Whole Foods, an Austin-Based Store with Over 400 Locations in the U.S. and U.K. - Being Purchased by Amazon for $13.7 Billion

[The Hersch]

As this Americanized recipe suggests, you can even put a green vegetable into the mix: click. The one recipe you'll find online from Lidia herself uses apples.

Actually, both recipes are from Lidia. Unfortunately, neither of them includes bacon. I guess I could just replace the silly asparagus with good, wholesome bacon in the former recipe. And rats, I was at the GP WF yesterday, but I didn't visit the cheese department.

[cheezepowder]

At the Clarendon Whole Foods, the former Jamba Juice area has a sign that says Coming Soon Taqueria Natural.

[youngfood]

I found Opah at the Vienna WF's fish counter yesterday. I hadn't noticed it at WFs around town previously. Very tasty and a better price ($15/lb) than some of WPs pricing (eg $25/lb on scallops!?!).

[johnb]

Apparently John Mackey, co-founder and Chairman of WF, and recently famous for a memo related to the Wild Oats takeover showing his utter lack of respect for the law, is even more spaced-out than anybody knew. This guy is a real piece of work. Maybe, as the article suggests, he should get some protein for a change.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/12/business/12foods.html

Shows how crazy anybody is who posts on an internet bulletin board. Hmmm. A lesson for the wise???

[Ilaine]

Shows how crazy anybody is who posts on an internet bulletin board. Hmmm. A lesson for the wise???

My guess, and it's only a guess, is that posting things you believe to be true on a stock BBS is legal, even if it's your own stock. I believe -- I could be wrong -- that what's illegal is "pumping","dumping," and "pump-n-dump."

"Pumping" being posting laudatory, but untrue, things about your own company. "Dumping" being posting detrimental, but untrue, things about your rivals. "Pump-n-dump" being an arcane technique used by day traders.

Whether investors will find Mackey's comments unsavory remains to be seen, and the jury isn't just out, it hasn't even been convened, on whether WF is violating trade laws by purchasing its rival. Is the market for natural food markets really that monolithic? This Supreme Court seems to be looking at trade laws differently from prior courts, so that's another factor into the analysis.

I would argue that the competition among sellers of natural and gourmet foods has never been healthier. Whole Food is putting the mom-n-pop natural food stores out of business, but the co-ops are still going along about as usual, and general grocery stores like Giant and Safeway and Wegmann's and even big box stores like Walmart and Costco are selling natural foods (or maybe "natural foods").

I buy my Odwalla protein drinks at Wegmann's for $2.50 rather than at Whole Food for $3.29, as an example of healthy competition in the health food industry.

[zoramargolis]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/12/business/12foods.html

Shows how crazy anybody is who posts on an internet bulletin board. Hmmm. A lesson for the wise???

Only if you use a pseudonym and assume that no one will ever know who you actually are. Some of us use our real names and understand that everything we write can be googled. It helps with impulse control.

[johnb]

My guess, and it's only a guess, is that posting things you believe to be true on a stock BBS is legal, even if it's your own stock. I believe -- I could be wrong -- that what's illegal is "pumping","dumping," and "pump-n-dump."

"Pumping" being posting laudatory, but untrue, things about your own company. "Dumping" being posting detrimental, but untrue, things about your rivals. "Pump-n-dump" being an arcane technique used by day traders.

You're right on the first but wrong on the second. "Pumping" is to try to increase interest (and the price) of a stock, usually through artificial praise. "Dump," however, refers to selling the stock you bought before the pump, at the now artificially higher price. Nothing arcane about that.

Whether investors will find Mackey's comments unsavory remains to be seen, and the jury isn't just out, it hasn't even been convened, on whether WF is violating trade laws by purchasing its rival. Is the market for natural food markets really that monolithic? This Supreme Court seems to be looking at trade laws differently from prior courts, so that's another factor into the analysis.

