Straight outta 'Sesame Street,' Frank and Bridget's Produce delights

In Perryville, Missouri, not far from Interstate 55 at 1700 Alma Ave., sits a large dark brown building. It is currently ringed with Missouri Amish tomatoes and stacks of watermelons of all kinds. Eight-foot palms and curling, blooming mandevilla vines stand guard at the awnings' supports, and lovely wooden and metal wishing well yard ornaments pepper the parking lot. I'd found Frank and Bridget's Produce, and what a unique place it is!

This may be a weird thing to say, but remember Mr. Hooper from "Sesame Street"? He was an older man with glasses perched on his nose, and he ran Hooper's Store for the denizens of Sesame Street. Pre-kindergarten me remembers his store, with all of the neatly stacked produce, full of colors and sweet flavors, stacked up outside of the door, right next to the daily news. These piles of apples and tomatoes were perfect, each fruit shiny and fresh, the geometrical designs appealing and mysterious. I wanted to visit Mr. Hooper's so badly. All of this reminiscing is just to say Frank and Bridget's Produce felt like Mr. Hooper's to me. That row of perfect, shiny apples of all colors, stacked up in perfect pyramids and just waiting to be bitten. Baskets of peppers, arranged prettily enough to be in a painting. Rows of tomatoes with nary a bruise, and the other, odder things I saw there.

Witch Finger grapes, creepy and sweet, available at Frank and Bridget's Produce.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

Such as Witch Finger grapes. The sign below the grapes said I could feel free to try one, and so I did. That odd, elongated grape was a funny shape, but the taste was all grape, clean and tangy and very sweet. I tried not to think about eating witch fingers, though. The name is creative and a little creepy. There was a pile of pluots, not something I see everywhere. This fruit is a large juicy globe, a cross between an apricot and a plum, and just reminds me of a less grainy, slightly sweeter plum. Delicious. Last week, I missed out on the Pink Glow pineapples that were in store. Like a normal pineapple on the outside, they had light pink flesh on the inside. Maybe they'll get some more soon. I love trying new foods, and new fruits top the list of must tries. Frank and Bridget's is the place to find these.

Don't be misled by the name of the store. Though produce is the headliner, there are many other things to be found here. Of particular interest to me was the seafood cooler. Frank and Bridget's carry my favorite Royal Red shrimp, a large meaty shrimp that is fished out of the deep, cold waters of the Gulf of Mexico. If you haven't tried it on my recommendation before, this is your chance. These shrimp taste like a cross between a shrimp and a lobster, and don't you dare sully them with cocktail sauce; a good dip in butter will suffice. Scallops and honest-to-goodness frog legs also fill the cooler. I'll be making the trip to load up again soon.

Amish Country popcorn of all colors and varieties filled the shelves, and just about every kind of salsa you could desire. Bags of peanuts, old-fashioned bulk candies, strawberries and blueberries. I couldn't help but be amazed how full the store was while still maintaining its cute, hometown flair. I watched a woman leave with a towering cart full of blackberries. If you need to buy in bulk for jam, jellies, pies or cobblers, it looks like this is the place to go.

Piles of perfect apples at Frank and Bridget's Produce. Mr. Hooper would be proud.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

There are some specialty items, such as Honey Stix. Little clear plastic tubes of flavored honey that shined with gemstone colors in the light called me to try them. It was a little tricky to get open. The woman at the counter said you could bite them open, but I ended up with a pair of scissors. I'm trying the Blackberry Blossom as I write this, and hear me out — one of these honey sticks, squeezed into your morning tea or coffee ... perhaps an Orange Blossom flavor into your favorite green tea, or a Cherry mixed into your breakfast blend coffee? These little sticks are genius, and at 3 for $1, you can try them all.

Frank and Bridget's Produce is open every day. If you haven't already been a regular customer, go check it out. The store is utterly charming and unique, and I only wish that I could move it just down the street from my house.