Have any of you been to a Whole Foods store?

[one sassy one]

I went yesterday in Fresno and I have to say I was very impressed ...I like the selections of loose leaf teas and the olive bar was good too...a friend of mine told me it is like a trader Joes on steroids and I think shes abosolutly right...I really like the store...any thoughts ?

[funnybone]

I was just at one on Sat as we were in the area. I love the store for the fresh meat and seafood, not to mention the cheese selection too. However, the closest one to me is about 40 minutes away, so I don't go very often. Fortunately I have Fresh Market, TJ's and many other food choices within minutes of where I am, so I don't think about WF all that much. It's a great store though.

[imloulou]

I LOVE Whole Foods!! Unfortunately I have to drive about 800 miles to get to one...I go to St. Louis a few times a year and go to Whole Foods everytime I am there. :D

There is sooooo much variety...The veggies and fruits are fresh...There are so many cheeses...Oh how I wish we had one closer. (we may actually have one closer than 800 miles but I'm not driving more that an hour for ANY groceries ;) )

[BarbaraL]

I have a Whole Foods relatively near me; I go to the one in Montclair, NJ. I love their stuff, although their nickname is "whole paycheck." They have stuff I can't find elsewhere like red lentils; and I love that I can buy the exact quantity I need (loose in bins).

[rosie_one]

Lisa, I'm the same. My closest Whole Foods is at least 2 hours away. This area is ripe for a TJs or Whole Foods... I wish they would consider putting one here.

I love just browsing around in there. Somehow the store itself is inspirational to cooking. So many healthy and delicious choices. I love their cheese selection! The cost is higher though. You have to be careful not to get too carried away.

[donnamp14]

I have a WF about 4 miles from me, and it's the only place I shop, except for Costco for paper goods, etc. (We call it "Holy Foods".) I can't shop for meat and produce anywhere else, because their quality is consistently so good. The only thing is that since they have no (or few) preservatives, you need to shop more often, since things don't hold up so long at home in the refrigerator. Their meats, although quite expensive, are out of this world. We're only cooking for 2, so we can afford it. When we had teenagers at home we would never have been able to afford it. I love the feelng that I'm eating food without hormones and pesticides.

-Donna

[newtricks]

TJ's on steroids. :D

My experience is that at TJ's I'm always surprised that my cart is less than I thought it would be and at WF it's always much more than I expected.

That said, I do love Whole foods - can't beat their guacamole!

[Wendy w]

I live about 3 miles from the one in my region. While I really like it, I cannot afford to shop there on a regular basis or to do all of my shopping there. It's not nicknamed "Whole Paycheck" for nothing, but the quality is excellent.

I do like the store brand items and find the bin beans, rice, etc. to be a great bargain, especially when you just need a little bit. I can buy Toby's Tofu pate there, Eva turned me on to it.

[MISSINDI]

Their store brand version of Oreos is my favorite, excellent meat and wine selection, and the cheeses .... wow. Luckily the closest one is about 20 minutes away. Used to live in the same town, and that was dangerous. This is enough of a distance I can go when I want and stay out of trouble the rest of the time. ;) Barbara, knowing how close you are to WF and TJ's, I wouldn't stand a chance. :D

[wintersummer]

There are several of us on this board from the Chapel Hill area of North Carolina. We must be the most lucky cooks in the world. We have 4 Whole Foods within a 30 mile radius! The Chapel Hill store is about 2 miles from my house, but there are also stores in Durham, Cary, and Raleigh.