The current changes in the supreme court result directly from the new justices appointed by the pro-corporate administration. As to what investors might be thinking about all this, click the link below.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/07/12/magazines/...rce=yahoo_quote

I would argue that the competition among sellers of natural and gourmet foods has never been healthier. Whole Food is putting the mom-n-pop natural food stores out of business, but the co-ops are still going along about as usual, and general grocery stores like Giant and Safeway and Wegmann's and even big box stores like Walmart and Costco are selling natural foods (or maybe "natural foods").

I would say the co-ops are a fly speck in the larger picture, in the economy as a whole, not among those who post here, but the economy as a whole is what concerns the FTC/Justice.

I buy my Odwalla protein drinks at Wegmann's for $2.50 rather than at Whole Food for $3.29, as an example of healthy competition in the health food industry.

This in fact is where the competition will come from. Mackey's fear is IMO correct--I predict that WF will not survive with its present business model much longer--when the other guys really start selling this stuff at reasonable prices, its customer base will evaporate.

[Al Dente]

This in fact is where the competition will come from. Mackey's fear is IMO correct--I predict that WF will not survive with its present business model much longer--when the other guys really start selling this stuff at reasonable prices, its customer base will evaporate.

Define "much longer".

[chickenlover]

Mackey's fear is IMO correct--I predict that WF will not survive with its present business model much longer--when the other guys really start selling this stuff at reasonable prices, its customer base will evaporate.

Or the could just, you know, lower their prices.

[johnb]

Or the could just, you know, lower their prices.

And wouldn't you agree, that would be a 180^o shift in their business model. Maybe even 540^o.

[Anna Blume]

Or the could just, you know, lower their prices.

And wouldn't you agree, that would be a 180^o shift in their business model. Maybe even 540^o.

No.

WFM seems to have identified certain core grocery items such as milk not treated w rBGH to sell at a price lower than those found at the other supermarkets and grocery stores where I shop (i.e., not Costco, but Giant, Safeway, Brookville...; Trader Joe's was either the same price or lower, but was poorly stocked and spoiled too quickly the 3 times I gave the place a try). Since we've all been warned about climbing prices of dairy products, the fact that prices of the store brand have not yet soared suggests a strategy.

I recall stories about a marketing campaign in which WFM was trying to counter the Whole Paycheck image by pointing to competitively priced items for sale. It definitely has reacted to the TJ threat by lowering prices on items that are flagged as bargains: butter at $2.99 a pound. Compare prices for kosher salt and King Arthur flour, too.

How much is the regular price of Lucerne-branded butter at Safeway? Is it giving into what Michael Pollan characterizes as "Supermarket Pastoral" to prefer the 365 brand of unsalted butter to Lucerne's when the latter isn't on sale?

Look, I'm all for bargains and low costs. I gloat when my coupon clipping & reviews of sales lead to savings of 35 to 60% when I make a trip to Safeway, though I haven't been doing much of that lately due to poor quality and higher prices.

And yes, tiny round watermelons from Baby Bella are $2.99 at Giant, $3.99 at WFM; the canary melon that would have cost me $7 at Giant was $3.99 last week at Trader Joe's where I picked up a wonderful honeydew instead and turned my nose up at Cranshaws that resembled wrinkled, deflating kickballs except for the nipple on one end. There are probably a lot of items that shoppers buy for a whole lot more money at WFM when they don't need to, especially when they could do a whole lot better at the farmer's market.

On the other hand, I remain a sucker for the Supermarket Pastoral and shop at WFM for quite a few items. One of my justifcations is quality. Another is that Americans are spoiled since domestically produced foods are less expensive here than in many other countries. (Another would be the belief that people who produce our food ought to earn decent livings, but no one has told me WFM pays them better than Safeway does.)

Still another is that I don't think all the higher prices go towards John Mackey's haircut, take-overs or other forms of imperialistic expansion. I am under the impression that WFM employees receive better wages and benefits than their counterparts at other supermarket chains or grocery stores. Wegman's is the only other company that I know of that has been praised in this regard. Am I misguided?

[Al Dente]

(Another would be the belief that people who produce our food ought to earn decent livings, but no one has told me WFM pays them better than Safeway does.)

I am under the impression that WFM employees receive better wages and benefits than their counterparts at other supermarket chains or grocery stores. Am I misguided?

