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TreeFrog

Beach Fanatic
Oct 11, 2005
1,798
212
Seagrove
I wish Pier Park had worked a lot harder to get something like a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. Fresh Market is just OK, but I had grown tired of it and had "converted" to the others before moving here. I have been to the Fresh Market in Destin exactly once since it opened.

Ditto here.

And Olive Garden, for crying out loud... Too bad Carrabba's already built further toward PC on 98. But if they wanted an Italian chain, Carrabba's or (even better) Macaroni Grill would sure have been nicer.
 

up4golf

Beach Lover
Nov 23, 2007
147
0
But I'd shop at Fresh Market if it was nearby. So far, Publix and local stores have worked for me. I wish we had a fresh vegetable stand closer to the east side of 30A.
try the carousel market on front beach i think it is in laguna, there is a billboard on 98 that shows where to turn. they have great meats, limited but good fresh veggies and one of the best wine selections around.
 

Carol G

Beach Fanatic
Jan 15, 2007
1,933
220
Point Washington
Ditto here.

And Olive Garden, for crying out loud... Too bad Carrabba's already built further toward PC on 98. But if they wanted an Italian chain, Carrabba's or (even better) Macaroni Grill would sure have been nicer.

Or Maggiano's, mmmm...

Back when I was able to shop at both stores whenever I chose, I prefered Wild Oats to Whole Foods, because the produce at Wild Oats was always fresher. I don't know what to think of their "merger". Either way, I sure wish Whole Foods would open up shop in this area, Fresh Market does not do it for me. They are really just an "upscale" grocery, totally different business model than a Whole Foods/Wild Oats.
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,068
1,973
Fresh Market has beautiful looking produce, but most of the time it is tasteless. Engineered to look good, be expensive, and taste just mediocre. I have better luck at Publix.
 

Carol G

Beach Fanatic
Jan 15, 2007
1,933
220
Point Washington
Fresh Market has beautiful looking produce, but most of the time it is tasteless. Engineered to look good, be expensive, and taste just mediocre. I have better luck at Publix.

Exactly... though I do like their olive bar. Does the Publix on 395 have one??? In 17 days that will be *my* new grocery store! :D
Not that I'm excited or anything...
 

Jdarg

SoWal Expert
Feb 15, 2005
18,068
1,973
Exactly... though I do like their olive bar. Does the Publix on 395 have one??? In 17 days that will be *my* new grocery store! :D
Not that I'm excited or anything...

There are several bowls of olives in a case, but I don't like olives, so I am probably not your best info source there!
 

Carol G

Beach Fanatic
Jan 15, 2007
1,933
220
Point Washington
There are several bowls of olives in a case, but I don't like olives, so I am probably not your best info source there!

Heh, sorry 'bout that... sounds like an olive bar to me though, I'm set - Thanks!
 

beachmouse

Beach Fanatic
Dec 5, 2004
3,504
741
Bluewater Bay, FL
I want some blood oranges. :D

You could probably grow your own if you're willing the nurse the tree through the first couple of years until it's big enough to tolerate the occasional winter cold snap. We got both tangerines and grapefruit from the trees in our front yard this year, and while they're a bit small, they had better flavor than grocery store fruit.

As for Fresh Market, I suspect that a lot of the metro areas they go into, they do so because they're smaller areas that Whole Foods/Trader Joe's is not likely to go into in the next ten years.

They're not as good as a Whole Paycheck, and you can't do all of your grocery shopping there. But they do carry some things that you aren't going to find elsewhere in the area, and I love their huge cheese case.
 

drsvelte

Beach Fanatic
Jul 12, 2005
305
3
Sandestin & Red Stick
olive bar. Does the Publix on 395 have one???

No olive bar at the Grand Sandestin Publix, just prepacked. I am an olive fiend :yikes: and the "bar" at Destin Fresh Market is very good with maybe 12-15 selections.

I am apparently in the minority, but I think there are some things The Fresh Market does better the Whole Foods. Meats and produce, for one. (The produce at the Baton Rouge Whole Foods has really gone downhill. I went in to buy some escarole and founds snails contentedly munching on all the product.) And FM's bakery is much better. Whole Foods seems to have a much wider variety and selection in cheeses and diary and also seafood. It would be nice to have both.
 
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