Whole Foods Market in Altamonte Springs, FL

A brand new Whole Foods Market just opened in Altamonte Springs on January 20, 2016. The store is located in Renaissance Centre, near the Altamonte Mall. The new store is 40,000 square feet of shopping space and is the third Whole Foods Market in the Orlando area. I was invited to tour the store a couple days before the grand opening. The following pictures are some highlights from this tour:

The Produce Department is one of the first sights encountered upon entering the store. This particular Whole Foods location features tropical and international produce program which will have a ever-changing rotation of fruits and vegetable found in Latin, Asian, and Indian cuisine. Seeing the mountains of perfectly stacked fruits and vegetables untouched by customer hands were very satisfying.

Whole Foods also has a Juice Bar near the entrance of the store. I sampled a Green Dream Smoothie, made with pineapple, kale, spinach, and apple juice.

Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Company was also at Whole Foods giving out very generous samples of their juices. I was able to try a bottle of the orange, grapefruit, orange-beet, lemonade, strawberry lemonade, and tomato juice.

The Fromagerie is where you find the cheese. I sampled the Robusto 9 month aged Gouda and Piedras de Chocolate almonds covered in dark chocolate. Whole Foods also has a very nice olive bar in this section.

Visiting the Butcher section of the store, I sampled a Amsterdam Gouda Sausage.

Moving through the store, the Fishmonger came next. I tried some shrimp and salmon.

Wok Street was where you can order various Asian foods including noodles, rices, curries, and sushi.

This Whole Foods features an gourmet toast bar where you can order all sorts of fancy toasts. Here's a Stammer Max and Avocado Cuke Pepita.

Whole Foods had a very nice cookie case, filled with all sorts of deliciousness.

Whole Foods is now open. Go shop for some food at the fancy new store. They will be open 8 AM to 10 PM daily.

Whole Foods Holiday Menu Tasting Event (Phillips Crossing)

Recently I was invited to enjoy a sampling of the Whole Foods Market holiday menu. The event happened at the Phillips Crossing Whole Foods off Sand Lake Road and what a cornucopia of deliciousness it was! The variety and creativity of the prepared offerings along with menu planning assistance will surely alleviate the stress of any gathering. Bring on the festivities! 

To begin, I tasted a luscious French blue cheese called Persille du Beaujolais served with a honeycomb to balance the savory notes. I learned that persille means parsleyed in french and just describes the blue green veining throughout blue cheese. The creamery in France overlooks Beaujolais vineyards, but it was truly dreamy when I paired it with a white Vin de Savio Apremont, which is a top 10 holiday wine pick. I also found out that Whole Foods Certified Cheese Professionals can create a cheese and wine pairing menu just for the asking. 

Cranberry Walnut and Fig Stuffed Brie is a layer cake made of American artisan Brie filled and topped with cranberries and caramelized walnuts and fig spread. It was a beautiful presentation available in a small or large stack.

Next I tried the St James Smoked Salmon platter. Scottish salmon cold smoked with oak, with no nitrates or preservatives, only a buttery silkiness served with hot house cucumbers, red onions, capers, and sliced eggs, David, the Regional Seafood Coordinator mentioned that St James has a smokehouse in Miami-- nice to support local-- and that the salmon are fed a high quality diet, that I found palpable in the flavor. In addition, the company prides themselves on sustainability. 

The Sasasian Caviar served on bite sized blini with creme fraiche was outstanding. There were three types offered: Truffle Pearls,Trout, and Imperial and I liked them all! The pop of the lightly salted glistening eggs was a tantalizing treat for all the senses.

Of course there was moist roasted turkey and an array of accompaniments and options. Here's the Bell and Evans smoked Cornish hens.

72 hour Beef Short Ribs

One of my favorite sides were the harvest root vegetables, kale, tender brussels sprouts, and butternut squash with candied pecans and cranberries dusted with cinnamon.

There's also a hearty Vegan Field Roast En Croute as a meat alternative. Grains are used as a vegetarian protein combined with squash, mushrooms, apples and spices wrapped in an outer layer. It is a great alternative to soy based proteins.

Pumpkin Cheesecake was creamy, without being too heavy, and had perfect undertones of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and of course pumpkin. It is a creative twist on the traditional pumpkin pie.

Fruit Cake also was sampled and it was nothing like the much maligned variety. It was very moist, tender, and dark with the sumptuous, soft fruits used mainly as a topping. This Fruit Cake would definitely be consumed immediately and certainly not re-gifted! 

With so many wonderful choices from Whole Foods Market here's to happy holidays
and eating!

(Written by Florence R.)

7/11/09

Today is 7/11, meaning it is free Slurpee day at all 7 Eleven stores. I stopped by the 7 Eleven at the corner of Lake Mary Boulevard and Country Club Road and enjoyed my free Slurpee. I mixed all of the fruity flavors together and avoided the Crystal Light and soda flavors. I would not buy a Slurpee normally, but for free you have to sample the flavors!

While on the topic of frozen beverages, I was at the Whole Foods Supermarket in Winter Park earlier in the day. In their deli section where they have all of their prepared foods, I noticed this machine. It looked like a normal slushy machine to me, until I noticed the flavor. The sign called it a chilled soup, but I disagree. That's a broccoli flavored slushy. Try and find that at a 7 Eleven!