Paul W.
Yelp
Don't get to the west side often, but when I do, I often manage a stop at Plum Market. True, sometimes it seems like Plum's main function is to make Whole Foods look cheap, but its produce, meat, spice and ingredient section, beer and wine offerings, and prepared foods section justify the extra expenditure. Usually.
Plum Market may not have the largest produce selection in town, but I can find many common and not-so-common items there reliably (unlike at Whole Foods or Busch's, where produce tends to be now-you-see-it, now-you-don't)--I have never yet failed to get any greenage that I needed. The beer and wine selection is fantastic (bigger than at many rival stores), and often there are some very good deals on wine. Plum has a wide array of single beers so you can try some of those exotic craft beers before taking the plunge on a six pack.
The range of ethnic spices and other ingredients also surpasses many of its rivals, and when I make a trip specifically to Plum, it's for some of those. The bulk bins, unfortunately, pale in comparison to those at WF and Arbor Farms, due to high prices as well as limited selection. As for the prepared foods bar...a bit steep at $8.99/pound but the quality of the food is very good. I usually go for the spicy stuff and the Indian and Thai curries I've eaten there might not have matched those of the best restaurants, but they didn't leave me feeling cheated either.
And it must be said--the samples they put out on weekends ROCK!
Plum will be opening a store near me later this year and I can't wait, even though my grocery bill is going to rise.