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| - For years now I've been bemoaning the lack of a Wegman's supermarket in the South Hills, but the newly renovated and recharged Market District takes the sting away a bit. For those of you not familiar with the concept, this is so much more than a grocery store. I took pictures to illustrate, and, now that I'm persuing them, I'm noticing how many are of candy and chocolate, so you can see where my weakness lies. But they do have an amazing sweets section, with house made chocolates, including truffles, and those eye catching vertical bins chock full of individually wrapped candies that make it near impossible to come here with children in tow. I tried a dark chocolate and pistachio confection today, which is a combo I've never had, and it was a delightful taste sensation. There's even a little cafe style sitting area where you can enjoy your gelato. Artisinal and European chocolates are for sale here...I saw Callebaut and Cacao Barry among the offerings, and the Lindt towers beckon.
So, on to the actual groceries. The produce section is great, with a good choice of organics...enough so that I need only make a trip to the Food Co-op in the 'Burgh once a month or so. They also have lots of produce from local farms in season. The cheese section may be my favorite part of the store. The station is well staffed, so sampling and chatting is encouraged. I've been known to add a half hour on to my shopping time in this section alone. They do an admirable job of sourcing good quality cheeses from many countries, and, while it won't compete with those little boutique cheese shops in towns like Madison, Wisconsin and Ann Arbor, Michigan, I can usually find what I'm looking for, and I've been educated about cheeses that were new to me. They have a small but impressive chill case full of imported cured meats from Italy and Spain just past the deli...also featured are D'Artagnan sausages and pates. The kosher section is pretty good too, with Empire birds, ground turkey and deli meats. A local woman is making kosher baked goods, and there's a display stand full of her products. There are quite a few of these around the store, in fact, which is great...a big supermarket chain that showcases local edibles has my heart. The salad bar is nice, and, while the hot food station is large and looks good, the food is just OK, which is one of the reasons this market doesn't get 5 stars from me. They're emulating Wegman's in design, but they've failed to deliver with the prepared foods. A nice addition this past year as Pittburgh makes an attempt to leave the Dark Ages behind is the ability to now buy beer at a supermarket, and the selection of micro brews is quite good. The beer section is rather removed from the rest of the shopping area, so as not to contaminate the Puritans amongst us, but it's there.
For your kitchen and bath pantry supplies, this store rules. They added a bulk section with the renovation, and it's not just a nod to the concept...they actually made very good choices, with organic quinoa, steel cut oats and organic brown basmati rice among the items available. There are both olive oil and bulk coffee bars, and the aisles abound with hoity- toity brands like Mario Batali pasta sauces, Kiehl's, Ahava and Bumble & Bumble personal care products, 7th Generation cleaning and laundry products...even Riedel stemware makes an appearance here in the housewares department.
So, a B+ rating from me. When they can get a decent avocado in (what is it with avocadoes and Southwestern PA? I haven't found a good one here yet), and some corn tortillas, and do a better job with the hot food station, then I'll revisit this review. Until then, I'll try not to be too picky, and I'll enjoy the bounty with which we are so blessed.
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