Whole Foods Market: More than Just Health Food
By Jonathan Berohn
OK, quick: where would you go if you wanted to buy a prime steak? How about imported cheese? Sashimi quality tuna? Bakery quality desserts? How many of you came up with a health food store? Well, you should have. The single best source I’ve found for gourmet foods of all kinds is Whole Foods Market.
Healthy, Yes…
Yes, for all you vegans out there, Whole foods still stocks the best produce in town as well, and you can buy everything from veggie hot dogs to spelt bread (I still haven’t had the courage to try that). You can also still get all your organic supplements, aromatherapy oils, and a chair massage at the checkout aisle—but you can also get the best gourmet foods around.
…But so Much More
I know it seems completely counterintuitive, but Whole Foods has the best meat counter I’ve ever seen outside of a big city butcher shop. They have just about every cut of steak imaginable—including prime selections you almost never see out side of restaurants—and a full selection of pork. More impressively, though, they offer cuts of all kinds of meats you just can’t get anywhere else. Whether you’re in the mood for buffalo T-bones or lamb tenderloin, Whole Foods has it all.
If your tastes run to fish rather than meat, you’re in for a treat at Whole Foods, too. First of all, every Whole Foods fish counter is spotless bordering on the pristine. There is no fish odor here—the whole place screams of fresh. And the fish doesn’t disappoint. They get it in every day, and will even special order for you.
If the meat and fish counters aren’t enough for you, try to save some amazement for the cheese counter. Now ordinarily I don’t get too worked up about cheese. I mean—it’s cheese. But whole Foods makes cheese come alive. They have all your standards like cheddar and fresh mozzarella, but they augment that with gourmet cheeses from all over the world like real Roquefort from France and wine soaked goat cheese from Spain.
And Decadence!
A trip to Whole foods isn’t complete without a stop at the bakery. The straff themselves prepare some high quality desserts, but each Whole Foods also stocks specialties from local bakeries. You just can’t find indulgence like this under one roof. It’s a good thing they have a good salad bar to balance things out.
