This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Whole Foods Market via Burst Media. The opinions and text are all mine.
Earlier this month, I was selected to attend a blogger-only “sneak peek” at the new Whole Foods Market South End in Boston. I've got to tell you, I was very impressed. The residents of The South End, South Boston, Chinatown, Fort Point, The Back Bay and the Financial District are very lucky to have this full-service grocery store move into the neighborhood.
First of all, they are located in the Boston Herald building. Right away, you'll notice the décor and the feel of the store is inspired by The Herald, including the iconic silver banner. As I was leaving, I actually noticed the lights at the checkout lanes were all Herald-themed lights, too. Pretty cool attention to detail.
As you enter the store, the first department you will encounter is the floral department, where you will find a great selection of stunning certified organic flowers as well as Whole Trade flowers. We were informed that they do try to source locally when possible, which is always a good thing.
Just to the side of the floral department is a very hip-looking coffee bar. Wait. Calling it a coffee bar doesn't really explain this thing. First off, it houses Boston's first ModBar. What is a ModBar, you ask? Well, if I was paying close enough attention, it seems that they are beautiful taps for brewing perfect espresso - completely modular with all the ugly hardware underneath, so all you see is the gorgeous taps. I personally can't wait to go and check this out now that they're up and running.
Something else that Bostonians will totally love is The Fish Shack. You can get a taste of "Cape Cod Summer" all year long with seafood freshly prepared in the Fish Shack. I should note that this South End location is the only Whole Foods Market location with The Fish Shack.
When you're done devouring your nibbles from The Fish Shack, stop and grab a treat at their frozen yogurt window or juice bar....or both! Need some good food fast? They've got you covered with their prepared foods section. You will be happy to learn their prepared foods are restaurant quality and created by chefs in house. A few things to be especially excited about are the wood fired pizzas and the in-house smoker.
Let me tell you a few fun facts I learned while I was taking my tour. All the pre-cut veggies are actually cut right there in the store. That speaks volumes as to the freshness. Also, you know those price signs you see all around the store? Well, those are hand written by artists! We even got to see her at work. Man, her hands must be so tired! I have a whole new appreciation for the details.
In addition to the already very popular dry aged beef, this location is also going to be debuting a dry aged pork. All of their meat can be custom cut to your liking by a butcher. Also, I never knew this but if you buy over 3 lb of meat from their extreme value section, you get $.50 off per pound.
Of course they have a sustainable seafood section, too. I found their color coded sign on sustainability very informative.
Don't forget if you are a cost-conscious customer you will want to check out the 365 Everyday Value brand throughout the store. Another "extra" that I hadn't seen at other Whole Foods Market locations was the fermented foods section; it's a refrigerated case shelving a variety of fermented foods, including kimchi.
There is certainly no shortage of selection in the bulk foods aisle. You can also find a bulk super foods section. I am pretty new to super foods and not very knowledgeable yet, so this is particularly helpful for someone like me not wanting to buy a large package just to experiment.
In case you didn't know this about me, I am a total cheese-a-holic. I had to take a moment when I saw the size of this gourmet cheese department. I even spotted one of my favorite local cheeses!
Now on to some great news – This particular Whole Foods Market location stocks craft beer, wine AND spirits!
Okay, I saved MY FAVORITE thing for last. I wish I had a big grand way to introduce this, but I'm just going to blurt it out and let it sit there……There is a SPA in the store. A beautifully relaxing, surprisingly quiet, glassed-off area housing a milk + honey spa (based out of Austin, TX) is located just to the side of the wine area. A large variety of milk + honey products are also available for purchase.
A few last words about the new Whole Foods Market South End:
Parking - This is usually an issue for Boston stores but I have to tell you, there are 110 parking spots in an actual parking lot available. The store is also easily accessible by Silver Line, Red Line Broadway and Orange Line Tufts Medical Center.
Store Location: 348 Harrison Avenue - Boston - MA - 02118 (617-904-1000)
Store Hours: 8 AM - 10 PM, 7 days a week
Connect with Whole Foods Market South End on social media:
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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Whole Foods Market via Burst Media. The opinions and text are all mine.
