The Fresh Market on Central Ave.

I'd still rather have a Trader Joes. Fresh Mkt is nice to have, however. I think it's a bit pricy as well and only go for speciality stuff, especially if I have company coming over.

You've talked me into trying them. I'll let you know how it goes.

;) http://toledotalk.com/cgi-bin/tt.pl/article/24365/First_Take__The_Fresh_Market

Thanks for the link, I did try searching for "The Fresh Market" before posting but didn't yield anything. Oh well :)

Surprised by JJFad's post. But that was opening day and see the post was 2 years ago so guessing they straightened up since then :)

Fresh Market is a good companion to Costco. We do so much of our shopping at Costco now, it keeps me off of the errands treadmill. So I don't mind paying slightly more at Fresh Market for the little things.

I look at the price differential as a way to value my own time. It's fun to run into Fresh Market ... it was always a dreadful chore to take my neighbor to her favorite Kroger.

I agree about Trader Joe's: it's another fun food shopping experience. I have to admit that when I find one, I usually load up on snacks. They get VERY creative in the candy and cookie department. For produce, cheese, deli, coffee, wine, etc. Fresh Market is at the top of my list!

Meat, poultry case: none better in the area. Seafood - most of the time also the best in the area. I tend to stay away from farm raised seafood. Pricey? Depends. You get what you pay for. Watch their sales. Go online to their website www.thefreshmarket.com and sign up for their weekly sale e-mail. When in the store, grab their in house flyer "Inspirations" - it gives you the sale highlights for each week of the month.

When on sale, their store brand of canned veggies is comparable to a store like Kroger - and the quality is even better.

Check them out pretty much every Saturday between 1 and 5 - they have stations throughout the store serving up samples of various goodies from meat, seafood, bakery items, deli items and - my favorite - beer and wine. The booze will cost you 25 cents a sample due to state law but a cheap way to find out if you like them before buying.

And, like Whole Foods, they'll open up whatever to let you try it before you buy it.

It's a store you need to spend some time in. Explore it, learn it, enjoy it and save some $$ in the process.

It's my primary go to store. Can't beat the quality.

Look up Bonnie - one of the managers. She'll show you around.

We love Fresh Market. It's the third leg of our shopping triad: Kroger, Costco, Fresh Market.

I am still disappointed that they no longer carry the Koppers raspberry cordials that I so dearly love though...

I've been there MANY times... my wife loves the place. Prices are way higher than anywhere else in town, but the quality is there. You get what you pay for. Personally I prefer the Andersons for everything but meat.

fish aside, if you're looking for better priced high quality meats, i'd sugget Schorlings on Bancroft, just two blocks away from FM. most of their offerings are not so great, but in the meat department, they can't be beat.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/schorlings-5-star-market-toledo and for cheese selection, the andersons has the FM beat in price and quantity.

As foodie says, FM has some of the best meat. Problem is, they have so many high quality offerings you weren't planning on buying when you stopped in, you end up spending more than you planned.

I always go there VERY reluctantly... mostly because it's so close to local spots that sell the same quality for less.if you give yourself 30 more minutes, you can hit the andersons & schorlings for basically the same variety and quality for a bit less.

I have not explored foodie's links for coupons mostly because i try my hardest not to give them too much money. :) that said, i understand why he loves the store. it really is fantastic, and i always love my shopping experience at the Fresh Market. i just also, always joke about how much we're spending when we hit the checkout, and i almost never do that anywhere else.

Shopping at FM is definitely an exercise in self control - of which, I admit to having little. They have so many unique goodies to tempt you. I have learned to walk on by those temptations most of the time.

Again, follow their sales and weekly specials - including meats and seafood and their are some top quality bargains to be had.

Don't miss the ready made salads at the rear of the deli area. While $6.99 may sound like a lot for a Caesar or Cobb salad, it easily feeds two.

While I've never shopped at Schorling's, most of the local 5-Star stores do a good job in the meat department. Kazmaier's and Sautter's come to mind though shopping at Sautter's can also end up being a pricey trip.

They have a terrific selection of crackers, though I believe that Anderson's on Talmadge has a better selection of cheeses. FM's olive bar is one of my favorites.

We've not eaten much from the prepared foods, but recently had their bbq ribs and they were delicious. A bit too much sauce for my tastes (I like the dry rubs better), but tender, moist, fall-off-the-bone, and very tasty.

We have the Fish Market on Telegraph that's close to our house and I like their prices better. I've not found too much difference in quality and since the Fish Market is closer, it's usually our first choice. However, when making a Costco trip or heading to Fresh Market anyway...

Also, their pastries are very good. Several times we've gotten a selection of their pieces of cakes and then put them out as dessert. I'm particularly fond of their lemon squares, though we do cut them up into smaller squares - bite size - because they're so rich.

The other thing is that they carry unusual ingredients you won't find most other places. I've done some special meals lately and needed things like duck fat and marscapone and blini. Fresh Market carries them as standard items.

