Ann Yin looks back on her time in China fondly, according to an interview with Heavy Table. She and husband Yulin immersed themselves in the local culture, visiting the market each morning to grab that day’s groceries and nurture relationships with the local vendors. Eventually, just the sight of Ann would set merchants to packaging up her usual order or slicing a special cut of meat. When Ann and Yulin returned to the States, they wanted to re-create the connection to food and provide that they’d encountered in China, and Local D’Lish was born. Though laid out like a grocery store or a rabbit’s underground pantry, the shop exudes the atmosphere of a farmers' market with small quantities of fresh produce, meat, dairy, and grocery products from 200 organic farmers and vendors in Minnesota and the Midwest. Its cooking instructors even teach patrons how to assemble the ingredients at classes that change with the season.