Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

Astro had a great thread on Trader Joe's finds (see resource guide thread for link). I've recently started shopping at Whole Foods more, so figured a similar thread might be good.

So far, here are two new frozen items I've tried from there:

Amy's Ravioli bowl. I'm generally a big fan of Amy's stuff, I've tried a bunch in the past that has been good. This was pretty crappy. Sorta bland and not the greatest texture. http://www.amys.com/products/categor...od_category=12

Whole Kitchen (Whole Foods private label) Pad Thai w/ Tofu. This was sorta gross. It was spicy and decent flavor I guess, but it pretty much sucked. The noodles were kinda mushy and sticky and the sauce was too peanuty and the tofu was pretty tasteless. Yeah, crap.

They do have Orange flavor Crystal Geyser sparkling water, which is phenomenal. Most places only carry plain/lemon/lime.

Feel free to comment on everything here, not just prepared/packaged stuff.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

IMO, it's one of the best places for fresh meat (especially steak), seafood and fruit.

I've had mixed results with their sauces. I had a garlic-based tomato sauce that was pretty damn good, but I threw away a piece of meat I had marinated with their BBQ sauce.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

I got a dungeness crab there once and it wasnt so hot, but this was in denver. even tho the whole crab sucked, their dungeness crab cakes, and blue crab cakes were both real good.

-mike

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

awesome things at whole foods:

Red dragon cheese w/mustard seed and ale (and in general cheese selection)
sweetened dried cranberries
whatever fresh salsa they make with garlic
all the different weird types of sausages
seattle sorbet

things I hate:
them getting rid of peppered salami logs.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

6-pack of chocolate chip cookies. OH MY GOD those cookies seriously kept me going there for months.

Amy's Cheese and Pesto Pizza is also really good.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

I'm hooked on Açai Organic Smoothies which you can buy at Whole Foods

Açaí Wiki

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

1. Chilean Sea Bass
2. Thai Ginger Marinade
.
.
.
3. Profit.

Barron

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

[ QUOTE ]
1. Chilean Sea Bass
2. Thai Ginger Marinade
.
.
.
3. Profit.

Barron

[/ QUOTE ]

dcifr,
this is the el d forum. no lame jokes from other forums are needed, just your charming personality! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

re: whole foods

i dont shop there often enough, unfortunately, but have never had a bad experience with any of their in-store lunch stuff (sammys, salads, etc). the place is as perfect as i can imagine a grocery being (ignoring outrageous prices).

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

How does Whole Foods compare to TJ's in regards to price, taste and selection?

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

[ QUOTE ]
How does Whole Foods compare to TJ's in regards to price, taste and selection?

[/ QUOTE ]

price: much much more expensive. Quality is generally top notch. You can get prime cut beef. Gourmet quality everything. Any kind of cheese and wine you ever want. This is probably where most of the high price comes from.

Taste: Every time I go to WF, I can get samples of dozens of things. They all taste good. Their prepared foods is delicious, if not really overpriced. Desserts are excellent as well.

Selection: There aren't more selections (excluding wine and cheese) across the board. They just have better selections. I don't think you'll find any generic mac and cheese boxes or even Kraft, but you may find a 6 cheese gourmet mac and cheese that costs 4x as much.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

they have these fruit parfait things that are amazing. for whatever reason i used to always eat them after sex. oh man those were the days.

their wraps rule.

i also seem to forget orangina exists until i go to whole foods, so i get it every time.

finally, i endorse any dcifr post that doesn't involve numbers and equations.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

The butcher will cut you your own bacon, and they have multiple types to choose from.

I'm not sure anything else is really necessary.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

Good
American Spoon Cherry Peach Salsa,
Whole Foods Organic Dried Cherries,
Kopali Organics Organic Dried Mango,
Fresh Garlic Green Beans from the deli section,
Fresh Asian Slaw from the deli section,
Their organic fresh fuits and vegetables are great,
And as mentioned, fantastic butcher.

Bad
A lot of their staples are horribly over priced. Such as pasta, cereal, soap, cleaning supplies. Plus, too many aisles full of vitamins and related products.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

[ QUOTE ]
How does Whole Foods compare to TJ's in regards to price, taste and selection?

[/ QUOTE ]

they market to different segments.

Whole Foods is primarily about natural, organic and fresh. they sell more perishables than any other market, by far.

TJ's is about convenience (lots of frozen and refrigerated) and unique products. by comparison they sell very few perishables.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

[ QUOTE ]
How does Whole Foods compare to TJ's in regards to price, taste and selection?

[/ QUOTE ]
Price: there's a reason it's nicknamed "whole paycheck"
Taste/Selection: it's more a hippy/neo hippy grocery store, so the veggies are fresh, tasty and organic, the meats are top notch, the wines and cheeses are top end, the bakery items are hit or miss (but it's more a matter of taste, as what they have that I like, I really like) and the bulk items are severely lacking in gummybears.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

the guac is pretty decent that they make, has some kick to it but in a good way.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
1. Chilean Sea Bass
2. Thai Ginger Marinade
.
.
.
3. Profit.

