Josh G.
Yelp
There's nothing like a gift card to get you to go to a place you don't usually frequent...or ever frequent. I honestly haven't been in a Whole Foods since back when there was a Bush in the White House and no one had heard of kale. $25 to the store brought me in the other day and I left having spent a tad more than that, but I can't say I wasn't pleasantly surprised by what I found.
I mean you're walking into the health food Mecca. You'll see organic things on the shelves you may never see again. But therein lies some of the fun. Well, once you get around the crowds. I don't fault this WF location for the hoards on a Sunday because they're smack dab in the middle of an area that thrives on healthy eating habits. Even so, my girlfriend and I were dodging humans left and right on our trip.
Once we made our way past the initial clutter of bodies, we were able to explore. Fruits and veggies when you first walk in along with a bar of prepared hot food. Further through the aisles you'll find tons of exquisite meats and cheeses, a fresh bakery, a deli area with lots of packaged items for purchase, and plenty of other tasty goods. The possibilities are unique and different than many other food stores, so embrace it.
Well, when I say embrace don't take it too far. Shopping here as your only form of food purchase won't just leave a hole in your wallet, it'll blow the whole dang thing up. Pesto sauce for $19? I'll pass. $10 almond butter? Intriguing, but see ya later. You get my point. Though, when you truly scour the prices, you'll notice that Whole Foods has their hand in making affordable items as well. Their 365 everyday value items are truly a value. Prices are reasonable on these choices and the real kicker? They're tasty! I grabbed a bag of garlic and herb pita chips and they were packed with plenty of flavorful garlic to up that stinky breath. The 365 blueberry cereal bars were also rockin' and makes me think that WF could be on to something great.
Overall, Whole Foods offers an alternative to your average supermarket with its organic, healthy options. By keeping my blinders on (for the most part) I sifted through the prices and was able to come out with a nice bounty of affordable goods. I am still a loyal cult member of Trader Joe's and will probably buy the majority of my produce and such elsewhere, but Whole Foods seems poised to make a decent impression on my food purchases....but I'll stick to peanut butter, for now.