I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet. Willy St Coop used to be in my back yard when I lived in Madison, and I miss it dearly. The produce, the fresh seafood, the organic meat, the dried fruits, the salad bar... I could go on and on. I miss a neighborhood grocery store where you can get fresh delicious food that is both comforting and healthy. Shopping at the coop really changed the way I look at food-- I could almost be a vegetarian if I shopped here for all my meals. The only downside is that it can get fairly expensive, but now that I've moved away to Chicago, where I'd have to go to whole foods to get the same quality produce... it doesn't seem so bad.
My favorites-- 1) the organic produce - you can always taste the difference between something that came from the coop and something that didn't-- plus, a lot of it is from local farms. 2) the hummus -- whichever kind, it's the best hummus I've ever had. 3) Selection of fresh cheeses - especially sheep's milk cheese from the Dodgeville area. 4) the salad bar - all the ingredients I love in a salad but am too lazy to make at home, plus delicious soups. 5) their dried mangoes - the best and cheapest dried mangoes you'll find.