How many of you hang out in grocery stores?
Aw. Come on, admit it. You like to go to the grocery store, too, right? I didn't say how many of you like to buy groceries. I said how many of you like to go to the grocery store? Why you do is another story.
I live in the West, but we do have a few back-east, real live deli-style grocery stores that I can spend hours in within an hour's drive. Today I found a doozy. In Tacoma, Washington, in the old Proctor District, but there's nothing old about the store. It's the best of the best in marketing food. The Queen Anne Thriftway.
They get you when you enter the store with beautiful flowers (how about a bouquet of dendrobia orchids with bear grass?). Then the place grabs you with the smell of beautiful buttery bakery goodies and relaxing, easy-listening, spend-money music. I approached the scones-to-cry-for like a starved puppy at the Puyallup Fair. I drooled. I resisted, however, and came home with a lovely loaf of two-olive bread. Yum!
While there I saw copper pots for sale and beautiful mixing bowls and utensils, a store wine steward ready to answer your questions on the spot, fresh peaches from Wapato (an Eastern Washington city) and an Italian deli full of ready to go dishes.
The soup bar looked yummy, with Santa Fe tortilla soup, meat and meatless chili, cream of carrot, veggie beef broccoli and tomato basil soup. It was busy. Sit comfortably and eat while you get more hooked on aromas as you watch folks with money plan their entertaining meals. It's worth a good afternoon stay!
Nobody was in a hurry. The veggies were so beautiful I took a picture. Yep, I really did. (Who's that crazy lady over there and what's she think she's doing?) See it above. Talked to the assistant manager, too. Talk about a store. They truly cater to the customers big time. It felt like a small-store atmosphere with a big city draw. They want you to feel at home in this gourmet oasis while your eyes bug out of your head at all the treasures.
The place sells freshly made sushi and commercial Kitchen Aid mixers. A beautiful baritone-voiced gentleman was singing as he picked his veggies on past the sushi. I could have stayed there all day! Now don't tell me to get a life. This is life! When you're a grandma you've earned the right to get some ready-made delicacies and present them to your spouse for dinner with a smile. Maybe a little hanky-panky to go with them!
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