I love Whole Foods. I may be crazy, but I visit Whole Foods when I visit other cities. There are some differences between the stores, with some being better than others. I'd say the one I use is above average, but maybe it's just because I love it so much. Just as examples, the WF in Charlottesville was depressing. All meat/fish was pre-packaged, as everything in the bake shop and cheese area. That store was quiet, without many customers, without many staff members. The Chapel Hill store plays a wide variety of really good music. My store has counters for meat and fish and baked goods and cheese and over time, you get to know the people who work in each area and come to depend on the for advice (for instant, substitutions, etc.). They will order absolutely anything for you...if they don't have it in stock. I'm almost afraid to ask questions about "taste" because staff just rip packages open for you to try, then go around offering samples to everyone. I was really wowed by the new store in Austin. I love doughnuts and they had hot doughnuts. It was amazing. That store is giant, to the point of being somewhat overwhelming. Before visiting anyplace, I always check to see if they have a Whole Foods. It's my last stop before the airport, to pick up good food to eat on the plane home.

[stefania4]

Love it - we have several in Atlanta. I'm a HUGE fan of their Prairie Pan Bread for sandwiches; honestly, I don't care for any other kind at this point! Two slices of that and some pesto turkey... aaaaahhhhh.

Love their salad bar, their cookies, the house brand olive oil, the pooch likes their lamb & rice canned dog food. Not crazy about their prices, though.

[LakeMartinGal]

I love the Harry's version of Whole Foods in Atlanta, too... Even though I live in Alabama, I visit the Harry's every time we're in Atlanta! DH calls it "recreational grocery shopping." And that's the only kind he'll actually do!

We don't buy a lot, there, but you can get beautiful produce and varieties of other things, like cheese, that are just not available in rural Alabama! We have also bought some gag gifts for my BIL there... pickled cockles and spotted dick... he's a wierd guy, after all. ;)

I sure wish we had SOME kind of store like this in my area -- the closest thing is a Fresh Market in Montgomery, and the sales tax there is 10% :eek:

[funnybone]

after all. ;)

I sure wish we had SOME kind of store like this in my area -- the closest thing is a Fresh Market in Montgomery, and the sales tax there is 10% :eek:

10% tax on food! :eek: :eek: We pay about 1.25% on food here.

[Silvery Moon]

I used to live about three blocks from a Whole Foods store.

I bought cheese and sourdough bread there regularly, but little else--it was too expensive.

[colleency]

I don't really care for the one in Redondo Beach. I wish the one is West L.A. were closer, as they have all sorts of free cooking classes. The one in San Diego is quite lovely, and a real treat to go to when I'm visiting my mom. She shops there for just those special items she can't get elsewhere, and since she only shops for two women, she can buy just a very small amount, which makes it mor affordable.

I love their deli items: glazed papaya, chicken salad, and I think their cheese selection is way better than my trader joe's. While TJs is cheaper, I can buy just a few slices of meat or cheese at WF, so I don't have to worry about things going bad.

There's a Bristol Farms opening 1 block from my house. I wish it were a whole foods. WF has the same high prices, but more organics, etc.

[imloulou]

I sure wish we had SOME kind of store like this in my area -- the closest thing is a Fresh Market in Montgomery, and the sales tax there is 10% :eek:

WOWZA! 10%? We have ZERO tax on all food items :)

[Angelina]

Taxes on food?? Eeek! NY doesn't feel so expensive now... :D

Angela

[LakeMartinGal]

About the tax thing...

I know, I used to live in states where there was little to no tax on food. It was a big adjustment to move here, let me tell you! :p If I didn't love it so much....

Alabama touts itself as having low property taxes, and that's pretty true. NY (the Buffalo area) had ~$2500/year taxes on a $150,000 house when we lived there. In Alabama (Tallapoosa County), taxes are about ~$1100 on a $500,000 house! All in all, though, I'd rather have the lower sales tax!

And that's why I shop in Georgia when I can... lowest taxes around! ;)

[funnybone]

Alabama touts itself as having low property taxes, and that's pretty true. NY (the Buffalo area) had ~$2500/year taxes on a $150,000 house when we lived there. In Alabama (Tallapoosa County), taxes are about ~$1100 on a $500,000 house! All in all, though, I'd rather have the lower sales tax!