Regarding #1-- In some cases WFM does pay their vendors better than the conventionals typically do. I don't have a lot of specifics, but there are instances where the purchasing price is guaranteed which provides some protection to farmers against crop failure and so forth.

#2-- nope, you're not misguided...

[The Hersch]

(Another would be the belief that people who produce our food ought to earn decent livings, but no one has told me WFM pays them better than Safeway does.)

Still another is that I don't think all the higher prices go towards John Mackey's haircut, take-overs or other forms of imperialistic expansion. I am under the impression that WFM employees receive better wages and benefits than their counterparts at other supermarket chains or grocery stores. Wegman's is the only other company that I know of that has been praised in this regard. Am I misguided?

I'm not sure how the first sentence above comports with the third. While I do believe that WFM pays its people a half-way decent wage, I gather that Trader Joe's is miles ahead of just about everyone in the wages & benefits its workers earn. Safeway's workers are unionized, so they do okay too. Whole Foods, on the other hand, has a history of virulent anti-union activity, opposing unions not just for their own employees but for workers anywhere in the food industry, especially the United Farm Workers.

ETA: Oops, I realize now that I misread sentence #1.

[chickenlover]

Whole Foods does pay their employees better, and it shows. The employees at the DC stores I frequent have better attitudes/customer service skills than any other similarly situated business in the area. The checkers at Giant on 9th don't seem to care whether I live or die, let alone whether I am able pay for my purchase in a timely fashion. Ditto, any CVS in DC.

My real issue with WF isn't price, it's quality. (Although a little part of me dies every time I pay a dollar for a lemon.) They consistently fail to live up to to their mission statement/marketing hype and that's why I hate them. And yes I do shop at WF nearly every week.

[cheezepowder]

At the Clarendon Whole Foods, the former Jamba Juice area has a sign that says Coming Soon Taqueria Natural.

I noticed it's now open. Their menu has tacos and burritos with choice of grilled steak, grilled chicken, chipotle-rubbed fish, salsa-marinated tofu, or slow-roasted pork. Also agua fresca. Seems this will be competing with the Baja Fresh on the very next block.

[dcs]

I noticed it's now open. Their menu has tacos and burritos with choice of grilled steak, grilled chicken, chipotle-rubbed fish, salsa-marinated tofu, or slow-roasted pork. Also agua fresca. Seems this will be competing with the Baja Fresh on the very next block.

I noticed today that they had a mariachi band in store to herald this development. That must mean it is authentic.

I, on the other hand, picked up two saltenas from El-Chaparral Meat Market across the street for $5.79 for the pair. A value that cannot be beat.

[zoramargolis]

I noticed it's now open. Their menu has tacos and burritos with choice of grilled steak, grilled chicken, chipotle-rubbed fish, salsa-marinated tofu, or slow-roasted pork. Also agua fresca.

I was there yesterday, and the mariachi played my requests for "Mi Ranchito" and "Malagueña Salerosa." There was a WF employee singing lead on a few songs with them who was very heartfelt, but should plan to keep his day job.

The carnitas was excellent--very authentic, with big chunks of crispy pork. The carne asada was also good. Can't say anything about the fish, chicken or tofu. The steam table tortillas were a bit leathery--they need to work out a better system for keeping the tortillas warm. The toppings were authentic, not self-serve though, which slowed down the line somewhat. The canteloupe agua fresca was tasty, but warmish, and I caused a major fooferaw by asking for a cup of ice to chill it. They also had jamaica (hibiscus).

[Woodleygrrl]

Whiule wages may be the same at whole foods as Giant and Safeway, workers at Whole Food do not have a company sponsored pension plan (merely a non-matching 401K plan) and health care for most full time ee's at giant and safeway is company sponsored and workers pay little to nothing for it.

And yes, Whole Foods is vehemently anti-union. I know from personal experience from an organizing drive that I was involved with.

[deangold]

workers at Whole Food do not have a company sponsored pension plan (merely a non-matching 401K plan)

When I was at WF there was a match often given in company stock. Also, WFM has one of the widest stock option plans of any company in the US.