For those of you into jams, jellies, special olive oils, etc., they have a terrific selection at very reasonable prices. We often get several to give as a hostess gift.

My only disappointment at Fresh Market is that they always seem to be out of their store-made string cheese when I go. It's very expensive considering what you can purchase the packaged stuff for at Krogers, but it is one of the most delicious cheeses I've ever had. It's well worth the price when they have it.

Re: The Andersons...

I truly do love that place, but there is some sort of SOMETHING going on in their produce area. I'm very sensitive to mold, and it's a mold-like reaction that I get there. Same as I do at Monnette's. No such reaction at Fresh Market, so it's especially nice to be able to dawdle amongst the fruits and veggies.

One thing I'm curious about is that we have been unable to find fresh basil there. Seriously. And as Mr. Gamegrrl recently pointed out, there's not even a labeled spot for it. We find that weird, as it's probably one of, if not THE, most popular herbs.

It's a gorgeous store no doubt, but we prefer Walt Churchill's Briarfield. It's closer to our house, but i think I'd shop there regardless. Their pantry quality is better, cheese is better, wine is infinitely better. Meat is a push. Produce and Fish, i give the edge to Fresh Market (warm months-farmers market make produce sections irrelevant), but Churchill's has started doing the seafood road show like so many others are doing, so we'll see what that yields. Pricing advantage goes to Walt. They also have tons of great local products, especially dairy, and are always pumping up the locally grown products. I saw a 6 different Lucas County Honeys last time I was there. Not sure how this compares to Perrysburg or central location, i suspect, this is the unique location.

Love FM. They had one of the best filets I have ever cooked!

gamegrrl: I loved their spice area and ended up buying some curry which I'll enjoy shortly :)

Anyway for fresh Basil if you look in the produce section (right side wall) I remember seeing Basil and Rosemary in small plastic containers near the back end (across from the fish area).

Not sure how I missed mentioning the Olive bar but agree it was very good. $9.99 lb so only bought a few as a sample.

Another note is their large supply and variety of dried veggies and fruits (well candy as well) and the various nut butters which you can grind on site.

Planning to kickstart my diet with some of their dried green beans for a snack :)

I have been visiting FM on a regular basis for the past year or so. While it seems to have undergone a modicum of improvement, I still think their customer service is in need of some fine-tuning. For the prices you pay in there, I would expect the service to follow suit, but it has proven otherwise on a number of occasions. Like the preceding commentary, however, I've never had any qualms over the quality of their products they carry and have always been quite pleased in that regard.

That's where I looked for the Basil, INeedCoffee. They had everything BUT. And there wasn't an empty, marked spot for it, which seemed weird.

I did notice something interesting there last weekend: They have very small bags of the red/yellow/orange baby peppers for $3.99. We buy the same peppers at the same price but in a MUCH larger bag at Costco, right across the parking lot. For the record, these baby peppers are currently my favorite food. Sweet enough to eat like an apple... Breathtakingly delicious roasted... I absolutely LOVE them in Panzanella. Mmmmmmmmmm!

I love Fresh Market! They have a great sandwich and salad selection and I often go there to grab lunch. Their rotisserie chicken salad is delicious.

The quality of the meat and produce is fantastic. I actually end up spending less money as I go with a list and don't get sucked into the impulse purchases . . .too much.

I also run to Fresh Market for lunch. They have a great selection of fresh sandwiches, wraps, & salads. I even grab a tray of Sushi once in awhile. I love there bulk ingredients sections too! Time to venture to the other departments apparently.

For those searching for the basil at FM - oddly enough, you will most always find it in the middle of the tomatoes, avacados, lemons, limes bin to the right as you enter the store - just east of the bagged greens and salads.

I finally went to the FM. All I can say is "Wow". First off, it was nice to see the sanitizer dispenser for the carts full and not empty like most places. (note, I don't use them, but it was nice for those who do)
Second, the produce looked like it was picked and placed by someone who really cares. Not just dumped on the pallet and hauled into the store. I believe that I saw garlic cloves on ice. I've never seen that before.
I picked up 2 organic ripe tomatoes. Nice, plump, and red. Some of the sea salt chips, a bag of oranges, and various containers of prepared fruit cups.
Some items were more expensive, but I'll pay it for bruise free produce. It was also pretty nice to not have to negotiate around 6-9 wild little monsters racing carts or climbing all over the produce while coughing and sneezing.
A very nice place that I'd return to.

i like FM, especially for the produce and beer selection. i believe they tend to be overpriced, but they're convenient for me. i would much rather get the produce at FM as other very local grocers (churchills and schorlings) are consistently disappointing. for the record, i used to dislike FM. the beer and produce, though, have won me over.

FM's produce really is nice. Always consistant and fresh. I'm surprised you like their Beer though. The selection is really limited! You should head over the Andersons, just down the street! :)

hockeyfan: glad you went, felt the same way. Everything was top notch and very well taken care of. Agree with how they displayed their produce. Everything was stacked carefully and not just plopped into a bin.

