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| - I wrote in my review for Woodman's that if Heaven had 2 grocery stores Woodman's would be one of them. Well, the other would be Metcalfe's, and for completely different reasons. I adore this place and have not come across any grocery store like it, which bums me out.
Whereas I love Woodman's because of it's huge food selection and cheap prices what makes Metcalfe's my celestial food emporium is it's dedication to serving quality and local products. Their Food Miles is a clear sign (literally) of its dedication to push local products. Since I moved to Madison five years ago I've become very interested in where my food comes from and try very hard to buy products that are locally-made--not just for health reasons but to support the local economy. Well, Metcalfe's makes my mission so much easier by not only stocking up on local products (so nice that I can get Marieke Gouda, fruit and vegetables from local farms, Clasens bread, Sassy Cow milk, Usingers sausage, Greenbush donuts, and Babcock ice cream all in one place) but also labeling them with a nice big sign so that I know from where they come.
Additionally, almost all of the counter staff I encountered over the years, especially the ones who work behind the cheese, meat, and seafood counters and coffee shop were all very helpful, patient, and eager to give me samples (cheese) or ideas of the best product to use in a particular dish (meat and seafood).
And, to boot, Metcalfe's is clean, well lit, and open 24 hours. Sure, you can rack up a hefty tab shopping here, but with quality comes a price (and, frankly, I did buy my cereal and other staples at Woddman's or other grocery stores--but I got most of my produce, cheese, bread, etc. here). If you're looking for good, fresh local food, this is the place, not those national chain stores. I'd take Metcalfe's over Whole Foods and Trader Joe's any day, hands down.
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