[ScotteeM]

I'm following this thread closely, because my much-younger SIL (mid-20s) just started a job at WF in Boulder, CO, about a month ago, coming from several years at Starbucks. We very much want her to have a good job with benefits so we don't have to worry so much about her. When we talk to her on the phone now she is so much more positive and enthusiastic, and seems to enjoy her job, so far.

[Al Dente]

Whiule wages may be the same at whole foods as Giant and Safeway, workers at Whole Food do not have a company sponsored pension plan (merely a non-matching 401K plan) and health care for most full time ee's at giant and safeway is company sponsored and workers pay little to nothing for it.

And yes, Whole Foods is vehemently anti-union. I know from personal experience from an organizing drive that I was involved with.

I'm curious to know-- what does Giant and Safeway pay someone with little or no experience to start? What does say a bakery department's assistant manager make?

In my experience, as a Whole Foods employee (I've been a grunt in the kitchen chopping onions and skinning salmon filets, part of the management of a team within a store, and now part of regional management) I don't see the value in unionizing if the pay, benefits, and working conditions are equal to, if not far better, than other companies with unions.

The individual health insurance deduction from a WFM team member's paycheck is $0.00. And a lot of the employee expenses of copays and deductibles are covered by a debit card that the company issues. Additionally, the health plans for couples (including same sex) and families is competitive with other large corporations and is far better than most once you have a few years of tenure under your belt. And as Dean mentions, the stock option plans are pretty generous. If I was 18 and didn't have the opportunity to go to college, knowing what I know now, I'd go and work for Whole Foods. There are tremendous opportunities if you have a 1/2 a wit in your head (I only have 3/8, but I'm good at faking it). Hell, I wish I started with WFM when I finished college! As someone who experienced a lot of the wide world of other corporations out there, and as a highly accomplished cynic, I'm constantly amazed at the values this company takes seriously and the lengths it goes to be a positive part of its employees lives. I'm proud to work here.

When I worked in a store I worked with a lot of people with little to no education and very little opportunity to have a secure and hopeful future. It broke my heart to see some of them treat their job no differently than they would flipping burgers at McDonald's or stocking shelves at WalMart. I also saw people from the same kind of backgrounds who had been with the company for a few years, put some effort into their careers, and were able to buy their own homes, send their kids to college, and have enough $$$ to save for their future. I remember one specific instance of an otherwise hard-ass and intimidating meat department manager who, with tears in his eyes, explained to a group of new employees how working for WFM enabled him to buy a house for his family. Sorry for the melodrama, but that kind of thing really happens.

Anyway, sorry for the preaching, but I feel strongly that this company has the best of intentions. Is it the Utopian ideal? Of course not. But WFM is a hell of a lot more enlightened than other companies I've worked for.

Gruntled,

Al

[Anna Blume]

Does anyone know if TJ sells ground lamb, or will I have to shell out at Whole Foods?

I believe ground lamb runs about $3.99 or $4.99 a pound at Whole Foods.

[ulysses]

Woooooo! I am hot right now. I need to vent and I think this might the cure for what ales me.

I am a long time WF shopper(LA '01,KC '02, DC '03-present) and at least 2 out 3 times I shop there I get burnt somehow. I come home and all of my oysters are open, I unwrap my halibut and try to fight the heaves caused by the rancid smell, my 22.99 bottle of Mollydooker rang up as 28.99, my mixed greens wilted and shrivled the day I purchased them. I never once returned to the store and asked for an exchange or my money back. I generally purchase what I need for a meal then I cook, once I'm home, I'm home. And I've always chalked it up to the fact that they do alot of business and I just slipped through the cracks this time. In addition I can sympathize with a poor WF manager who has a crazed customer walk up to them with lobster in tow and scream about how they cant believe they payed $28 dollars for this wimpy little piece of seafood. So I've always just eaten it(so to speak).

This time I cannot or will not let this go. I am angry. I did my Sunday night shopping at 5pm and at 9pm it was time to eat. Got everything ready for a big night of Nachos, Michelob and the Godfather.(orginally tacos, however WF was wiped out of tortillas) Then I opened my SourCream to find this BLEARGHHHH!

