[graciegirl]

I love to hear of people's favorites. Now I have a bunch of new things to try.

Keep them coming folks.

[photo1902]

Originally Posted by CFrance

That's so you won't see the rotting fruit. (KIDDING)


My husband says their meat is exceptional, especially their pork tenderloins. They have Chilean sea bass (not sure if that is sustainably caught) that is excellent. They have cheese variety the likes of which are hard to find elsewhere. They have a paté my husband likes. I like their heirloom tomatoes, I LOVE their malted milk balls and the fact that you can buy jelly beans by the single flavor. Their cracker selection is unique, one of their yogurts (has ginger in it) can't be found anywhere else, and their frozen foods section has some pizzas and other items that are different and quite good.


They have a really wide selection of chocolate bars. That's just a start. I like their baguettes better than anyone else's, I like when they have a dozen rozes for $10, their baked goods--cookies and cakes--are unique, and, and, and...


I don't like to shop in a store that's lit up like a cafeteria. I like the lower lighting. But I think the lighting at Publix and Winn-Dixie are fine too, and not too bright.



They sometimes have adult spinach, which you can't get anywhere anymore except in the farmers markets and then only if you get there early. They have loose mushrooms.



They have wild caught shrimp and Key West pinks.


Fresh Market is an add-on for me. I don't go there for everyday goods like paper towels (don't have) or dish soap (do have).


But I'm not slamming Publix or Winn-Dixie. Overall, the grocery store experience is the US is second to none. Shopping in a large supermarket in Europe is like walking into a gymnasium past due for aeration. With klieg lights.

Absolutely! And the Ultimate Crabcakes! Yummy

[Madelaine Amee]

I'm a Fresh Market shopper for specialized items. I love their vegetables, love the huge variety, like being able to pick out perfect mushrooms instead of buying a box all squashed together. Love their fruit - great price on Blueberries and Strawberries today! I like meandering around the store checking out the different items they have. I like their dairy products, they do a "to die for" English clotted cream - expensive, but so good on the right pie! I like their breads and especially their small baguettes, had one this evening with salad and cold cuts. I love their cheeses, so much variety ... prices are high though. I wanted crumbled goat cheese $7.00 ouch. They had great fish today. I got a beautiful piece of Cod that came in fresh yesterday, priced under $8 per lb. They had swordfish steaks for (I believe) $13+ a lb and offered to cut any size for me. Great service.

I cannot shop there for everything, but for something different and special they are hard to beat.

I even like the ambiance, reminds me of a New England general store with the wide board plank floors. BUT, could do with a bit more light. Other than that, it's all good and so is Publix and Aldi's. We are very lucky to have the selection of stores to shop.

CFrance's comment on a French supermarket reminded me of being in a supermarket in Panama. I went in looking for a bathroom - I stepped into the store and was facing the meat department - oh my G.. seeing their huge slabs of meat would put you off eating meat for the rest of your life, and filthy and frightening - shudder, left without using their facilities.

[CFrance]

French supermarkets are not quite as bad. They do their butchering out of sight. The problem is the French do not hang/age their meat. It smells freshly dead. It's not a pleasant odor. And then add a 20-foot-long fish aisle on top of that. All in all a pretty ghastly odor. And the layout of the stores doesn't follow common logic. Bread is stashed in three different parts of the store. Baby food is not even in a food aisle. Where they're hiding the cookies is a toss-up. Milk is in two different places... Last March I was amazed at how much the air conditioned the stores. Then the summer hit, and the stores are hot. Turns out they just didn't heat the stores in the winter... nor cool them in the summer!

American supermarkets are much better laid out and consequently are more inviting. Well... maybe not Walmart.

[asianthree]

We shop there at least twice a week. Tuesday is a given, the sale day. Organic products, olive and cheese department is well stocked.
When the boys come it’s every day, the best sushi around. Made right in front of you, fresh and excellent price.

The muffins, lemon poppyseed, Cherry, cream cheese is a get there first thing in the morning or they are gone. I love the small deserts for 2 to 3 people, just enough sweet. Bread selection is more than anyone could ask for. Not so much on their bagels, or the lox that they carry.

Meat department is like talking to your butcher, and wild caught seafood is worth the drive. Near holidays we get their meal and are always very happy. the seafood salad is really good, and the boys say the panini sandwiches are excellent.

As close to Whole Foods as you can get. I find the prices comparable for the products that they carry

[marianne237]

Love their roasted chicken salad...cannot leave the store without it.

[Ecuadog]

I'd trade them all in for one Wegmans.

[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Ecuadog

I'd trade them all in for one Wegmans.

I keep hearing rave reviews of Wegmans. I love me a good grocery store!!! lol

[Erika]

Originally Posted by Ecuadog

I'd trade them all in for one Wegmans.

Wegman's is absolutely the best for everything. Delicious take-out, enormous variety offering a huge brand selection of anything you are looking for, reasonable prices.

[valuemkt]

Another vote for wegmans

[lorilorilori]

At Fresh Market, I always start with checking out the Bistro Meals for the day.
Usually $8 or so for one entree and 2 sides. That with a salad makes a nice &
fast dinner and better than almost all the restaurants in TV.

[sunny70]

I love their Chicken Pot Pies. You can take them home and pop them in the oven, or freeze them for another time. One pie is two meals for Hubby and me. The crust is delish!

[NotGolfer]

As someone else said....it's an add-on shopping trip for our house-hold. I now go there (as said before) for their meat. Tuesdays specials are great!!! I generally go there for a thing or two and end up spending for more than those as I'll see other items. They also have heirloom tomatoes that taste nearly as good as fresh off the vine. Though be careful as they're sometimes nearly beyond "fresh"....so need to be eaten right away.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by NotGolfer

As someone else said....it's an add-on shopping trip for our house-hold. I now go there (as said before) for their meat. Tuesdays specials are great!!! I generally go there for a thing or two and end up spending for more than those as I'll see other items. They also have heirloom tomatoes that taste nearly as good as fresh off the vine. Though be careful as they're sometimes nearly beyond "fresh"....so need to be eaten right away.

I read something about heirloom tomatoes. They often seem like they're going soft because they're so juicy, apparently because that's the way it was back then. So don't be afraid to buy them, but I agree with you about eating them sooner rather than later.

[big guy]

Be careful at Fresh Market and watch your receipt. Or watch when you are checked out. First time I went there they charged me 11.99 per pound for green beans. OK, she hit too many ones, I returned, pointed it out and got my money back. Second time I had heard that their Italian sausage was superior. So I get 2 lbs. I get home and the sausage package is stamped, "Pork Chops 4.99 lb" (Italian sweet sausage was 2.99 lb). Now I am steaming. The manager offers to refund my entire purchase which is not necessary. Just stop over charging me. So I pretty much stay away from there.