Whole Foods Market #226 - Columbus Circle

First of all, it’s simply unfair that this store is underneath Williams Sonoma. It makes a trip to the grocery store entirely too expensive.

I love Whole Foods – so much, in fact, that I travel eighty blocks south to go to it instead of the grocery stores that are two blocks or so from my apartment. Everything in the produce section is fresh and wonderful.

The variety in ingredients can be a little lacking. Depending on the type of shopping you do, it’s not always possible (or budget-friendly) to do all of your shopping here – but to use Whole Foods to supplement other grocery shopping is a great idea in my book. The selection of high-quality ingredients is impressive, but let’s face it – sometimes you’re looking to save a little money and don’t need the best you can get.

On the weekends it can be ridiculously crowded, and it’s a little bit of a hassle to get down certain aisles. (During the holiday season, the baking aisle is impossible!) The good news is that the checkout lines are numerous, and the cashiers get everyone through speedily. The line might look intimidating, but you won’t invest a ton of time there.

Overall – a little more expensive, but you’ll get the quality ingredients that you’re looking for. If you’re on a budget, I wouldn’t make it your primary grocery store, but it’s definitely the place to go for produce and those harder-to-find items.

my gf made some freshly-ground honey roasted peanut butter. ‘though WF doesn’t allow sampling, we snuck a taste of the fresh chocolate peanut butter, too. These put any pre-packaged mass-market brand to shame!

Whole Foods Shoppers Love Bill Jones!

A woman claiming to be a casting director noticed that I have a heavy beard. She approached me & asked if I wanted to appear in an anti-smoking public service announcement (PSA) that would point out that cigarettes contain a chemical also found in Nair.

Only in NYC! (or L.A., perhaps) :)

I decided to conduct a taste taste, based on this Ask MeFi discussion of whole bean coffee in NYC.

I’m sampling WF’s Allegro Papua New Guinea and comparing it to the Papua I pick up from Oren’s.

My standby may be facing some serious competition. My first cup this morning was velvety, rich and flavorful.

My sister was living near Carnegie Hall. 12 of us converged there for Thanksgiving weekend and walked over to see the Macy’s Parade go by. We ordered the dinner pre-made from this Whole Foods. Although it was not our regular fare, we loved it because the day was special and we were together.

...for Sunday lunch.

• carrot & ginger soup
• Greek lentil soup
• edamame salad
• grilled mushroom salad
• black bean & corn salad
• blackened carrot salad
• grilled vegetables
• curried chick peas
• cheddar biscuits and scones

Don’t forget to browse the cookie case and candy counter, too!

The quality of WF’s food is high, its prices are reasonable, and its employees are friendly and efficient.