It's not so much that is was open or even used, what really got me was the mucussy(sp?) pieces of whatever that were left in there. Now I pose the question(mostly to keep the reader from posing it) How is this WF fault? How on earth did someone, employee or not manage to walk around with a sour cream container and eat from it in the store? Secondly how the hell did it get back on the shelf? Where is the quality control? I pay extra money at this store so I don't have to worry about bad oysters or mismarked wine and especially half eaten food.

Disclaimer: When I lived in old town, I was only a few blocks from the relatively new Duke st. location, so it was never a matter of transportation when I moved the oysters or halibut. I taken more than one food safety class and I'm fairly sure an eight minute walk with oysters packed on ice in 70 degree weather shouldn't kill them. I also always check my eggs and potato chips for cracks.

Pheewww. I feel a little better now. Tommorow I will march in a plead my case to that poor WF manager and see what happens.

[Drive-by Critic]

Some people have all the (bad) luck! With me, it is electronics - these are devices that enter my life and then break or get lost or both. Battery life - my under-one-year-old cell phone decided it won't hold a charge for more than a day. Almost left me stranded at National last night. But I've had remarkably few problems with grocery stores (Giant for many years, now WFM almost exclusively). On balance, I think I'd rather have bad electronics luck than bad grocery luck.

We are also grappling with the WFM cost issue, but have come to realize that it is at least in part offset by the fact that we actually eat what we buy there. The quality is high and the produce is excellent. When I shopped at Giant, I would end up throwing out quite a lot of food, which really bothered me. We virtually never toss the food we buy at WFM.

Pollan had an article in the NYT mag recently in which they bought the same dollar amount of food in the outer aisles (the fresh stuff) vs. the inner aisles (the processed stuff). Not surprisingly, the volume and calorie density of the stuff from the innter aisles was much higher, and he very nicely tied this sad phenomenon to the heavy Farm Bill subsidies of corn and wheat. There are virtually no subsidies for produce. I know Pollan can be preachy, but this article is worth reading. I found a copy here: http://www.mindfully.org/Farm/2007/You-Gro...llan22apr07.htm.

Ellen

[ol_ironstomach]

there. Now I pose the question(mostly to keep the reader from posing it) How is this WF fault? How on earth did someone, employee or not manage to walk around with a sour cream container and eat from it in the store? Secondly how the hell did it get back on the shelf? Where is the quality control? I pay extra money at this store so I don't have to worry about bad oysters or mismarked wine and especially half eaten food.

Ah, but this is WF, not Harrod's

Sympathy for the vile experience, but aren't you blaming the other victim in this instance? You also managed to select and purchase the tampered tub without noticing; what QC process should WF use that would have produced a different result?

Mismarked prices happen, but bad seafood is inexcusable at any price. Give 'em hell...and find another fishmonger.

[Anna Blume]

Silent Bob: I was wrong. Ground lamb is now $5.99. Anyone know about the vendors at the farmers markets?

Quite a few prices are going up. Milk has finally climbed 10 or 20 cents. True elsewhere.

Ulysses: Most supermarket chains, including Whole Foods, graciously handle complaints and respond by refunding your money or replacing the item, based on YOUR preference, sometimes both.

I once stood in line at the Customer Service counter in Tenleytown as a belligerent, well-heeled woman held up a plastic bag of six half-cooked artichokes (at least $4-$5 each since it was off-season) and demanded her money back since the store ruined her dinner party by selling her inferior produce that wouldn't cook properly. No one asked her how she tried to prepare them or if her plans for the evening included a chart for timing the dishes she served; she got all her money back.

Yours was an unfortunate and frustrating experience, especially since you got home before realizing what the problem was. I'm not sure what an employee might have done to prevent it, though.

It might inspire you to stop accepting errors or poor quality. Prices rise and fall each week and I could not imagine trying to memorize all the product codes cashiers have to learn, let alone deal w produce they've never heard of or seen before. If you notice a discrepancy, you'll be refunded the difference. If you don't feel you've waited too long to eat something perishable and notice it's spoiled, you don't need to save the evidence to get a refund. Just call the store immediately.

