Specialty food retailers have not made a big push into Portland since Whole Foods entered town followed several years later by Trader Joe’s. The latter remains my least favorite place to shop, though it certainly has its fans who swarm the frozen aisle cases for esoteric Asian entrees and small bites or coffees, teas, wine and the like. I do admit to going there for several TJ brand items: Dijon mustard, packaged nuts , bags of hardwood briquettes and occasionally bottles of Gerolsteiner sparkling mineral water because it’s 20 cents cheaper than at Whole Foods and much less than at other retailers who carry it, such as The Portland Food Co-op who charges $1.69 per bottle.
From left to right clockwise: Whole Foods, Lois’, Rosemont, The Farm Stand
Whole Foods, though, is my default store. But they’re no Eataly, Zabar’s or Dean and DeLuca whose international displays of foods are phenomenal.
