If I was a fan of the small-to-medium sized Whole Foods in Millburn, I might now be considered a stalker of the large-to-excessive sized location, which opened in Union, last spring.
See, I shop there everyday — as if it’s not the most expensive grocery store in the world.
I’m on a first-name basis with at least two of the employees, one who has taken a personal interest in my well-being, god bless her, and has offered to help me find a job there; the other a total hottie who makes me wish their liberal free-sampling policy applied to everything in the store.
Did I mention that I’m there EVERYDAY –as if it’s the quaint food-stand on the corner or an outdoor market somewhere in Europe, conveniently located on my bike-route home? At first I told myself it was the coffee. My 16 oz., iced-decaf-skim-mocha made perfectly by Jahonna, or Brenda. It costs the same as my former favorite daily coffee at Starbucks but is far, far superior.
Then of course there is the wide array of delicious, organic food sold here. Whole Foods was an essential selling point when we moved to Maplewood from Brooklyn in 1999, replacing the beloved Park Slope Food Coop that I belonged to for many years. And now, more importantly, we shop there for the incredible selection of gluten-free food–a life-saving necessity–as my daughter was recently diagnosed with Celiac’s disease.
But the truth is that Whole Foods is my Tiffany’s.
It’s shiny, it smells good, and they’re nice to me there. As Ms. Golightly asserted of that iconic Fifth Avenue institution: “Nothing bad can happen to me here.”
And in this time of global economic and literal, climactic meltdown, don’t we all need a place to feel safe? And wouldn’t it be nice if you could wrap up that feeling and take it to go?
Lisa Duggan lives in South Orange and is the print-publisher in exile of The MotherHood Magazine, and current publisher of The MotherHoodblog.com.
“Nothing bad can happen to me here.”
Not true for this woman:
https://gothamist.com/2010/08/16/cops_eject_starbucks_customer_who_w.php
I thought the author was referring to Whole Foods, not Starbucks.
“Nothing bad can happen to me here.”
Maybe…maybe not:
https://tinyurl.com/3ao7ljo
(UGH!!!! Picture quality is a mess!!! Either size it to its proper dimension- which from the looks of it will be very small- or get a real camera. Or perhaps a stock picture. Something. This is unacceptable.)
Sounds like an awful place, and looks even worse. Not sure if a clear picture would matter. If the best place to hangout in Milburn is Whole Paycheck–I don’t think I’ll be going there any time soon. Those Mommy bloggers are different breed.
Prof, looks like it was taken with a “Lens Baby”.
I think you’re being too hard on the place, bebop.
When I moved here from the Upper West Side, I was looking for the type of place where i could hang and read my UTNE, sip my double-iced-skim-goat’s milk mocha, chat with other folks who don’t capitalize ‘God’, munch on gluten-free and fair trade muffins and ogle the $9 an hour staff. I found it here!
You should really stop by. On Mondays, there is a Women’s Empowerment Group that meets and believe me, the fur flies!
Tuesdays are set aside for the Divorced and Loving It Group. Good place to meet chicks, if that’s your thing.
Wednesdays is the Omnivore Dilemma Day. How can we sustain the planet and still go home with a $19 a pound wild salmon filet?
Thursdays is GLBTG Day. Haven’t been there yet.
Friday is Wouldn’t You Rather Be Living Anywhere Other Than New Jersey Day. Get there early, seats fill up fast.
Saturdays and Sundays are slow, as most of us are at the lake or “down”, as they say, the shore.
Hope to see you there — the picture DOES NOT do justice!
Cro, if you had a blog (mommy or otherwise), I’d pay to read it–you always crack me up!
Wow. I’m feeling the love, people.
En amour, ecrire est dangereux, sans compter que c’est inutile.
At least, that’s what the prof always tells me!
Je suis tout a fait d’accord.
And I will gladly treat you to a whole-grain, dairy and nut free croissant at Whole Foods, anytime.
Make it a greasy bacon cheeseburger and a pint at Tierney’s, and you’re on.
Cracked me up, too, cro. Barista night at Tierney’s sounds very good.
We could do a Barista night at Tierney’s… or Star Tavern. Who’s up for it?
Either one Deb. That would be best burger vs. best pizza so that’s a no-lose call. You’d likely get a better turn out at Tierneys and there’s more room if they open the upstairs.
You might add, cro, that, while it is still technically New Jersey even when you’re inside the store, it’s really hard to find folks with big haaa and awwtificial tans loading up their carts with dried plant parts offered in the multi-grain dispenser aisle, or, for that matter, browsing through Dwell Magazine hoping to nick the latest eco-zen ideas for their vinyl villas.
If it’s Tierney’s, I am concerned that people in the outer reaches of the New Baristaville will have no means of getting there. Perhaps the Barista would run a shuttle service to Mapleburnwood?
Perhaps Liz could drive the bus in her short shorts?
“” , I am concerned that people in the outer reaches of the New Baristaville “”
Oh my God. I live in Bloomfield, grew up in Maplewood & So. Orange and worked in Maplewood for many, many years. I get to Maplewood from Bloomfield in 18 minutes using residential roads.
You all make sound so very far away. Like over hill and dale and thru the woods, over the creek and just past the wilderness trail, to Maplewood.
Geeeez.
Sandy, that’s because you are able to drive at the speed of sound in your fabulous classic car -it causes the various PDs to stare and admire, instead of flash their lights! 🙂