I don't love routine trips to the grocery store for staples like bread and eggs, but I do love to explore grocery stores just for the sake of exploration. Today I decided to check out Amazing Grace Whole Foods & Nutrition Center. Or just Amazing Grace for short.
Amazing Grace is what I imagine all natural foods stores looked like before this type of store was upscaled and corporatized by Whole Foods. There are no flashy displays of exotic produce, no fish market, and no pretentious ambiance. The lighting is flourescent and there's an abundance of free literature left-leaning political causes. The store smells like lemon and herbal remedies, and I mean that in a good way.
For a smaller store, Amazing Grace is packed with great food at prices that compete with similar products at conventional stores. They have the best selection of organic frozen foods I've seen anywhere, including several local items like bagged frozen blueberries and gluten-free baked goods made in Crestwood. In addition to a nice little selection of regular cheese, they offer vegan versions of mozzarella, gouda, and other "cheeses." Their bulk foods section is also awesome. You can buy flours, grains, cereals, and spices in bulk. I needed about a tablespoon of cardamom for a recipe, and I got it at Amazing Grace for $0.70. Elsewhere, I would have had to buy an entire jar for probably 4 or 5 dollars.
While I was there, I decided to pick up lunch. I chose a chicken salad wrap and a vegan banana whoopie pie (think banana Moon Pie) for dessert. The whoopie pie alone would be worth a return trip, but I'll definitely be going back for regular grocery shopping trips.
Three great bonus features of the store:
1) They love pets. They offer nutritious, wholesome food for cats and dogs, and a dog-watering station out front.
2) They offer cleaning products in bulk. It's a great way to cut down on trash from plastic containers.
3) They have a cute baked goods display case and almost all of it is vegan friendly.
(Photo taken from Amazing Grace's website.)
