139 replies to this topic

[Stone]

You guys are acting like Whole Foods is just another Walmart, Staples, Barnes & Noble or Home Depot.
It's fucking organic for chrissakes.

[rancho_gordo]

I feel their love for me. Don't make something beautiful and deep into something cheap and tawdry, please.

[TaliesinNYC]

I dunno.

For veg and dairy, there's USGM.
For fish and meat, there's Citarella.

I think I'm pretty well-served.

[bloviatrix]

I'm not sure whether to post this here or in the Top Chef thread, but this week's show gave us two examples of how Whole Foods seduces and disappoints. First you had one chef unable to get fresh crab meat, because let's face it, Whole Foods carries some fresh products but often fails to carry some pretty standard items. (I've been surprised more than once that I can't get a whole duck, or certain cuts of beef and pork.) So the chef buys some packaged crab shit and serves it in a restaurant, thinking that just because it's expensive it must be high quality. Wrong!

Then another chef gets herself booted because she's seduced by this huge ostrich egg, and then can't think of anything special to do with it. She's sucked into the occasional WF "exotic" loss leader ingredient mystique. Even though those eggs cost a fortune (IIRC they're something like $40 each), I can't believe enough people buy them for WF to make any money from them. But the ostrich eggs help perpetuate the (often inaccurate) idea that WF has everything, and that their foods must be exhaustively researched and well-sourced.

All of that said, I think the idea that you should never shop there is silly. They have some good produce, and sometimes the prices are fair. Often the prices are high, and many departments (like cheese) are disappointing.

Those ostrich eggs cost $29/each. I did a double take when I saw them a couple of weeks ago. They also had duck eggs for $.99/ea.

[Orik]

I thought about registering rottenthingsiboughtatwholefoods.com

But the lawyers said no.

Coconut - moldy
Avocado - black in black
Chickpeas of the 20th century
Marrow bones to remind you of pathology class
Eggs that were frozen at some point
Cherry tomatoes carefully layered for bottom fermenation
Cheese, wrapped and labeled to just hide the wrong type of mold

This has to be the worst managed inventory ever... and I think maliciously so.

[porkwah]

maliciousness, indeed? or just negligence?

[Daisy]

Yesterday: no spinach, no parsley, no frozen peas, no canned chickpeas. And the lines went all the way back to the beer counter which is as far as you can get unless you want to stand waiting in the stockroom.

[Stone]

We're here for you. Let it out. They're animals. No one should have to go through that.

[Rail Paul]

Yesterday: no spinach, no parsley, no frozen peas, no canned chickpeas. And the lines went all the way back to the beer counter which is as far as you can get unless you want to stand waiting in the stockroom.

But, they're recommended by GreenPeace, and they introduce Arctic char to the ordinary home cook, they say...

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan 05, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Hard-to-Find Arctic Char, Cousin to Trout and Salmon, Straight from the Pristine Environs of Iceland Available for Limited Time
Whole Foods Market announces that Arctic char, a sweet and mild crowd pleaser often described as a cross between trout and salmon, is now available in stores throughout the month of January. Traditionally featured on fine dining menus, this versatile fish has been virtually unavailable in grocery stores until now.
Whole Foods Market's Arctic char is raised in land-based tanks of ice cold, crystal-clear water that is filtered through centuries-old lava rock by the Samherji cooperative of fish farmers in Iceland.
"Land-based tanks offer excellent water quality control and extra protection against farmed fish escaping into the wild. And they also protect the char from predators," said Whole Foods Market Seafood Quality Standards Coordinator Carrie Brownstein, who has visited Samherji's Arctic char farms. "The sheer vastness of the Icelandic landscape is absolutely breathtaking. These farmers are working hard to take care of this unique environment."
Arctic char is light, moist and firm in texture. With its subtle flavor and versatility, it serves as an excellent salmon or trout substitute in seafood dishes for beginner palates, kid-friendly meals, or for at-home chefs who simply prefer a less intensely flavored fish. Delicious sauteed, baked, broiled or grilled, Whole Foods Market's Arctic char lends itself to a variety of seasonings - from herbed butter to spicy to fresh-squeezed citrus. For those tuned into their health at the start of this New Year, it provides a fresh twist for a protein-packed meal chock full of good fats.
"When it comes to flavor, Arctic char is a relatively untapped gold mine. This fish is naturally rich and holds its own under bold seasoning," said Birgir Ossurarson, Sales and Marketing Manager for Samherji . "Our Icelandic farming co-op raises healthy, earth-friendly Arctic char without the use of antibiotics, added growth hormones, or land-animal byproducts in feed. This means that Whole Foods Market shoppers are enjoying not only the best tasting fish, but also some of the purest Arctic char on the market."
In December 2008, for the second year in a row, Whole Foods Market was named the nation's No. 1 retailer on Greenpeace's Retail Seafood Sustainability Scorecard. The Company's high quality standards for aquaculture, which have made it a leader in the seafood industry, were a major factor in the ranking. "We are proud to be recognized for our efforts, as we go to great lengths to ensure these products meet our high standards for quality, safety, environmental responsibility, and culinary excellence," added Brownstein.

