Robin W.
Yelp
Fields Market is not a major chain, so don't expect to find the brands you might be used to. Also, the prices may be higher than you'll get from the national chains. And as others have mentioned in reviews, sometimes the packaged goods are out of date.
But what really sets them apart is the fresh produce, the deli, and the baked goods. I moved into this area not long ago and needed to buy some avocados and papaya for dinner that same evening. I was pleasantly surprised by the freshness and quality of the fruit and vegetables. The avocados were at exactly the right ripeness, and the papaya was rich and sweet -- just the way I like it.
I haven't been there often enough yet to try everything, but the other fruit and vegetables that I've purchased have all been top-quality, and most importantly, at the peak of ripeness. One thing I hate about the chains is the way they always stock under-ripe cantelopes, bananas, and stone fruit, since they obviously transport better in that state. This, of course, means the customer has to ripen them at home, yielding generally tasteless and bland results.
I've also sampled several of their deli salads and found them to be very tasty and very fresh. And just yesterday, I bought a loaf of banana bread, after being told that it was baked that very day in the store by Linda (whom I presume is one of the bakery staff). It was excellent! One of the best banana breads I've ever eaten. What was also impressive was the ingredient list -- there were only about half a dozen ingredients, and not one of them was a polysyllabic preservative.
Another unexpected bonus is a small shelf off to the left as you come in through the front door which is stocked with a small sampling of international goods. Coming from Australia, I was delighted to find my beloved jars of Vegemite available for sale, along with Violet Crumble bars and Tim Tams!
Bottom line -- I'll still be going to Ralph's and Von's for my day-to-day necessities, but I will definitely continue to buy my fruit, vegetables, deli, and bakery items from Fields.