I beg to differ - I'd rather have the high sales tax as the property taxes are about $10,000 on a $500,000 house here. I know I won't be spending that much in food tax (or anything else) in a decade, let alone a year.

[DeeK]

I LOVE Whole Foods!! Unfortunately I have to drive about 800 miles to get to one...I go to St. Louis a few times a year and go to Whole Foods everytime I am there. :D

There is sooooo much variety...The veggies and fruits are fresh...There are so many cheeses...Oh how I wish we had one closer. (we may actually have one closer than 800 miles but I'm not driving more that an hour for ANY groceries ;) )

We have one here in Orlando, Lisa. Come on down!!!! We can hit a few knitting stores while you are here. :D ;)

[KimE]

I had not been to one until I went to San Francisco and Canice told me all about it, now I am hooked. I even bought a "green" bag when there for carrying my groceries, I love cloth bags.

I have now found out there is one about 15 miles away, so now I might just have to run an errand in that area :rolleyes:

Kim E

[HejazSunKat]

I like them, great produce and other neat things, but I often find it like food shopping in a foreign country. They have so many off beat products that when you want to find something mundane you wander all over the place trying to figure out A: Do they have it? No? Ok then what can I substitute? Generally I leave in frustration without 'it'! :D

[imloulou]

We have one here in Orlando, Lisa. Come on down!!!! We can hit a few knitting stores while you are here. :D ;)

Wahoo...I'm on my way :D ;)

[one sassy one]

I like that they carry the unusual items ...I like to try different stuff sauces or cheeses etc....and this store had alot of that....I live 2 hrs away so this was a treat that I would definetly go back and visit maybe take a car load of my friends and have lunch there and all....

[mbrogier]

There is a Whole Foods about 40 minutes from here. There is also a Fresh Market on the way to Whole Foods. :p I love the bulk bins at WF for hard to find items, and when I want just a little bit of something for a recipe. I love their store brand items, especially their frozen fruit. It is also the only place I've found that carries Alexia brand frozen onion rings. They taste great baked, so it's a healthier way to quench my Blooming Onion jonesing. I don't go there often because I can't control myself in the cheese section. I shop at Trader Joes once a week and buy cheeses there, but WF has cheeses that TJ's doesn't carry. I also love that you can taste the cheese first. I also love the better for you snack items. Their produce looks great, but it is really expensive. I can buy special produce for less at Fresh Market, and I love their foreign products.

WF can be really overwhelming. I agree with Linda; sometimes it's hard to find ordinary items so I have to go to another store or plan another stop. I do love how helpful everyone is. My area is growing very quickly, and I'm hoping we'll get a Whole Foods near me. I think it's a possibility since TJ's moved in.

[Melman]

April 26 is our magic date around here. Our brand new Whole Foods will be opening that day. I can't wait!!!!

[fci5767]

I live just around the corner from Whole Foods. I love it there and their staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. I did a mystery shop there a few weeks ago and they did wonderfully (which I completely expected.) I love the bulk bins and the salad bar.

I tend to buy my cheese at the gourmet store across the street (A Southern Season.) I splurge on the meat and seafood once in a while- it's really wonderful and worth the price.

[sharris315]

April 26 is our magic date around here. Our brand new Whole Foods will be opening that day. I can't wait!!!!

Hi Melanie!! I'm also counting the days! :D

Shar

[Aubergine]

i'm in the minority. i think they're way over-hyped and overpriced. NY Mag this week has a survey of such places that are sprouting like weeds on 14th street. fwiw, i agree with their commentary, esp. re: take-out foods:

"despite their variety and seeming popularity, the prepared foods are uniformly disappointing." but they gave them 6/10, overall. they loved the beer, produce, and quick checkout.

chacun son gout. many, many persons swear by the place, but i think it's the emperor's new clothes.

[Ms. Chevious]

We must be the most lucky cooks in the world. We have 4 Whole Foods within a 30 mile radius!

