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| - I used to think Whole Foods was the most expensive place I would shop at- until I found AJ's! A whimsical foodie could easily go broke here. I watch their ads and generally only buy things on sale or occasional indulgences (read: weekly sugar cookie trip). Surprisingly here, some things are no more expensive than other grocery stores (gallons of water, certain condiments, Peanut M&Ms, off the top of my head), but a lot of specialty items and most of the produce are nooooot cheap. Just the act of shopping here makes me giddy- there's nice lighting and soooo much beautiful food all around.
My absolute favorite thing here is the bakery- it's top notch. Depending on how early in the day you go, there may or may not be a lot of things to choose from. I love the sugar cookie and also the red velvet cupcake. You can't go wrong with the cheesecakes, and the tartufo we found during the holidays was the richest food i've ever eaten (chocolate mousse and white chocolate mousse layered with chocolate cake, covered in chocolate). Their coffee drinks are also pretty good although I have to ask for a bit less sugar.
The prepared food bars are also delicious- they serve a dinner every night that promises a good meal but at a cost of $12-16 a plate. The salad bar is good for lunch. I haven't yet tried the sandwich/pizza bar, but it smells good when i'm there. The sushi bar also has happy hour specials in the afternoons.
Going on around the store, there is an extensive meat and seafood counter. The butchers are knowledgeable about what they sell and are happy to cut/wrap things differently for you. Recently there was a sale on Kobe beef and I came in at least 3 times that week! Everything always looks and smells very fresh.
Ok, I feel like i've covered the highlights. Beyond this, if you're after something very specific/hard to find, this store will be the one to have it if anyone does. It's fun to come buy a new gourmet salsa/sauce/coffee, snacks, or just look around. Many of the things are expensive, so make sure it's something really special!
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