For most of us, I’m guessing that going to the grocery store is a weekly chore that must be done each week in order to ensure that there is food at home.  You don’t hear a lot of people saying “I can’t wait until Saturday so I can see if the Bush’s Baked Beans are on sale” or any other such phrase that indicates great anticipation of a shopping trip.  Listen to how we even express it – “I HAVE to go to the store.”   Uggghh.

I’m going to tell you of a grocery store that may change your whole perception of food shopping.

It truly is a “super” market.

It’s a magical place.

Wegmans.

Headquartered in Rochester, NY, Wegmans has 89 locations in the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions *.  The nearest one in the four-state area is in Frederick, Md.

Have you ever talked to anyone that’s been to a Wegmans?  You’ll hear adjectives like “unbelievable” or “unreal”.  Those descriptions are well-deserved.  If you are a foodie (like me), then a trip to Wegmans is like finding a golden ticket into Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory or a weekend getaway at Walt Disney World.

First of all, it’s massive.  Imagine a Wal-Mart Super Center that had nothing but groceries.  Yeah, it’s like that.  As soon as you enter, you’re confronted with the largest produce department you have ever seen outside of a farmer’s market.  As a matter of fact, you’ll think you are in a farmer’s market.  Fruits and vegetables as far as the eye can see.  Multiple varieties – I’m talking about items you’ve never even heard of before.  I mean, seriously – what the hell is a cherimoya?  Do you desperately need burgundy truffles for that special dish?  Wegmans has them.  Sure, they are $999.00/lb (no, that’s not a typo – I said $999.00 – per pound), but they’ve got them.

Let’s just use lettuce and leafy greens as an example.  They’ve got 63 different choices, from organic to pre-packaged.

Sixty.

Three.

Let that sink in for a moment – and that’s just lettuce and greens.

Is there a specific mix of vegetables you’d like cut up for a stir-fry?  Not to worry.  Wegmans will do it for you – right there – and package it up for you to take home.

The eye-popping displays abound as you wander around the different departments.  In the meat department, Wegmans’ butchers dry-age their own steaks – right in the store.  The bakery churns out every type of bread, cake, and pastry you can think of.  They have a cheese section that I can’t even begin to describe.  The seafood department has a tidal pool where you can pick your own oysters.  OK, I made that last one up, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they did.

They have a huge hot-food section where you can fill-up a “to-go” box or plate with fresh made dishes like pizza, made-to-order subs, soups, a Southwest/Mexican station, and fresh sushi (yup, they’ll roll it right there in front of you).  They even had a dining area with live entertainment.  I have to say it’s a bit surreal to be enjoying a nice bowl of soup while sitting in a supermarket, listening to the strains of “Hotel California” being sung by a laid-back guitarist.

You can tell when a new person walks in who has never had a grocery shopping experience like Wegmans.  I call it the “Wegmans stare”.  I know I suffered from it on my first trip.  You’ll quickly notice these poor, unfortunate souls (or you may be one of them).  People wandering around aimlessly, a glazed look in their eyes, with absolutely nothing in their shopping carts.  Their mouths are hung open in a state of disbelief, and they do nothing but say things like “look at this!” or “dear Lord!”  Other side effects include uncontrollable giggling, a reflex action of elbowing their shopping companions, and a tendency to point at everything.

Don’t bother taking a shopping list. Once you see all of the variety and choices, you won’t stick to it anyway.  Your cart will eventually resemble some weird collection of items that you’ll swear was thrown into it by a trained circus animal (“Look, I have a tin of smoked kippers, an apple crostata, and a quince!”)

Can one do better with prices elsewhere?  Probably.  I know I wouldn’t want to shop there all the time, but it sure is fun to walk around and dream a little.

Put some adventure in your life and make a weekend trip to Wegmans.  Who knows?  You may find out that you simply can’t do without those organic lemon-garlic marinated chicken breast cutlets.  Even if you don’t buy anything, I can guarantee you you’ll have something to talk about around the water-cooler on Monday morning.

Wegmans Supermarket

Open 7 Days a Week – 06:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m.

Address:  7830 Wormans Mill Road, Frederick, MD 21701

Website: Wegmans Supermarkets

 

Sources:

* Wikipedia