Fresh, local and quaint
Monday, March 06, 2006
PCC is my kind of grocery store. It is mainly free of the yuppies/SUV driving people, rather I find that more organic people flock here. A few good things: the smell, fresh produce and labeled local products. Yes, the smell. Its this sweet grocery store smell, that I have only found in a few other "co-op" markets. And second, the fresh produce is awesome. While it may not have the selection of Whole Paycheck, it is generally in good shape and not overpriced. And third, they label (next to the price) which products are "northwest produced."
I find the prices to be a bit steep on certain items, but that is where it pays to be an intelligent shopper. I get a few things here, others at Whole Paycheck and TJs, then I am set.
The product selection in most branches is also fairly diverse. I like the Fremont store and the Issaquah store the mostly due to their size, but the Greenlake store reminds you of their small(er) roots.
Oh, and one time I was unsure of which cheese to get, so they let me sample 3 of them. And another time, I wanted some coffee but the clerk wasn't sure which was the best, so she literally gave me almost 2 lbs of different coffees to try, all free. While this is somewhat common in specialty grocery stores, I felt privledged.