[Drive-by Critic]

"Now I pose the question(mostly to keep the reader from posing it) How is this WF fault? How on earth did someone, employee or not manage to walk around with a sour cream container and eat from it in the store? Secondly how the hell did it get back on the shelf? Where is the quality control? I pay extra money at this store so I don't have to worry about bad oysters or mismarked wine and especially half eaten food."

Hmm. Something that happened to me today in the Fair Lakes store may be what happened. I asked for a tabbouleh wrap, which for some reason, they don't offer in this store (another manifestation of the difference between middle class, egalitarian, crunchy munchy, granola-and-birkenstock MoCo and "is it just me or are these the biggest effing SUVs you've ever seen in your life" and "does ANYONE here ever bring reuseable bags?" NOVA?). Anyway, we can usually persuade someone to make one for us. After all, they have the tabbouleh, the tortilla, the lettuce, and the tomato. How hard can it be? Also has black olive tapenade.

So today the guy gets out the recipe book and starts to make me a wrap, and gets out this huge vat of honeycup mustard. I hate mustard. I don't care if they omit the tapenade but I don't want mustard (plus, if he is looking at the recipe, it says tapenade, not mustard). So I stop him and oh yeah it's tapenade but they don't have any. Fine, I say. Don't worry about it. Leave the tapenade off but please don't put any mustard on it. (Don't you check with the customer before making substitutions? What if they are allergic, or just don't like the substitute? I hate mustard and especially sweet mustard).

He walks over to the prepared food case (where the soup and premade sandwiches are), picks up a plastic package of tapenade, takes it back to the deli, opens it, spreads the tapenade on my wrap, and more or less rolls the whole thing up and I've got my wrap.

Now, I wonder if that package of tapenade might accidentally end up back on the shelf in the prepared food case? And could that be what happened to your sour cream? Someone took it off the shelf to use it to make something, and then someone else accidentally returned it, not realizing it had been opened and used?

Ellen

[crackers]

middle class, egalitarian, crunchy munchy, granola-and-birkenstock MoCo

You obviously have not met Pappy.

[JPW]

"another manifestation of the difference between middle class, egalitarian, crunchy munchy, granola-and-birkenstock MoCo

No, that's just Takoma Park.

[Heather]

No, that's just Takoma Park.

Hey, easy there, buddy. I resemble that remark.

I suspect Justin's bad experience was the fault of an appalling customer (we have lots of those around here) rather than an inattentive employee. No excuse for bad seafood though, not at their prices. And getting something home to cook for dinner and finding out it's bad is INFURIATING.

[Al Dente]

Now, I wonder if that package of tapenade might accidentally end up back on the shelf in the prepared food case? And could that be what happened to your sour cream? Someone took it off the shelf to use it to make something, and then someone else accidentally returned it, not realizing it had been opened and used?

Ellen

I'd find that highly unlikely. Now, I have seen customers help themselves to various condiments around the store like it's their own private pantry.

[zoramargolis]

Tenleytown Whole Foods is now selling wine and beer. I found an incredible deal on a very good Spanish wine there today.

http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php?showt...amp;#entry86916

[TinDC]

One bit of interesting news, from the fishmonger at Fair Lakes:

New WFM opening in Chevy Chase. Checked the WFM website. It will be at Wisconsin and Western (how incredibly convenient and inconvenient all at the same time - close but yikes that traffic!). Wonder if it is going into the old Giant? Wasn't that torn down? Anyway, 50,000 sq ft (Fair Lakes is 65,000; the White Flint location will be 60,000). Since none of that space will be given over to beer and wine (thanks, Nanny MoCo), the White Flint store should be the equivalent in terms of size and selection of Fair Lakes, w/ Chevy Chase somewhat less so.

As for the whole liberal/conservative character of MoCo v. NOVA, well - refer back to the fact that our idiot county government actually thinks it has some valid reason for restricting the sale of booze to its own stores. I rest my case. But if that isn't enough for you, well, in Virginia, it is lawful to carry (unconcealed) weapons in public.

