Food glorious food

OK, it's a good thing we have two flights of stairs in the house and a great park at the end of the block because with all of the awesome food stores around here, I'll have gained 20 pounds by the time we leave.

First off, the Kerrytown Farmer's Market is each Wednesday and Saturday and is wonderful. Love it. Have been buying Zingerman's (more on them later) freshly made mozzarella cheese to eat with wonderful tomatoes and fresh basil. Also have been buying lots of gorgeous raspberries. The kids' hands are usually stained by the time we get home.

Second, can I say WHOLE FOODS???? Love this store, the prices not so much. But we put together a dinner for the four of us off of its hot bar last Friday (brisket, mashed potatoes, sauteed kale, grilled veggies) for about $14. IEM and EPM loved it. Got the most fragrant delicious apples from Michigan there as well. I don't think I've had apples that good since I probably went apple picking once as a kid when we lived in Virginia. The whole kitchen smelled of them. Can't wait for an apple festival.

Third, TRADER JOE'S. I've always heard about these stores, known for their organic foods and "Three Buck Chuck" Charles Shaw wines. EPM and I went there yesterday and I got a ton of stuff for a lot less than I had anticipated.

And last but certainly not least, I finally made it into Zingerman's today. I could almost hear heavenly choirs sing. It's a foodie's dream....Dean & Deluca without the pretention. Zabar's without having to deal with being in NYC. You get the idea. You can sample anything in the store, too, save for the caviar. I learned this from the oil and vinegar sommelier with whom I struck up a conversation. He gave me a taste of a 25-year-old balsamic vinegar, and I about swooned. Of course, the only person I could think of who would truly appreciate all of these provisions was our friend Breen. So I had to call him from my cell phone and describe some of the wares. Then I got a $!0 chicken salad sandwich and went on my merry way.

We have already discovered the local Zingerman's outpost near our house (Zingerman's Roadhouse) where they make mace-flecked cake donuts from scratch and you can drive up to this renovated Air Stream trailer ("The Aluminum Chef").

Can I tell you that if the friendly people, the great parks and the general attitude and culture weren't enough to make me want to stay then the food options definitely could? And I haven't even hit the other specialty markets around town. I'm making a list. EPM and I have a lot of running around to do. /And it's a good thing that we just opened a YMCA membership. Those treadmills will see a lot of me (she types as she finishes up some Trader Joe's tiramisu gelato).

Thanks for stopping by.