The feedback as promised:
I sneaked a bit of cake w/o the berries, and it was difficult to stop! Got raves from the office as well. The cake was moist and firm, just like it should be. 8" round, and almost 8" tall, even with the extra cost for fresh berries, it was less than $20. (And the whipped cream icing was quite tasty!)

I had a demerara sugar moment today! And the exotic fruit section is going to supply a lot of joy in my house for the coming weeks. Got a cherimoya today, something I had never heard of. It has the consistency of mango and tastes like vanilla and a hint of cherry. And they had fresh passion fruit--la sauce a fruit de la passion a la Chef Gerard is on my list for next week.

I got a bit turned around myself today, but now I think I've got it down.

Checked out the Capitol Hill H-T on Sunday afternoon--lots of customers, but not overwhelming. The entrances to the store are a bit confusing and not especially pedestrian friendly. Most of the carts, particularly the small carts, are by the parking garage entrance; the streetside entrance--which looks like the main gateway--is down a flight of stairs, and had only a few carts and baskets there, mostly those abandoned by previous customers. The layout overall is a bit confusing at first, but I'm sure I could get used to it fast enough. There's lots of product here, and many brands and varieties I don't see at Safeway. Yet, despite some good specials, mainly in the meat and produce sections, I found prices on many, if not most of my staple buys to be significantly more expensive than at Safeway. With careful shopping, I'm sure I could figure out how to make H-T work for me economically, but for the most part, I can't see walking the extra 3-4 blocks each way regularly when I can do as well as better at Safeway, Eastern Market, Yes!, and Trader Joe's. H-T will likely be my back-up when those other options fail me--it's nice, the customer service seems excellent, but that's not enough to overcome the convenience and price barriers.

The selection at HT is its big selling point, and for me at least this is the factor that will make it a regular stop, especially for produce. Daikon radish, long-stemmed globe artichokes to make your eyes water, a number of mushroom varieties, various chilies--things I'd normally have to go crosstown for are all in abundance here. The prepared food selection alone is impressive (I picked up a roast chicken the other night that was moist, tender and flavorful, not like the dessicated ones at Eastern Market). I can stock my Chinese pantry here without having to go out to the burbs; and just looking at the Hispanic foods inspired me to try my hand at that cuisine. Finally, HT is obviously far better managed than the Safeway, where the stocking and inventory practices continue to resemble those of Poland under the Jaruzelski régime. There are a few shortcomings: HT's mineral water selection is small (no real Sprudel, like Gerolsteiner) and their wine selection seems to be based on the program of an anonymous supermarket buyer rather than independent thought and discernment. I was unimpressed by the beef selection, which was dominated by thin cuts for diffident carnivores. Also, like Safeway, they only sell Plugra in the 8oz foil package--for a whopping $6.00! For these reasons, Trader Joe's will continue to be our mainstay in most ways, but ohmygawd it is such a blessing to finally have a decent supermarket in our area!

The other good news, the Cap Hill Safeway was very slow on Sunday afternoon, found parking right away, in and out in under 15 minutes!

I'm sure there are still things I'll run to Safeway for or drive to Whole Foods for, but having such a good selection nearby is quite a good development. I was very impressed that I was able to find everything on my list (and more) on my trip Friday. I don't know if that and the good customer service will continue long-term or not. I hope so!

Traffic was the biggest issue for me. I nearly got backed into twice near the store dealing with weird driving situations. When I'm not buying much, I can walk, but I've got to deal with traffic and parking if I'm purchasing more than I can carry on foot.

Harris Teeter is also opening a store in Tyson's Corner later this year.
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/articl...=61&cat=228

Tried to go there (to the new Harris Teeter Columbia, MD location) yesterday at lunch, not open. Ended up being bad for my diet for lunch as a result. It's all Harris Teeter's fault!

So I try to go again last night to pick up a few things on the way home and check it out. You would think they were giving away free groceries for a year to anyone crazy enough to try to get in the building. They were holding people outside because there were too many people in the building (under fire code?). No way was I going in there. Fuggeddaboutit.

So, my third try worked well this morning. I stopped in to check it out and was pleasantly surprised. Immaculate, spacious, bright, fully stocked, filled with lots of cheery people asking if I needed help and welcoming me to the store. We'll see how long that lasts.

The produce all looked good and they even had a small amount of organic produce there -- so this is not a Whole Foods of My Organic Market, but not a bad showing. They have a large prepared foods area, but nothing like what Wegman's or Whole Foods or Balducci's have. The meat and fish counters were nice and everything looked amazingly fresh. They even had these cases that you could open from the outside to more closely inspect the meat or fish as needed -- that was cool. They had a good selection of already prepared and packaged meats, too, including young ducklings there ready to go home with you. A decent cheese counter was there as well with a staffed cheese person there to assist.

Everything else was well stocked, lots of selection, but nothing as over the top as a Wegman's or as organic as a My Organic Market or Whole Foods and not as gourmet as a Balducci's. The checkout process was a little stunted as the new employees tried to get used to their own processes and the products (no conveyor belts to unload your stuff on, I think they would take your cart (they took my basket) on to their side a la Costco, and load your stuff bagged in to an empty one on the end). The checkout person couldn't find the code for these nice plump crimini mushrooms I bagged up and asked me what the baby bok choy was, too as other examples. They have cloth reusable bags there, too, but I forgot to bring mine in with me or buy a new one as I was getting one of their 'shoppers cards' signed up for and using the checkout payment thingie. Next time.

All in all a pleasant experience. A good mix of most anything anyone would want, decent organics selection, some gourmet stuff, but just a good solid grocery store. Not a destination, but a good addition to the central Maryland grocery scene.

Okay, the Capitol Hill HT is growing on me a bit--I'm managing to find some good deals there, though I still think that their average everyday prices are higher than Safeway (though at least they usually have non-green bananas). The staff is generally very friendly and helpful, though I've had a few weird glitches in my last couple of visits. Last week, the clerk rang up my groceries, and then suddenly abandoned her post before completing the transaction to guard a spill in the doorway, even though two other clerks without customers were standing right there--I had to beg them to finish it up. Then today, the clerk gave me the Thursday senior citizen discount without even asking to see my ID--which would have told her I'm a decade away from qualifying. I saved a dollar but I need a hug.