Can't say I could afford to do all shopping there but for harder to find items and produce I'll definitely pay the little extra for a lot better quality. I tried buying produce at Walmart 2-3x and it would go to waste in a day or two and tasted like cardboard. Kroger seems to be a good middle of the roast place with nice produce and better price. Still like my 10 for 10's though :)

In the end you get what you pay for. Like others have mentioned I plan to start coupon shopping and deal hunting there. With that in mind there may no be a price difference at all.

FM has definitely stepped up the quality of their produce in the last 6 months or so. Hopefully, I was one of many who let their HQ know what I thought their one weak spot was.

Now, if they'd just bring back the former in store sushi vendor...............

I must say though, that the Kroger I shop at (Point Place) has REALLY stepped up the produce quality lately. They've re-designed the refrigerated produce layout also - for the better I'd say. IMHO, the produce at that Kroger store used to be 5th rate at best.

I've noticed the produce getting better at FM. For the prices they charge it should be top-notch.

An interesting article in the WSJ about Whole Foods entering Detroit market:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203961204577269723768076382.html

upso, i agree about anderson's selection. i live very close to FM, though, and its selection is much better than krogers, churchills, or schorlings. i'm just glad their shelves have beers from smaller breweries (and the "you pick" 6 pk for 8.99). plus, i don't have to deal with the mall area.

makes perfect sense! the traffic on talmadge can be a NIGHTMARE! :)

I found this very disappointing: http://www.toledoblade.com/Restaurant-Inspections/2013/05/27/Restaurant-inspections-5-27.html

For me, it calls in to question every area and department.

I bet most private kitchens wouldn't pass a surprise inspection.

Besides, after seeing how the health department let the city run facilities "slide" on their inspection, and I personally witnesses some real horrid things in other places, I really lost faith in the inspections.

Just like most things, use your judgement. If the place looks dirty and the employees look dirty, don't eat there. If the place is clean and it looks like the employees are clean and care, I give it a green light.

Sure, you might read about me dying from some food borne disease, but life's too short.

Eeek. Grumpys.

Bad Dustin.

I posted the link regarding The Fresh Market since I shop there several times a week. Since the day they opened.

Turkeys thawing at room temp and raw chicken at 60 degrees in the turned off blast chiller are something I can not see from the customer side of their operation.

No excuse for this in any operation - let alone one that charges what they do and promotes itself as a gourmet grocer.

@justread. In Grumpy's defense, the report is not as bad as it may seem to some. That inspector Kelly Cipiti is a first-class **** and she would find a violation in a sterilized surgical ward. It's her job to do that so she can rack up points in the department. I personally do not find her reasonable or on the up-and-up.

I hope they get it all under control. Also disappointed in Rocket Cafe, a restaurant I frequently recommend for breakfasts

I know.

I have never had a worry about Grumpy's in the least.

I washed dishes in high school at Miller's Family Restaurant.
The dirty dish/clean dish thing touched a nerve. I can still remember the dirty dish smell, and it was decades ago.

I fail myself often at home with the sealed meat/sealed fresh thing. So, the carrot thing didn't bother me. (My eggs are above some carrots now.... oooohhhhh nnoooooh.)

I fail myself often at home with the sealed meat/sealed fresh thing. So, the carrot thing didn't bother me.

You know, I've read the reports and watch Kitchen Nightmares which talks sometimes about the 'rules' but NEVER thought to apply them to my own fridge. OMG. I don't think I have enough room for all of my food. Course, now that I think about it, raw meat usually goes directly in the freezer not the fridge. But still, I've never thought about that type of safety separation in my own kitchen. I bet a lot of people haven't.

if the health department inspected people's homes all home kitchens would be shut down.

I'll bet that people who work in or have worked in restaurants would actually do better than average. Heck, I still use practices I learned in my teens at a restaurant job.

Don't worry, most of the health inspectors would be pretty embarrassed too if they got spot inspections at home. There are smaller easy things to miss, but it's the big stuff, the most-likely illness vectors that matter most. (cross contamination is the biggest, i.e. for that salmonella-bearing chicken breast will get cooked off, but the veggies might touch the same surface and escort the salmonella out to you raw.)

Thing that kills me is the low-wage low-benefits of most food service jobs. Let's take a poor person who is exposed to more illness and less healthcare, and then hang their rent on showing up everyday to a job that is prime territory for spreading illness. I feel there should be some sort of minimum insurance and paid-sick leave requirement for all food workers. So many little productivity killing bugs get through that way...

No... I don't think so. I think the 'inspectors' would fail to make it home some night.

The part I don't understand is that the violation I see most often involves failure to keep perishables at or below 41 degrees. Why does this happen so often? It seems like an easy thing to do.

a lot of it has to do with how often the cooler doors are open. like i have to reeeeally crank down (ie: very cold) our pie & cake cooler because we sell so much dessert. to keep it at 38 degrees i need to have it set at like 25. some places just set it at the required temp and walk away not understanding how much cold air is released with the door is open.

Completely logical, upso, and something I would have never thought about had you not mentioned it.