Listening to Grateful Dead records at home, the trio mused about having their own store to provide these goods to others. When they saw that a small deli in Locust Valley was going out of business, they jumped at the chance to rent it. For $250 a month, fitted with a walk-in cooler and refrigerator, it was perfect. Aptly, they chose to name the store after a Dead song: “Uncle John’s Band.”

“Got some things to talk about, here beside the rising tide…”

From the beginning, it was a community effort. The growing number of people attending their classes and dinners now came to shop for macrobiotic items at Rising Tide, and the store became a gathering spot for people seeking a healthier way of eating.