Any Gourmet Grocery Stores in the Metro? (Phoenix, Mesa: house, wedding)

[locolife]

Originally Posted by nasu

What are gourmet grocery stores? What items should those stores normally carry? Any examples of items?

Good question actually

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by locolife

Good question actually

Not really. Most cities have gourmet markets that focus on specialty items, rather than staples. If anyone has stepped into most somewhat affluent areas, they've likely run into gourmet grocers and know what the OP is referring to.

[locolife]

Originally Posted by DetroitN8V

Not really. Most cities have gourmet markets that focus on specialty items, rather than staples. If anyone has stepped into most somewhat affluent areas, they've likely run into gourmet grocers and know what the OP is referring to.

So can you bame a few? I rattled off a bunch I assume fit this category. Le Grande Orange market seems as gourmet as it gets to me.

[jlawrence01]

I will say this about Phoenix.

There may not be a single one stop gourmet market where you can find all of the "gourmet foods." However, I cannot think of anything to date in the past three years that I have not been able to source in Phoenix. It may require a stop at AZ Marketplace, Lee-Lee's, the Chef Store or AJ's.

Gourmat stores have very high overhead and are pretty difficult to operate. Many have closed nationwide as some of the larger retailers have been able to captire some of their business.

[DetroitN8V]

Originally Posted by locolife

So can you bame a few? I rattled off a bunch I assume fit this category. Le Grande Orange market seems as gourmet as it gets to me.

You had great suggestions. We're pretty limited here. Still, I don't find "what's a gourmet grocery store" to be a great question. It doesn't seem very confusing.

[asufan]

I think AJ's is a gourmet grocery store. Just because one poster says it's inferior to such and such, doesn't mean it is. There may be certain elements another gourmet grocery store does better and some worse, but AJ's is the gourmet grocer offered in this market. As mentioned there's other smaller places like LGO, not to mention this market is saturated with Sprouts while Dallas is not.

[Betty_Baylor99]

Originally Posted by nasu

What are gourmet grocery stores? What items should those stores normally carry? Any examples of items?

The OP is referencing Central Market in Texas which is basically 60,000 sq ft (as small as 30,000 sq ft in affluent areas that command a higher real estate premium) of an epicurean shopping experience all on-site at one grocery store. The produce section will offer both extensive selection of high quality (not the 2nd choice produce that ends up at Sprouts) fruits and vegetables, with every possible option sold with an organic option offered. If you need to find obscure produce like lychee, cotton candy grapes, Okinawan sweet potato, pluots (hybrid of a plum and apricot), cranberries (when it's not fall), yellow watermelon, you will find it there in addition to your usual apples, oranges and lettuce. There is a butcher and fishmonger that both have dedicated refrigerated counters that are easily double the size of the average grocery store where you can get pretty much any cut of prime (not the lesser Grade select or choice) beef, ground bison, or fish flown in daily that's NOT frozen like Pacific salmon, gulf oysters, or lobsters from Maine. The wine/alcohol section is a dedicated section with a variety of beers from different regions of the country (i.e. Abita from Louisiana, Yuengling from the east coast) and wines from all across the globe. If you want to make paella, you can easily find a variety of specific saffron rices in the rice aisle. There's a dedicated gluten-free aisle. In the chip aisle, you can get unique regional items like Utz's crab chips or Cape Cod chips from the east coast, Zapp's chips from LA. There's a huge bulk section where you can get as little or as much candy, trail mixes, nuts, dried fruit, spices, coffee, grains, etc. The bakery has an on-site boulangerie that bakes a variety of fresh artisan bread loaves and baguettes daily that are similar to what you'd see at a French bakery. They also have gourmet cookie, bagel and muffin bars, yet ship in my favorite black and white cookies from a bakery in Brooklyn. The patisserie bakes high quality pastries, macarons, and cakes that are on par with a wedding cake bakery. There is an on-site tortilleria that makes a variety of corn and flour tortillas daily. There is an extensive cheese and deli section which carries Tillamook cheese, yet you can order deli meat cut in whatever thickness/weight from their in-house roasted turkey, chicken or roast beef. There is an olive, dip/spread, and sushi bar, in addition to a salad and soup bar with a fresh-ready made food counter which is twice the size of what you see at Whole Foods or AJs. On top of that, there is an on-site gelateria (they make gelato on-site which you can order individual servings or they pack pints or quarts for you) and cafe barista. There is also a high quality floral department, catering dept, cafe/dining area, cooking classes, and a children's playground outside the store.

