Why Whole Foods? There are tons of organic items, fresh fish, shellfish, and meat. They had even had ground buffalo, and a larger selection of cheeses than Costco and Wholefoods combined. I appreciated that they had tiny portions of some of the cheese to purchase.
Why Sunflower Market? I have always longed for a store like Sunflower in Atlanta. As you know, I love Aldi because of the cheap, but high quality of produce. The downside is their minimal selection of items. Sunflower was fantastic because they had an above average selection of produce, including those never seen at your run-of-the-mill grocery store like white asparagus and escarole. Not to mention, but the prices were much better than other stores. The Dekalb Farmer's Market has an even larger variety of produce, many of which I had never seen before. We saw dragon fruit, bread fruit, 5 varieties of bok choy, muskadines, unusual varieties of mushrooms, and other things I can't think of. Their ethnic sections are also to die for. It's great when you can find authentic curry ingredients. It's unbelievable when you have 7 options for the same ingredient. I also adore Sunflower because of their bulk section. I have been craving homemade granola, but all the little ingredients needed add up. See below for the prices for some of those ingredients.
Why Costco? It is huge, and about the same size. Ok, half the size, but the market is inside a warehouse.
To get your mouth watering, I've listed the items we purchased with the amount we spent above.
Cucumber: $.39 each (The cheapest I have seen ANYWHERE is $.50 each
That's right, Kalamata olives for $1.01
Red Pepper: $.82 (for this particular one)
I finally found different types of lentils! Turkish Organic Yellow split lentils: $2.85 and Turkish Organic Red Lentil for $2.31.
I can't believe I found this much: cream of tartar for $1.82, hungarian paprika for $1.64, sesame seeds $.62, and poppy seeds for $.65.
Cinnamon sticks for $1.32!
Grape tomatoes for $1.69.
Green onions for $.49 per bunch.
5 bunches of basil for a total of $6.45.
Granny Smith Apples for a total of $2.99, we purchased 3 lbs. (Anywhere else and you are paying more than $3.50 per pound.)
Authentic Vidalia Onions for a total of $1.99.
Large, gorgeous limes for a total of $1.49 for 3 lbs.
Poblano peppers for $1.39
I can't find my beloved seasoned rice vinegar anywhere, and if I do spy it, it is over $3. I found it here for a mere $2.29.
Delishious french bread, half a loaf for $2.29. This was a tad more expensive than I like paying for bread, but I really wanted good, white bread for french toast.
Most stores don't have Conchigloni, or large shells. I purchased these for $2.99. Yes, yes, that is a lot, but I REALLY want stuffed shells.
Yes, I
Remember those granola ingredients. Low and behold: Organic wheat Germ for $1.07.
And lastly cilantro for $.49 a bunch.
All this for a total of $44.11 with tax.
Visit us in Atlanta and I'll take you there. :)