I think I have about 4 of them in about a 5 mile radius. Still can't afford them though. ;)

Lots of previous threads on Whole Foods:

What are Whole Foods Markets like? (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=85129)

article Whole Foods vs. Walmart: "Unnatural Prices" (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=85809)

Costco/Whole Foods Shopping trip??? (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=78564)

Whole Foods Finds (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=67046)

Whole Foods.....any recommendations?? (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=39644)

[newtricks]

i'm in the minority. i think they're way over-hyped and overpriced. NY Mag this week has a survey of such places that are sprouting like weeds on 14th street. fwiw, i agree with their commentary, esp. re: take-out foods:

"despite their variety and seeming popularity, the prepared foods are uniformly disappointing." but they gave them 6/10, overall. they loved the beer, produce, and quick checkout.

chacun son gout. many, many persons swear by the place, but i think it's the emperor's new clothes.

I do find some of their prepared food disappointing. And if I lived in NYC I might not feel the joy of WF. But when there is no other store that sells organic meat, french lentils, fresh cut cheese from everywhere, fresh bread, ww tortillas, dry aged steaks, greek yogurt, Frontera salsa, "homemade" vanilla marshmallows, rose medium grain brown rice, etc etc then it's pretty darn good. I'm glad you have access to such good ingredients where you live but most of us are not on 14th street.

[sneezles]

I love to shop at Whole Foods and was just there yesterday...at the "new" one in downtown Austin (it replaces the original). And let me be clear while the prices may be high the quality is unsurpassed and unquestionable!!!!!!! I travel 70 miles to shop there and I do it once a month but would go more often and will probably do so in the future.

[gertdog]

I only shop there occasionally but love most of what I can get there. I've mentioned on a past WF thread that I did have problems with a few expired dairy products but haven't seen that experience repeated at the current WF I shop. I can take or leave their produce- I think it's better at my local Wegmans- but the cheese selection is great and some of their store brand items are excellent IMO. I actually have a specific shopping list for WF saved in Mastercook (ditto for Trader Joe's)- all of the things I like to buy there are on the list, so when I have the chance to get to WF (it's ~30 min away) I can just print off the list and check to see what I need.

In general, I'm happy to drive further and pay more to get high quality food, variety, AND an enjoyable shopping experience. I do my weekly shopping at a Wegmans that's ~20 minutes from my house. En route to Wegmans I pass 5 large supermarkets- have visited each at least once and while I might stop in for milk, they otherwise simply don't offer the full range of items I want. Especially in the produce section.

[imloulou]

chacun son gout. many, many persons swear by the place, but i think it's the emperor's new clothes.

I have to really really really disagree..."the emporers new clothes" refers to an emporer with no actual clothes on who is fooled and fools everyone into thinking that he has the most wonderful clothes in the entire world. Not everyone is lucky to have every imaginable ethnic/organic market in there backyard. I really think places like TJ's and Whole Foods have brought bunches of not-so-ordinary foods to places that would not ordinarily have it. We are not getting suckered into liking it.

If I lived where you do I may not think so highly of it...you can probably walk out your door and find any type of food in a little ethnic market within walking distance or a short commute...how I would LOVE that! (and I really really crave that)...we have nothing like Whole Foods...we have 1 organic co-op ...We have 1 farmers market...Woohoo :rolleyes: ...If I had a Whole Foods in our town I would be in heaven!

[Kathy B]

I actually just visited a WF and a TJ's both yesterday in St. Louis. DD and I just stumbled upon them when we were out shopping. She thought it was hilarious that I was so excited about a couple of grocery stores! I have to say that while the selection at WF was wonderful, everything was so expensive, that I would not be shopping there much even if we did have one nearby. I enjoyed TJ's much more, and we left there with several items. (We would have made more purchases if we hadn't been so far away from home with no frig or freezer!) I would love to see a TJ's open up in our area.