Barron

[/ QUOTE ]

dcifr,
this is the el d forum. no lame jokes from other forums are needed, just your charming personality! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

re: whole foods

i dont shop there often enough, unfortunately, but have never had a bad experience with any of their in-store lunch stuff (sammys, salads, etc). the place is as perfect as i can imagine a grocery being (ignoring outrageous prices).

[/ QUOTE ]

fair.

other finds:

1) in the prepared foods section: the roast turkey (they have very thick slices & it is awesome)

2) in the whole foods other prepared foods section "Smoked Harrissa Hommus"

3) Orgainc 365 mixed veggies (frozen)

4) southwest cold cut turkey

5) (as mentioend before) thai ginger marinade + the chillean sea bass

6) KEY FIND: fresh lobster meat near the fish section (it is de-shelled and in a 6-8 oz container that is frozen). to use, simply put in fridge for 1 day & do whatever you want. i made a lemon+lime+mango+cilantro lobster ceviche.

Barron

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

Good:
Frozen Garlic and Mozzarella Ravioli in Merlot Wine Ravioli
Rosemary and Garlic Roastbeef
Prosciutto
Honey Pear Vinaigrette
All of the fresh burgers and meatballs they have

Bad:
Challah

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

Excellent cheese selection - try some Rogue Valley Blue

Pulled pork (hot prepared foods section) - this is probably nothing like authentic pulled pork but is very tasty. Beat: they make this something like once every six months, as near as I can tell

Dry aged steaks - these are pricey but much tastier than the regular (still quite good) beef

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

"6) KEY FIND: fresh lobster meat near the fish section (it is de-shelled and in a 6-8 oz container that is frozen). to use, simply put in fridge for 1 day & do whatever you want. i made a lemon+lime+mango+cilantro lobster ceviche."

sounds fantastic.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
1. Chilean Sea Bass
2. Thai Ginger Marinade
.
.
.
3. Profit.

Barron

[/ QUOTE ]

dcifr,
this is the el d forum. no lame jokes from other forums are needed, just your charming personality! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

re: whole foods

i dont shop there often enough, unfortunately, but have never had a bad experience with any of their in-store lunch stuff (sammys, salads, etc). the place is as perfect as i can imagine a grocery being (ignoring outrageous prices).

[/ QUOTE ]

fair.

other finds:

1) in the prepared foods section: the roast turkey (they have very thick slices & it is awesome)

2) in the whole foods other prepared foods section "Smoked Harrissa Hommus"

3) Orgainc 365 mixed veggies (frozen)

4) southwest cold cut turkey

5) (as mentioend before) thai ginger marinade + the chillean sea bass

6) KEY FIND: fresh lobster meat near the fish section (it is de-shelled and in a 6-8 oz container that is frozen). to use, simply put in fridge for 1 day & do whatever you want. i made a lemon+lime+mango+cilantro lobster ceviche.

Barron

[/ QUOTE ]

Key find: Being friends with Lee who introduced you to Whole Foods.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

Does anyone else find it wierd that people that seem like hippies shop at whole foods? Its so [censored] expensive.

My girlfriend drags me there every now and then and I can't believe that people are willing to pay their prices. $6.00/gallon organic milk?

That said, here are some things I've gotten and what I thought:

Panini - way, way overpriced. Not that good.
BBQ chicken pizza - reasonably priced. Not bad.
Blue Sky Creamy Root Beer - great price. Awesome!
Soaps: fantastic, but a little expensive for my taste.
Massage Oil: why the F did we buy this at whole foods?
Candles: smell great, but should buy elsewhere.
Protein Powder: SO [censored] EXPENSIVE (just saw, did not buy)

I am a big fan of their samples and stealing their good olives.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

[ QUOTE ]
Does anyone else find it wierd that people that seem like hippies shop at whole foods? Its so [censored] expensive.

My girlfriend drags me there every now and then and I can't believe that people are willing to pay their prices. $6.00/gallon organic milk?


[/ QUOTE ]

it's not as expensive as some people are making it out to be, espeically if you compare like-to-like baskets.

you can't really compare the cost of organic tenderloin at Whole Foods to the tenderloin at Kroger or whatever, b/c the quality is so much different.

if you stick to their private label stuff (like 365, which is generally very good) you'll pay very similar prices compared to branded products at traditional supermarkets.

if you want to buy organic, sure it's going to cost more.

the perishables, again, are more expensive but you're talking about a completely different quality level.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

Ja,

They have actually just started a major initiative to lower prices on staples and all non-prepared goods as a way to combat the "Whole Paycheck" perception.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

Whenever I go grocery shopping, I always go to TJ's first and Whole Foods afterwards (which works out nicely since they're only a block away from each other here), considering the price differences.

