The Fresh Market

I LOVE the Fresh Market.  Sure, it's generally overpriced on some of the basic staples- although a lot of the "staples" there are organic and/or special in some way.  And yes, I'd rather hit the local Farmer's Market for vegetables and fruits.  Fortunately, Raleigh has an amazing Farmer's Market.  But the Fresh Market is a chain grocery store that offers that little something special.

It's not really the food, or the prices, or the specialized selection that appeals to me.  It's the atmosphere.  There's always some kind of quiet music playing in the background- probably classical, but I can't say for sure.  The smells of fresh flowers intermingled with coffee and fresh baked goods all swim in my senses.  The lower lighting makes everything look and feel softer.  The displays are very neat and personalized.  Everything adds up to exactly how I wish my house looked, felt, smelled, sounded.  It doesn't, but I can dream, right?

The Fresh Market seems to cater to older, wealthier clientele or more gourmet shoppers than I am.  I found a beautiful aged Ghouda there that I hadn't been able to find in any of the local chains (i.e. Food Lion, Kroger, Harris Teeter).  And they have this wonderful meal deal that for $13.99 you can get a rotisserie chicken, corn bread, and two baked sides (we usually go with mashed potatoes and macaroni).  It's all fresh baked/cooked foods in their deli department.  For that price, it's a great meal and even the four of us can usually get two meals out of it.  I often throw in some fresh green beans or peas just to color the meal up.

My favorite thing at the Fresh Market, besides the atmosphere is their spice selections.  Here is where you can actually get a great deal.  For $1.19 you can get a little empty spice jar.  Then for nearly half the price of your normal grocery chains you can get your spices in little plastic bags marked with the type of spice and the expiration date.  I bought 6 or 7 spices at Kroger- a few Kroger brand and a few McCormicks if Kroger brand wasn't available.  Only one spice was cheaper at Kroger and it was on sale and only cheaper by a few cents than the Fresh Market.  These included paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, and ground cumin (all staples in my house).  The jars, of course, are reusable so I break out my label maker... well, I don't actually have a label maker so I break out my post-its and packing tape.... and label each jar.  Plus, this is awesome for creating your blends like the fajita blend I made.

I still frequent the local chains because let's face it, I'm can't afford every meal from the Fresh Market, but for any of those special meals or any time I want a spice or just when I need a short little get-away from the kids I'll take a quick "vacation" to the Fresh Market and usually come out feeling happy I did.