Irene H.
Yelp
If you are Italian, from Brooklyn or Long Island, New York or even New Jersey this store is a must go to. If you are not any of the above, but appreciate the taste of that locale, this is the place to go. Lee's Farmers Market has a large sign out front, but hidden behind a large live oak tree with Spanish moss dangling from it.
Upon entry, directly to your left is a deli style restaurant, which I did not go into, but I will in the near future. We had just finished breakfast so we entered the store and it is filled with genuine Italian brand food. The pastrami comes from the Carnegie Deli in Manhattan, the bread is par-baked in New Jersey, and you complete the baking process at home. The potato salad has celery in it. They smoke their own barbecued ribs and season them with barbecue sauce that has one heck of a kick to it. If you call and order the ribs, then can tone down the seasoning.
Produce is located at the center of the store and the downstairs rear of the store is where they keep Italian dry goods and large assortment of fresh frozen ravioli, shells, cheesecake, tiramisu and more. Off to the left, from the entry is the wine and cheese area, where cheese wheels and wedges abound. A wall of wine covers the rear beside a refrigerator with Dr. Brown's soda, and Nehi beverages still survive, as well as cold beers. You then come to the meat section where the pastrami, ribs, and dozens of other meats are awaiting your order. The pastrami is to "die for", I'm not kidding!
Skeeter mans the register, answers the phone and is so polite and accommodating. He asked me if I saw everything I was looking for. I asked him about the canned wheat was no where to be found. He told me it is no longer in a can, and if I turn around and make a left, look on the round table on the left and I'll find it there. Damn, he knows where everything is in this shop. As I walked away, I told him I wanted the pie on the counter and I don't want others fussing with it. He moved it, aside, but not enough to my comfort, so I took a little cup on the counter and placed my "hat/cup" on the pie. When I returned, I found hats on the bread, pastrami and other foods I wanted to purchase.
Skeeter liked my system and said he's going to use it. I don't mind at all. Some of the prices are a bit high, but it is about what you'd pay in NY, and you don't have to commute. I think transplants would probably shop here more than native S. Carolinians, however all are welcome. Skeeter and his fine gang are very accommodating. The foods are out of this world.