. They’ve been supportive in so many ways.”

On August 19. Lakeside Urban Grocery celebrated its third anniversary offering the quality products and great customer service that keeps it so near and dear to so many (and integral to the Lakeside way of life).

“They always have items we need,” said longtime Lakeside homeowner Roland Shepard. “We go in sometimes for some last-minute shopping needs — wine, dog treats, cookie dough — and come out with spices, rubs, and flour, too.”

“The Sugar Brown Sweet Treat cookies are my favorite,” added wife Lynn. “I also love their prepared foods, especially the veggie ones and, most recently, the shrimp dish. Everything is very high quality. Of course, there are other times I just go in to visit.”  

Living less than 100 yards from the grocery store, the Shepards’ dog, Arrow, also enjoys spending time at the store, because Wilma and her staff are always ready with a treat. 

“When they’re closed on Mondays,” explained Roland, “Arrow doesn’t understand and he’ll just sit at the door staring inside and asking, ‘why aren’t you open?’”

“I like the pickles, elderberry syrup, and wine,” piped up Lakeside homeowner Rita Soderholm. “We pop in when my husband Robb and I grab a snack and a beverage for the Lakeside Music Series on Friday nights, when we need something last minute for dinner, or we want a bottle of wine or an easy appetizer to take to a party. It’s great not to have to leave the neighborhood!”

In addition to a full complement of craft beers and wine, grocery items, produce, specialty products, and heat-and-eat meals, Wilma stocks and supports customers who have special dietary needs.

“I’m diabetic,” said Margaret Froess, a longtime friend of Wilma’s, “and they have lots of yummy stuff for me. The And I Like It cheesecakes are great. I buy all the flavors. It’s great to have a dessert without stress. I also buy the TruEats Keto pancake mix. Their premade lunches, like the salads, and their ready-made foods are really good. I will get my nails done and then venture over to pick up a few things.”

“We struck up an instant friendship with Wilma in 2021,” said James Ledesma-Porter, co-owner of May’s Eats in Corinth, a “humble eatery” that offers soups, salads, made-to-order sandwiches, local beers, sommelier-selected wines, fresh cocktails, and a variety of chef-prepared meals and goodies for the taking.

If you’re looking for a quality meal to heat up, May’s co-owner and chef Eddie Ledesma-Porter, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, has you covered. His career has included stops at prestigious hotels, premiere cultural centers, and restaurant groups including The Ritz-Carlton Naples and Cameron Mitchell’s national concept, Ocean Prime. After consulting with various concepts across DFW starting in 2012, Eddie and James launched May’s Eats Gourmet to Go in Corinth in January 2021. 

For customers of Lakeside Urban Grocery, he whips up lunch items like the sumptuous Tarragon Chicken Salad and the equally tasty PeppaDil Egg Salad (served on sourdough bread or croissants). For dinner, try the Pan Seared Salmon, which is soaked in a house-made basil-scallion brine, the May’s Mac n’ Cheese, or the Herbed Chicken Breast (among many others). Also check out May’s soups and desserts — all their items are “made with love, by people who care, using only quality ingredients.”

While it can be difficult to discern the quality through the recyclable (and microwaveable) containers, try one — you won’t be sorry. “Our food is for professionals who want to eat well at home but don’t have time to cook.”

Don’t forget about dessert! Lakeside Urban Grocery offers a delicious assortment of local products, including the sugar-free/gluten-free delights from And I Like It Cheesecakes. But don’t worry, owner (and Navy veteran) Ericka McKim does not hold back on making her single-serve cheesecakes both decadent and delicious (her secret: the all-natural sweetener, FirstRate™). 

“These individual-size cheesecakes made with Philadelphia cream cheese and concentrated stevia extract are impossible to discern from the real thing,” reported The Dallas Morning News. “Gluten-free crusts are prepared with a blend of oat fiber, coconut flour and golden flaxseed meal, and grass-fed collagen is added to the filling for extra protein, so it almost feels like doing your body a favor by eating more cheesecake, especially considering they average 2 net carbs per serving.” 

In addition to Original flavor, other flavors range from Chocolate, Raspberry, and Key Lime to Spice Rum, Mint Chocolate, and Blueberry Lemon. 

If you’re more of a cookie person, check out Sugar Brown Sweet Treats, gourmet cookies made with quality ingredients that are processed without chemical additives. It’s a family operation led by Arcina Beard, husband Radek, and their teenagers, Adel and Naya. They are one of Wilma’s top-selling products.

Another must-try treat at Lakeside Urban Grocery: Belle’s Popcorn. Started in a small shop in Dallas, Belle’s handcrafts delicious gourmet popcorn made fresh daily in small batches; every bag includes only the best hand-selected ingredients. The “loads of love” in Belle’s popcorn comes free of charge and in a range of flavors, including Extra Buttery, Sea Salt Caramel, White Cheddar, and Kettle Corn. Warning: you may get hooked.

“It’s not every day in life,” suggested Sean Hamilton of Crystal Flower Health and Wellness, “you come across people who are good-natured and willing to help others out of the kindness of their heart. But Wilma is one of those people.” As Sean and wife Rachel prepared to open their new store, Wilma offered her assistance as a resource. And only a week into their opening, the Hamilton’s Kombucha refrigerator broke. Wilma came to the rescue. During the three weeks it took to fix the refrigerator, Wilma stored their Kombucha at her store (where Wilma sells another brand of Kombucha). 

When Wilma was preparing for a wine-tasting event at Lakeside Tower, she suggested to Rebecca Marabito, the Tower’s social event coordinator, that Crystal Flower be included to showcase their products. 

“Wilma is special,” said Rebecca, who doubles as a frequent customer of Lakeside Urban Grocery. “She has been a great resource for me, she’s great at building relationships, she supports local businesses, and everyone in Lakeside loves her. And I love her boutique grocery store! She carries the best of the best.”

To say that Lakeside Urban Grocery is a labor of love for Wilma, would be an understatement. The grocery business offers her a chance to share and express that love daily, with so many. 

“Lakeside,” she explained, “is a lot like the small town I grew up in Indiana. People don’t like to leave it, if they don’t have to. And people are very supportive of each other.”

Of course, anyone can tell you that it is Wilma who supports so many — from her customers and her vendors to her fellow merchants and her precious grandchildren. And don’t forget the canines of the community, who have a special place in their hearts for Wilma. 

“That’s part of my evil plan,” she laughed, “to offer every dog a treat — so I can love on all the dogs and as bonus they will drag their owners in to shop.”