[Lex]

Whole Foods Market's Arctic char is raised in land-based tanks of ice cold, crystal-clear water that is filtered through centuries-old lava rock by the Samherji cooperative of fish farmers in Iceland.

I just love the sound of that sentence. It makes me feel clean, pure, and righteous.

[Rail Paul]

Whole Foods Market's Arctic char is raised in land-based tanks of ice cold, crystal-clear water that is filtered through centuries-old lava rock by the Samherji cooperative of fish farmers in Iceland.

I just love the sound of that sentence. It makes me feel clean, pure, and righteous.

...and willing to pay $40 a pound for this virtuous experience.

Somehow, the idea of this virtuous sharing of nature's bounty doesn't quite square with Daisy waiting on a long line to pay for the few scraps of produce she was able to locate in their barren larder.

[TaliesinNYC]

Yesterday: no spinach, no parsley, no frozen peas, no canned chickpeas. And the lines went all the way back to the beer counter which is as far as you can get unless you want to stand waiting in the stockroom.

But, they're recommended by GreenPeace, and they introduce Arctic char to the ordinary home cook, they say...

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan 05, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ -- Hard-to-Find Arctic Char, Cousin to Trout and Salmon, Straight from the Pristine Environs of Iceland Available for Limited Time
Whole Foods Market announces that Arctic char, a sweet and mild crowd pleaser often described as a cross between trout and salmon, is now available in stores throughout the month of January. Traditionally featured on fine dining menus, this versatile fish has been virtually unavailable in grocery stores until now.
Whole Foods Market's Arctic char is raised in land-based tanks of ice cold, crystal-clear water that is filtered through centuries-old lava rock by the Samherji cooperative of fish farmers in Iceland.
"Land-based tanks offer excellent water quality control and extra protection against farmed fish escaping into the wild. And they also protect the char from predators," said Whole Foods Market Seafood Quality Standards Coordinator Carrie Brownstein, who has visited Samherji's Arctic char farms. "The sheer vastness of the Icelandic landscape is absolutely breathtaking. These farmers are working hard to take care of this unique environment."
Arctic char is light, moist and firm in texture. With its subtle flavor and versatility, it serves as an excellent salmon or trout substitute in seafood dishes for beginner palates, kid-friendly meals, or for at-home chefs who simply prefer a less intensely flavored fish. Delicious sauteed, baked, broiled or grilled, Whole Foods Market's Arctic char lends itself to a variety of seasonings - from herbed butter to spicy to fresh-squeezed citrus. For those tuned into their health at the start of this New Year, it provides a fresh twist for a protein-packed meal chock full of good fats.
"When it comes to flavor, Arctic char is a relatively untapped gold mine. This fish is naturally rich and holds its own under bold seasoning," said Birgir Ossurarson, Sales and Marketing Manager for Samherji . "Our Icelandic farming co-op raises healthy, earth-friendly Arctic char without the use of antibiotics, added growth hormones, or land-animal byproducts in feed. This means that Whole Foods Market shoppers are enjoying not only the best tasting fish, but also some of the purest Arctic char on the market."
In December 2008, for the second year in a row, Whole Foods Market was named the nation's No. 1 retailer on Greenpeace's Retail Seafood Sustainability Scorecard. The Company's high quality standards for aquaculture, which have made it a leader in the seafood industry, were a major factor in the ranking. "We are proud to be recognized for our efforts, as we go to great lengths to ensure these products meet our high standards for quality, safety, environmental responsibility, and culinary excellence," added Brownstein.

Um.....? (Not a comment on you RP)

Citarella has Arctic char. So what? I think the last time I was there, fillets were going for $8 /lb.

These people must be on crack. They're like the Enya of food.

[Daisy]

We're hear for you. Let it out. They're animals. No one should have to go through that.

I was old friends with the guy in front of me by the time we got to the checkout. That's too long to stand on line for milk,bread,scallions, kale, tea and yogurt that came in at almost $60.

[Stone]

Isn't there an "organic" grocer on 14th near 8th Ave?

[Daisy]

I don't know. And I live on 23rd and Ninth. 14th and 8th a bit of a schlep just to pick up a few things.