If you are a foodie that is used to having all of this awesomeness in one spot, then yes, you do miss this kind of stuff if you don't have it. It was convenient for us to have it all in one spot and not have to go to Fry's Marketplace, Whole Foods, World Market, Costco, Trader Joe's, etc. which is what we had to do when we moved to Phoenix.The OP is not going to find an all-in-one grocery stop like Central Market in Phoenix. He is going to have to research and go to a variety of places to find the stuff he wants, or order online. Central Market is very successful and has 9 locations in Texas- it is the "high end" brand of the H-E-B grocery stores which are commonplace all over central and south Texas.

[asufan]

Originally Posted by Betty_Baylor99

The OP is referencing Central Market in Texas which is basically 60,000 sq ft (as small as 30,000 sq ft in affluent areas that command a higher real estate premium) of an epicurean shopping experience all on-site at one grocery store. The produce section will offer both extensive selection of high quality (not the 2nd choice produce that ends up at Sprouts) fruits and vegetables, with every possible option sold with an organic option offered. If you need to find obscure produce like lychee, cotton candy grapes, Okinawan sweet potato, pluots (hybrid of a plum and apricot), cranberries (when it's not fall), yellow watermelon, you will find it there in addition to your usual apples, oranges and lettuce. There is a butcher and fishmonger that both have dedicated refrigerated counters that are easily double the size of the average grocery store where you can get pretty much any cut of prime (not the lesser Grade select or choice) beef, ground bison, or fish flown in daily that's NOT frozen like Pacific salmon, gulf oysters, or lobsters from Maine. The wine/alcohol section is a dedicated section with a variety of beers from different regions of the country (i.e. Abita from Louisiana, Yuengling from the east coast) and wines from all across the globe. If you want to make paella, you can easily find a variety of specific saffron rices in the rice aisle. There's a dedicated gluten-free aisle. In the chip aisle, you can get unique regional items like Utz's crab chips or Cape Cod chips from the east coast, Zapp's chips from LA. There's a huge bulk section where you can get as little or as much candy, trail mixes, nuts, dried fruit, spices, coffee, grains, etc. The bakery has an on-site boulangerie that bakes a variety of fresh artisan bread loaves and baguettes daily that are similar to what you'd see at a French bakery. They also have gourmet cookie, bagel and muffin bars, yet ship in my favorite black and white cookies from a bakery in Brooklyn. The patisserie bakes high quality pastries, macarons, and cakes that are on par with a wedding cake bakery. There is an on-site tortilleria that makes a variety of corn and flour tortillas daily. There is an extensive cheese and deli section which carries Tillamook cheese, yet you can order deli meat cut in whatever thickness/weight from their in-house roasted turkey, chicken or roast beef. There is an olive, dip/spread, and sushi bar, in addition to a salad and soup bar with a fresh-ready made food counter which is twice the size of what you see at Whole Foods or AJs. On top of that, there is an on-site gelateria (they make gelato on-site which you can order individual servings or they pack pints or quarts for you) and cafe barista. There is also a high quality floral department, catering dept, cafe/dining area, cooking classes, and a children's playground outside the store.

If you are a foodie that is used to having all of this awesomeness in one spot, then yes, you do miss this kind of stuff if you don't have it. It was convenient for us to have it all in one spot and not have to go to Fry's Marketplace, Whole Foods, World Market, Costco, Trader Joe's, etc. which is what we had to do when we moved to Phoenix.The OP is not going to find an all-in-one grocery stop like Central Market in Phoenix. He is going to have to research and go to a variety of places to find the stuff he wants, or order online. Central Market is very successful and has 9 locations in Texas- it is the "high end" brand of the H-E-B grocery stores which are commonplace all over central and south Texas.

Sounds like they only have ALL of the above at the 60,000 square foot store(s), not at the 30,000 SF stores in the higher rent areas? 30k is only a bit larger than a Sprouts which average around 25k. I can get most of what you mention above at Sprouts or AJ's, including the Prime steaks (that's all I eat), cotton candy grapes, aristisan breads and cheese's, deli meat sliced to order, Tillamook cheese, rare beers.etc. The tortillas and gelato I doubt, but the wife does most of the shopping so I'm not sure. I'd bet an AJ's or a Sprouts compares to the "smaller" Central Market but not the Mega location.

[asufan]

This place is so oversaturated with grocery stores I doubt the "mega" gourmet market would succeed here. Hell even Fry's (Kroger) is getting more upscale variety and the new one not too far for me has a sit down bar with wine and craft beer on tap, an INCREDIBLE beer section, sandwich station, sushi station, Asian food station, wing station, salad bar and others including a nice selection of organic produce and prime meat believe it or not. They've stepped up their game to compete with Sprouts, which incidentally has a location directly across the street

[pbenjamin]

No idea why anyone would call Sprouts a gourmet grocery store. It's a health food store with a little more variety in it's produce than Safeway or Fry's.