As already mentioned, Whole Foods' fresh meats are excellent. Expensive, yeah..but worth it most of the time. Cheese selection is awesome, as well. I also get a lot of the vegetables you can't get in TJ's or some random grocery store there.

One thing they have that I can never find anywhere else are Ian's frozen french toast sticks. Very nice for a quick breakfast if you decide to sleep in a bit.

I tried their spinach and artichoke dip a few weeks ago. Can't say I recommend it.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

I don't know if it's just my taste or what but they have the BEST tiramisu I have ever had.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
1. Chilean Sea Bass
2. Thai Ginger Marinade
.
.
.
3. Profit.

Barron

[/ QUOTE ]

dcifr,
this is the el d forum. no lame jokes from other forums are needed, just your charming personality! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

re: whole foods

i dont shop there often enough, unfortunately, but have never had a bad experience with any of their in-store lunch stuff (sammys, salads, etc). the place is as perfect as i can imagine a grocery being (ignoring outrageous prices).

[/ QUOTE ]

fair.

other finds:

1) in the prepared foods section: the roast turkey (they have very thick slices & it is awesome)

2) in the whole foods other prepared foods section "Smoked Harrissa Hommus"

3) Orgainc 365 mixed veggies (frozen)

4) southwest cold cut turkey

5) (as mentioend before) thai ginger marinade + the chillean sea bass

6) KEY FIND: fresh lobster meat near the fish section (it is de-shelled and in a 6-8 oz container that is frozen). to use, simply put in fridge for 1 day & do whatever you want. i made a lemon+lime+mango+cilantro lobster ceviche.

Barron

[/ QUOTE ]

Key find: Being friends with Lee who introduced you to Whole Foods.

[/ QUOTE ]

which also reminds me:

other finds:

1) three grain tempe

2) Shoyu soy sauce (very good)

Barron

PS- TY

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

All,

http://www.cafferata.com/productinfo/PD66B-CF.gif

Cafferata Butternut Squash ravioli. Very tasty and very easy to make. Frozen, just boil for 5-6 minutes. I also got there walnut gorgonzola ravioli, will report on that as well.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

El D,

That looks sweet. I'll definitely give it a try.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

ltb, are you near union square in nyc? i wonder if this tj close to whole foods thing a phenomenon, generally...

oh yeah, i love all the amy's frozen foods. the burritos are really good IMO. the spinach and feta pocket is delicious if you cook it in the oven, or else too soggy.

other frozen foods are mini pizza pockets with soy cheese by health and wealth, very tasty (for lo cal type stuff) IMO.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

I just had some frozen cheese quesadillas microwaved for 1:20 and dipped in some guacamole also made fresh at whole foods.

Delicious.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

Whole Foods is actually one of my favorite places to go for sandwiches. In particular, I love the ciabatta bread. (The "seeduction" bread is really good too, but that's just a bakery item, I think.)

Also, all the meat, fish, and produce is very, very tasty in my experience. Every once in a while they have a great sale on something in the alcohol section, too, but that's rare (the last one I remember, a couple of years ago, was Dogfish Head Aprihop 4-packs for essentially half price).

Anyone live in Austin? The Whole Foods at 5th and Lamar is one of my favorite places, period.

edit: Ooh, I just remembered. If you like cheese, and find the Explorateur... wow. It's like an uber-Brie.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

If I wasn't going fast in the left lane northbound on Sepulveda in El Segundo on the way to Hollywood Park from Manhattan Beach today I would have made the necessary turn into the Whole Paycheck parking lot and checked to see if they have any quality boxed wines.

As it is I live so far away from trendy markets that I might as well get used to thinking of Stater Brothers as high end. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

~ Rick

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

I can't afford to shop there normally. But I do like to go and get their peppered turkey bacon. Here in Kentucky you can't get nearly fat free turkey bacon anywhere.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

Unlike everywhere else in DC, they had Macaroons. But still a [censored] Passover section.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

i really like their bakery and the fact that they have so much kashi stuff. their raw fruit bars are awesome too.

however, i think they have a terrible deli as far as sandwiches go and their guacamole is a complete abomination.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

i really love their produce but i have to warn you that their spaghetti sauce is straight [censored].

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

[ QUOTE ]
ltb, are you near union square in nyc? i wonder if this tj close to whole foods thing a phenomenon, generally...

[/ QUOTE ]

nope, i go to the set in lincoln park in chicago.

i know of at least one tj's in st. louis that's about a block from a whole foods, so your observation probably has some merit.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

http://www.wellnessgrocer.com/images/8503031168_d.jpg

Had this tonight with some garlic and olive oil tomato sauce. Yum.

Re: Great (and not-so great) finds at Whole Foods
 

All,

Sesame Soba Noodle Bowl with Tofu and Vegetables. Whole Kitchens Frozen. Nothing super great or anything, but actually surprisingly good. Not a real meal (230 cals), but a nice small meal or side.