[gabbyh]

When we were at our local WF last week, I noticed that the large building next door was now empty...I inquired as we were checking out, and it seems WF is remodeling, and it will be the biggest one in Florida! WOOHOO!!!!!

~Gail

[Aubergine]

I have to really really really disagree..."the emporers new clothes" refers to an emporer with no actual clothes on who is fooled and fools everyone into thinking that he has the most wonderful clothes in the entire world. Not everyone is lucky to have every imaginable ethnic/organic market in there backyard. I really think places like TJ's and Whole Foods have brought bunches of not-so-ordinary foods to places that would not ordinarily have it. We are not getting suckered into liking it.

If I lived where you do I may not think so highly of it...you can probably walk out your door and find any type of food in a little ethnic market within walking distance or a short commute...how I would LOVE that! (and I really really crave that)...we have nothing like Whole Foods...we have 1 organic co-op ...We have 1 farmers market...Woohoo ...If I had a Whole Foods in our town I would be in heaven!
__________________
Lisa in FL


Don't judge a book by its movie
-Unknown


I do find some of their prepared food disappointing. And if I lived in NYC I might not feel the joy of WF. But when there is no other store that sells organic meat, french lentils, fresh cut cheese from everywhere, fresh bread, ww tortillas, dry aged steaks, greek yogurt, Frontera salsa, "homemade" vanilla marshmallows, rose medium grain brown rice, etc etc then it's pretty darn good. I'm glad you have access to such good ingredients where you live but most of us are not on 14th street.

newtricks - barbara

okay, allow me to correct a misimpression. i live in the sticks, rural south NJ, and for me to get to a TJs or WF, it's an hour's drive each way. i certainly cannot walk out the door and find fabulous items within minutes from my home, although i can and do find plenty of locally-grown fresh produce, and there are still many local small butchers, etc. plus, our local health food stores sell french lentils and numerous types of rice and other grains.

my mom still lives on east 18th Street, where i was raised, and i know 14th street like the back of my hand, but i don't get up there as often as i used to. i keep NYC in my sig because i spent 30++ years of my life there, and it's in my blood. so, Lisa, please don't judge me by my 'cover,' ok?:)

my take on WF is solely based on my experience with the one in Marlton, NJ, but i stand by what i said. otoh, i am willing to cede the point to Lisa in re: providing a better quality of foods to persons who might not otherwise have access.

suz

[imloulou]

okay, allow me to correct a misimpression. i live in the sticks, rural south NJ, and for me to get to a TJs or WF, it's an hour's drive each way. i certainly cannot walk out the door and find fabulous items within minutes from my home, although i can and do find plenty of locally-grown fresh produce, and there are still many local small butchers, etc. plus, our local health food stores sell french lentils and numerous types of rice and other grains.

my mom still lives on east 18th Street, where i was raised, and i know 14th street like the back of my hand, but i don't get up there as often as i used to. i keep NYC in my sig because i spent 30++ years of my life there, and it's in my blood. so, Lisa, please don't judge me by my 'cover,' ok?:)

my take on WF is solely based on my experience with the one in Marlton, NJ, but i stand by what i said. otoh, i am willing to cede the point to Lisa in re: providing a better quality of foods to persons who might not otherwise have access.

suz


Suz,
Please accept my apologies...I should not have made an assumption of your situation...re-reading my post in your reply I see that it sounds as a personal attack toward you too but I promise I did not mean it that way...I should stuck a few eye-winks and smilies in there ;)

I think that anyone who DOES have access to these foods regularly is very very lucky!! I would LOVE to have numerous markets close to my house...organic and fresh veggies, fish, meats, authentic cheeses...etc. When I walk into a Whole Foods it is like all these markets in one place.

Anyway...I'm actually off to our little co-op right now to find "diastatic malt powder" :rolleyes: for a loaf of bread. (wish me luck...hehehe! :D )