I just got home from Grand Traverse Publix. I talked to the butcher and they are closing down their meat counter too (as we speak, since it was only a quarter full). He said they will still be there, but they will be cutting the meat and packaging it for counter sales.

Difficult to judge each section (ie meat, fish, bakery) independently. I may go there for the butcher and since I am there pick up ten other items to save me a trip to a less expensive supermarket.

True, but one department does not operate independently of others. I go to a store with a butcher because I like steaks cut a certain thickness. While there I will buy various other items from different departments (bakery, deli etc). If I have to go to Earth Fare for the meat, I will just get my other items from there as well.

Very true terrible layout. Too no sliced meat that’s already payed out for quick pick up. I’m dumbfounded by their new store layout!

Earth Fare in Lady Lake has a very godd selection of fresh fish.

Did he state why???

No, he didn't say why they are changing the department. He had a big tray of meat he was moving around and I didn't want him to drop it. Hopefully, someone else can get a more complete answer.

He was surprised that I heard they were closing down the counter. I told him you can get alot of information on TOTV!

Have you ever heard of Aldi's ?

I went once and was not impressed. I bought a pack of skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Looked good on the front side but when I went home and opened the package the back side of the breasts were all fat and skin. I never went back.

EARTHFARE!!! Just opened, you won't be disappointed.

A life of steaks is known to be a somewhat shorter life.

Absolutely!! I am visiting in Austin, TX and the Walmart at this location has no other option but to self check out! All other point of sales registers are gone! If I wanted to work for Walmart I would apply....not happy about self check out

It's a butcher shop. It looks like one inside, smells like one, there's no getting around it. They also have a variety of fish, mostly frozen but most of them are not "commercial brand" fish but rather, line-caught and hauled in to be frozen by a fishmonger and sold at Best Meats. Can get some pretty nice pieces of salmon there.

But if you remember old fashioned butcher shops - they were not "pleasant" places. The smell of a back room that cuts up sides of beef without a wall to separate it from the sales floor is not pleasant.

They have good local Florida cheese too by the way, right at the counter.

Earth Fare's beef is grass fed and grass finished, so I won't buy it. I want beef grain finished. Grass finished is dry and gamey.

I afraid all Publix will discontinue them. Have you seen some of the goofballs act when there number comes up. Was 15 people waiting ( that was short for some reason) one person wanted all the counter people to fill her order cause she didn’t want to wait for one guy to do it. Some order 1/4 pound of sliced meat and it it over by once they make them remove the meat. So, eventually they will probably discontinue meat counter in all of them if the public don’t stop the “ I special attitude” ? I have other meaning for this but will reframe from getting nasty.

My wife's grandfather had a "semi- kosher" butcher shop in Roxbury Massachusetts, which is why this one turned me off. The outside reminded me of his :D

I was referring to the OUTSIDE of the place on 301. Never could get myself to park and walk in. We had a German butcher shop in the town in NJ where we had a business for over 25 years and it was as clean and mostly odor free (other than for the stinky cheese) as any food store I have been in. :)

As for Earth Fare, we visited today and it was (IMO) just a poor copy of Whole Foods but just as expensive. A pint of Ben and Jerry's was $7! Amy's frozen entrees were $2+ more than Publix. Their bakery had virtually nothing and their meat and fish dept couldn't even come close to Whole Foods on looks alone. We don't shop much at Whole Foods except for a couple specialty items my wife likes but Whole Foods (***IN OUR OPINION***) is first class compared to Earth Fare. I'm a chocolate chip cookie aficionado and bought one on my search for the "ultimate chocolate chip cookie" and Earth Fare (IMO) rated below Nabisco. :D :D