Have you guys heard of a "grocery" store called The Fresh Market? If so how come you didn't tell me about it!!! That place is pretty incredible. Initially I thought I was going to a Whole Foods Market but when I got there is was actually The Fresh Market. Besides being a beautifully laid out store and having a plethora of knowledgeable employees it has everything a gourmet wannabe could possibly need! They had nuts, dried fruit, fresh cheese, and a variety of other delights which could be purchased in small amounts. They had an assortment of imported olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Their bakery had an abundance of fresh baked bread and wonderful desserts, the kind that wouldn't make you think twice about buying one (you know what I mean, the "I can make that at home" thought). They had a fabulous selection of honeys and preserves. If you are looking for a particular bottle of wine or alcoholic beverage if they don't have it then it's probably not sold. I found Ciao Bella Gelatos. I got a coconut sorbetto. They had MEYER lemons! I bought three. They also had blood oranges. I grabbed two. (I need recipes that best showcase these fruits! HELP!) There was a cool selection of spices and herbs sold in small baggies. I finally purchased some cardamom. I was able to purchase a small packet of it instead of a full bottle at $10. Yay! Oh, and they had an olive bar. There I cautiously bought a small serving of marinated feta cheese with kalamata and green olives and I also got an even smaller serving of fresh mozzarella cheese in olive oil, garlic, and herbs! After snacking on them all evening (there now gone) I wish I had gotten healthier portions of each. They were divine! I'm pretty certain the patrons and employees there this afternoon thought I was a big dummy as I oohh'ed and aaahh'ed my way through the store. The whole time I was there I kept wishing for my camera. The only little tiny I problem I saw was that NOTHING was cheap. That's definitely not the place you want to do your weekly groceries at but it wouldn't be too bad as a once a month place to get those foodie staples that last for a few months. As Arnold said , I'll be BAACK!
Here's a couple of photos. I meant to take one fresh mozzarella but unfortunately I ate those as I was taking photos of the other stuff and before I knew it they were gone!
14 comments:
We are so late to getting the cool things here in Arkansas, but we actually have one. And I actually live really close to it - when I was good about exercising, it was part of my walking loop.
Best thing for me - all the nuts (chocolate covered too!), single serving of desserts (no sugar added cheesecake!), and GNOCCHI!
Sounds like a wonderful place to shop! I don't think we have The Fresh Market here though, but we do have Whole Foods.
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Oh wow! There's one of these about 15 minutes from my house. I'd never even thought about going there, but now I might have to check it out!
I've never heard of it. It sounds great though!
Oh, man! I just looked at their website...I am so jealous! Looks like they haven't made it to Texas yet.
We don't even have a Whole Foods or a Trader Joes around here, the market sounds like heaven! At the grocery store I shop at I couldn't even find expresso powder. It's really frustrating, I live in a small town. I'll have to check them out on line and see where the nearest one is.
Sounds awesome! We don't have Fresh Market, Whole Foods, or Trader Joe's up here. When I lived in the States I did most of my grocery shopping at a sweet co-op in San Fran called Rainbow, which really was my dream grocery store- anything you could want in bulk was available: peanut butter, olive oils, honey, vinegars, teas, salt, lotion, body wash... they really emphasized local and organic foods, had an amazing cheese selection... *sigh*. Never encountered a Fresh Market while down there, but I did enjoy Whole Foods and loved Trader Joe's specifically for the $3-8 wines :)
As for what to use your blood oranges and Meyer lemons for... both, especially the lemons, are perfect for curd. Or you could make a killer granita or sorbet! If you need a recipe, I have a few that work well, let me know!
~Char
I haven't heard of it, either! Your so lucky!! I do have a place called Mother Earth Storehouse where I can buy bulk herbs, spices, teas, and things like yeast, peanut butter, and honey. You can buy just a teeny bit if you want and it is cheap! But I'm still jealous, your market has a lot more choices.
Man, I wish we had that store out here. We do have a few great farmer's markets but they can be hit or miss.
Great blog!
Oh dear Ingrid, you are speaking to my heart right now. I LOVE walking through a store like that and buying random things because they look delicious or are just pretty. The best is if you can go alone, without kids.
This whole post made me smile. It is a foodie thing when going to a market like that is so entertaining.
That looks like an awesome shop!! Plus you can get stuff online.
You are so very lucky to have such a store! I went to the website just to see if we had one close by. Not a chance.....heck, we don't even have a Trader Joe's within 200 miles! And I thought everything was up to date in Kansas City. Great blog Ingrid. By the way, over Christmas, I found out my three year old granddaughter loves kalamata olives. She's my girl!
i love any store that has an olive bar. yum...olives.
I could spend hours in stores like that.
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