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| - My feeling is that this store is a cross between Giant Eagle and Whole Foods. I'm sure this was there intent, so I'd say they were successful in meeting their goal.
Bright produce and sunflower plants greet you as you walk into the store. They have a large produce department. There are also food stations/restaurants in which you can order hot food items and dine in at comfortable tables. I bought a pulled pork sandwich with a side of mixed grilled veggies. It was very fresh and tasty. The staff behind the prepared food counter was accommodating with samples when I asked about the available sauces for the sandwich.
The staff was very friendly, and although there still may be a learning curve on some things, they didn't let it show. There was a young man, twenty-something, stocking items in the dairy area and he was genuinely happy to be working at this establishment. How refreshing!
Speaking of the Dairy Department, I like that everything was in coolers with doors. There was a sign on some of the doors that read: "Colder Milk - Warmer You." It seems like grocery stores are iceboxes anymore, so I appreciated this feature.
While there, I sampled 3 different offerings from the in-house demo kitchen and they were yummy: mussels in white wine garlic butter, eggplant rolatini and a turkey roll-up. They provide recipe cards for all of the items that are sampled.
I've attached a number of photos that give a good idea of the variety of bulk items they carry: Mushrooms, Salts, Baked Goods, Salad and Antipasto Bar. In addition to these items, you can also make your own peanut butter or dispense infused vinegars or a choice of honeys into bottles they provide. Haven't done that yet, but it looks interesting.
It's definitely worth checking out.
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