The doctor is in

… Safeway? That’s right. If you need to see someone about a sore throat or you step on a nail and need a tetanus shot or stitches, you can now walk in—or make an appointment—at Safeway on East Avenue. Action Urgent Care bills itself as the “fastest, most-knowledgeable medical network on Earth” and it’s staffed in-person by nurses, plus there’s a network of physicians available via computer screen. As an added convenience, you can do your grocery shopping while you wait!

I’m not sure how I feel about having sick people congregate where I buy food, but the concept is interesting, especially considering the lack of primary care physicians in town. And if the average wait time is really only five minutes, as advertized, I might just go there the next time I need a doctor.

Action Urgent Care takes most insurance, provided it’s an HMO or PPO, and a visit sans insurance costs $75. It’s open 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekends, with breaks from noon-1 p.m. and 4:30-5:30 p.m. I’m curious how this model works—if you’ve taken advantage of this service since it started a few months ago, let me know!

Sew long I hate to see good businesses go, but this one seems like perhaps a bit of karma. About a year after 1078 Gallery was evicted from its longtime Broadway space, its loud live shows blamed for decreased business at neighboring Acapillow, that business has closed up shop. Peter and Eleanor Path opened the vintage décor and upholstery store in Chico in December 2016, having recently relocated here from Santa Monica. Peter also managed the Broadway building. I drove by recently and saw a “for lease” sign in the Acapillow window. All the merchandise is gone. And a phone call to the business yielded a message about leasing the space, nothing more.

In 1078 news, the city zoning administrator approved a conditional use permit for its new location at 1710 Park Ave. and the gallery is organizing a volunteer core to ready the space. Check Facebook for updates or info on how to join the fun.

More poke?! So, I Fish Poke Bar Thai Kitchen opened up recently over in the Safeway shopping center on Nord Avenue. I popped in to give it a shot. The menu is strangely eclectic, but I like it. If you don’t want poke, no big deal. The poke bar itself was fresh and had fewer restrictions on how many scoops of what you can add to your bowl than you’ll find at Lucky Poke—though I do admit I prefer Lucky’s fish. There’s something wonderful about those raw scallops.

I say “more poke?!” because this is just the third of five places planned for Chico. The next one is going in where Has Beans used to be downtown. But I was recently walking down Third Street and noticed a note in the window of the former Rallo’s West (RIP). The name wasn’t clear, but it certainly indicated another poke place is going in there, too. How many can Chico support?