Ellen

It is going to be in the new complex with the Bloomingdales they are building. I thought it was interesting when I saw it seeing how close it is to the River Road and Tenleytown Whole Foods.

[Lydia R]

It's a good thing the FTC had the reasoning behind the merger spelled out for them, otherwise they may have just rubber-stamped it like Exxon/Mobil. After all, no merger ever approved has been for the purpose of gaining market share and eliminating a potential threat.

Interesting development here according to this Wall Street Journal newsflash:

A federal judge denied the U.S. government's request to temporarily block Whole Foods' $565 million purchase of rival Wild Oats Markets. The ruling marks a significant victory for the companies, which vigorously challenged the FTC's contention that their combination would curtail competition. The government built its case in part on statements in which John Mackey, Whole Foods's chairman, asserted that buying Wild Oats would help his company avoid price wars in certain markets.

[silentbob]

Silent Bob: I was wrong. Ground lamb is now $5.99

Yeah, I ended up buying from Whole Foods and was surprised at the price-hike, although the Nigella lamb meatballs that I made for the dinner party ended up pretty well.

I also bought a small tub of greek yogurt. Meh. Hopefully, the stuff at Trader Joe's is better.

[JLK]

It makes sense that Sunday night is the worst time to shop at Whole Foods. New deliveries Monday morning, right? But when you've been traveling for work for seemingly weeks on end, and you get home late Saturday night, Sunday night is your only option if you want to fill those bare cupboards.

Well...heirloom tomatoes take the form of about a dozen squishy blobs, some almost liquid. Flying bugs surround the avocados. Even the packaged organic greens have brown edges. But bananas? Bananas last forever. Apparently. I left the store with a quart of strawberries (half of them mush), bananas and a quart of milk.

[Anna Blume]

Well...heirloom tomatoes take the form of about a dozen squishy blobs, some almost liquid.

About the only thing I will never buy in a supermarket anymore is a fresh tomato. Exceptions: grape or cherry tomatoes and sometimes I've found good plum tomatoes, if not this year.

(Sympathy on inconvenience for travelers. You were lucky to find the milk since stores often get wiped out on Sunday after noon.)

[Heather]

I'll be at the new flagship store in Austin tomorrow. It will probably make me weep with envy, knowing I have to go back to the Silver Spring store. I'll see if I can get a few pictures.

[Al Dente]

I'll be at the new flagship store in Austin tomorrow. It will probably make me weep with envy, knowing I have to go back to the Silver Spring store. I'll see if I can get a few pictures.

I'm curious to know what you think of it. I still haven't been, but might be on my way to Austin in a couple of weeks.

[zoramargolis]

Two weekends ago, I was in the new Lower East Side Whole Foods store, on Houston Street. A large area of the store was taken up with prepared take-away food, which is understandable. They have a frites bar, which I'd never seen before. Kinda cool. There is a peculiarity in the law there that allows food stores to sell beer, but not wine. So they have a HUGE beer department.

[Meaghan]

Okay. As much as I like to gripe about Whole Foods...

I really want one to open downtown. I constantly find myself needing to pick up provisions to bring to a party or to a friend's house to cook, and if coming from downtown (work), I'm generally at a loss.

What do you think?

Bring Whole Foods Downtown

[Heather]

I'm curious to know what you think of it. I still haven't been, but might be on my way to Austin in a couple of weeks.

Holy crap. Enormous, totally overwhelming, and confusingly laid out. The bread is better than here, and the cheese selection is astounding. The food counters are great - trattoria! taco bar! gelato! pizza! sushi! BBQ!

[Heather]

I went back again yesterday, and the actual grocery section is not much more exciting than your average store. The produce variety is terrific (20 varieties of mushrooms for instance), but the quality of the produce seemed about average for WF here on the east coast. My lack of knowledge prevents any educated commentary on the wines. Scott loved the beer selection. The fish counter is probably the best I've seen in a grocery store.

The big push here in Austin seems to be getting local produce, meats, etc., which I support wholeheartedly and would like to see at the DC area stores.

We're heading to Central Market tomorrow.

