Friends in CA call Whole Foods, Whole Paycheck and now I know why. The Scottsdale store at the 101 is huge with all kinds of culinary temptations.
I filled the bottom of my Yelp recycling bag with 1) single salmon corn cake, 2) small piece smoked black cod, 3) small piece smoked salmon candy, 4) medium piece smoked chipotle salmon, 5) tiny piece smoked king salmon, 6) small wedge languiole - raw milk cheese and 7) small chunk emmi cabe aged emmentalker cheese. The total came to $XXXV making the average price $V. Not too bad considering the fish will last maybe two days, three tops. The cheese becomes part of a scalloped potatoes dish for a delayed Easter dinner.
I had had some delicious smoked cod and candy salmon on Easter Sunday with relatives in Pasadena and learned the fish came from the Pasadena Whole Foods. I took some leftovers across the desert in my ice chest and the fish was just as I had remembered it from the day before.
With the taste buds panting for more I googled Whole Foods and assumed the Paradise Valley store would be the most logical choice for in-store smoked fish. WRONG, the fish counter person there told me the only stores with a smoker are 1) Chandler and 2) Scottsdale at the 101. The Scottsdale store was closer so that was how I ended up there.
I had a great time chatting with the Whole Foods fish counter person. He had set-up the Pasadena smoker and now smoked the fish in Scottsdale. He (native American, I think) was a wealth of information on smoked fish and the various types. I asked about the smoked salmon candy and he explained the natives in AK add sugar to get their kids to eat salmon when they are young. As an aside my kids, Holly T and Mike T wouldn't eat any fish as kids but as adults now eat salmon but not as much as me. The candy salmon comes directly from natives in AK whereas the rest of the fish is smoked in the store. He then went on to discuss the various salmon runs in AK and how Whole Foods supports sustainable fisheries. All very cool and informative.
You can bet I will be back in a few weeks (or sooner for smoked fish) when fresh wild salmon becomes available.