[JLK]

That Lower East Side store is just massive. It was so weird to see how the neighborhood has changed. I grabbed a late lunch at the WF in the Time Warner Center. Check out lines there are so long that it is someone's job to stand at the end of the long, winding single line that feeds into all of the register with a tall sign saying "End of the Line" or something like that.

[Anna Blume]

The imported cherry tomatoes from Italy (canned, a new product) are very good! Unlike plum tomatoes, they're not skinned before being packed, so the flavor is intense. Sweeter, too.

[ScotteeM]

My husband and I mounted an expedition out to the WF at Fair Lakes today, aiming for the seafood restaurant counter first. A dozen Wellfleet oysters on the half-shell were very fresh and nicely shucked--a real treat, even at 11:30 am. I really don't like the sides they offer (soggy "chips", parslied potatoes or rice) so I opted for a caesar salad with fried oysters. They were a dozen nicely fried fresh-tasting oysters over a reliably decent, if huge, salad. My husband's fried shrimp were just OK--the fried coating wouldn't stay on the shrimp long enough to get into his mouth, and the chips were, well, soggy and flabby.

I noticed that the Osteria was shut down and given over to a large selection of non-food gift items (Crocs shoes, cosmetic gift sets, etc.). Is the Osteria permanently closed? I don't get out there often, and I haven't tried the Osteria's food, but it always has seemed busy when I've been there.

I scored a lovely hanger steak for our dinner tonight, and turkey wings and necks which are simmering for stock now (Brown Turkey Stock from Epicurious.com). They had duck carcasses in the meat case, along with boneless duck breast and legs.

[Anna Blume]

While it's true that WFM is turning to more and more prepared and semi-prepared foods, I've noticed there are a few more snooty items for home cooks. Someone is definitely having fun in Italy.

Right next to the bags of beautiful dried beans from Greece is farro!

Finally! I've been asking for this for a long time. It's nearly half the price of the pretty burlap bags that I Litteri and Dean & DeLuca carry: $3.69 a lb. as opposed to the $6 that I won't pay. Might even be less than the boxes of grain that Trader Joe's calls Italian spelt and mixes in with dehydrated vegetables and boullion powder.

Over in the Cheese dept. there is Sardinian pecorino which is traditionally preferred in pesto. If so inclined, you can also pick up little cartons of long-conserved Italian cream (panna), though it's rather pricey for a convenience item.

There are also "real" San Marzano canned tomatoes. 69 cents more than Balducci's.

[Pat]

Right next to the bags of beautiful dried beans from Greece is farro!

Finally! I've been asking for this for a long time. It's nearly half the price of the pretty burlap bags that I Litteri and Dean & DeLuca carry: $3.69 a lb. as opposed to the $6 that I won't pay. Might even be less than the boxes of grain that Trader Joe's calls Italian spelt and mixes in with dehydrated vegetables and boullion powder.

Is this at the P Street store? I've been ordering it online, but the particular seller I was ordering from isn't selling through Amazon anymore. It looks like they have other suppliers now, though.

I haven't seen it at Litteri's, but maybe I should have asked someone instead of concluding that they didn't have it .

I found bulk farro (or maybe it was labeled as spelt) at the Clarendon WF store once earlier this year, but I don't know if it's something they have regularly.

[Anna Blume]

Georgetown/Glover Park, Pat.

Farro is emmer wheat (triticum dicoccum), not spelt (triticum spelta) which is a different type of wheat. The Italian word is frequently mistranslated as "spelt", though some argue that Italians simply refer to both types of grain as "farro". The former's an ancient grain documented in Egypt and the Mesopotamian world, while spelt grew in ancient European regions. There might be some hybrid crops in Italy.

At I Litteri you'll find farro on the shelves that separate most of the groceries from the wine section. That's where you'll also find dried beans.

WFM also sells wheat berries in bulk which require soaking since it's a harder grain. Farro softens more quickly. I sometimes use barley as a substitute, though it requires more liquid.

[chickenlover]

Farro is also available at Vace (behind the counter) for you Cleveland Parkers. I remember it being pretty pricey though.