Think of the new Whole Foods Market in Tiffany Plaza as a kind of Willy Wonka destination for people who love to eatgastronomes.
As shoppers enter the store, which opened a week ago at 7400 E. Hampden Ave., they are flanked on the left side of the produce section by a wall of bottled fruit and vegetable juices and a palette of actual fruits and vegetables on the opposite side.
There’s a tortilla machine, where you can see tortillas made fresh all day; around another curve is a seafood bar with pre-cooked, chef-inspired daily specials. Nearby, an in-
house seafood smoker sits across from a section that boasts six varieties of seafood soups and chowders.
Hold on. Was that really vacuum-packed Muscovy duck, grilled duck breast and duck confit?
Indeed. Not to mention 30 varieties of sausages, a dry-aged-beef showcase, 600 cheese varieties and, yes, Charlie, a chocolate fountain.
And you still have to make it past the candy island.
There are no Oompah-Loompahs, but there is a United-Nations-like workforce scurrying about but still managing to notice if you look stumped.
Not overwhelmed, just stumped.
So if you are susceptible to sensory overload, be forewarned: You might feel faint by the time you emerge from the produce section alone – where in addition to the usual oranges, apples, peaches and pears, there are such treats as Bolthouse juice blends, brand new to Whole Foods.
“There are a number of products that are not just new to this store, but new to Whole Foods altogether,” says marketing manager Scott Simons, as he recommends a sample of the Bolthouse product.
Odwalla still has its place, but this new line offers esoteric flavors such as open-cell chlorella, broccoli, barley grass, echinacea purpurea extract, tamarind purée, lemon bioflavonoids, Jerusalem artichoke and Nova Scotia Dulce.
Not even marketing manager Simons has tried them all, which is understandable, unless you already know that open-cell chlorella isn’t a viral infection, but dark-green natural food containing micro-algae considered by some to be the world’s richest source of chlorophyll.
Moving right along.
Around the corner is the cheese showcase, where Cerulia Kelly knows way too much about the merchandise. She can tell you, for example, that the Mimolette demi-vielle (“meem-o-let demee veeyey”) from France (that for all the world looks like an escapee from the melon bin) is not a cantaloupe after all but a cheese from Flanders.
The Mimolette has the same tan, textured outer rind a cantaloupe has and a strikingly similar carrot-orange interior. If asking in French is more than you want to handle, just ask for the cantaloupelike cheese with the carrot-colored insides.
“These cheeses benefit from being in the open air,” she says, without ever looking up. “But Colorado laws say we can’t display them in open air, so we had this built to recirculate and decontaminate fresh air. ”
The new store, which has more than 50,000 square feet of all-natural and organic products, is a scaled-
down version of the monster store in Whole Foods’ home town of Austin, Texas, which has become a field-trip destination for local schoolkids.
“Our research shows Denver shoppers might be overwhelmed by a store the size of the Austin market,” Simon says.”
Located not far from where where Whole Foods Market began as a small neighborhood grocer 25 years ago, the Austin store is the company’s largest, at 80,000 square feet. The layout is similar, but the Tamarac store feels eminently more accessible. The Austin store is truly overwhelming for the shopper who just wants to pick up a grilled chicken, soup and a salad.
The Tamarac store feels cozier, despite the fact that it has one of the chain’s largest produce and prepared-food departments, offering a “Colorado Proud” local section, and such hard-to-find items as duck fat and chicken or veal demi-glace.
Shoppers have access to the in-house meat and seafood smokers – well, not direct access, but you can have the item of your choice prepared for you.
Sonoma Chicken Salad
A perennial favorite among Whole Foods Market devotees, the company decided to share this recipe for the first time this year as part of its 25th anniversary. The dressing can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Serves 6.
Ingredients
Directions
Thoroughly mix mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad.
Preheat oven to 375.
Place chicken breasts in one layer in a baking dish with 1/2 cup water. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes until completely cooked through. Remove cooked chicken breasts from baking pan, cool to room temperature for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
When the breasts are chilled, dice into bite-size pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pecans, grapes, celery and dressing. Serve on leaves of red leaf lettuce arranged on a salad plate.
Chocolate Chai Custard
Good on its own, it would not gild the lily to top this pudding with a touch of whipped cream or a sliver of mango. Serves 4.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 325.
Place chopped chocolate and chai tea in a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring until chocolate is melted into the tea. Remove from heat and add milk. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs with a wire whisk 1 minute. Whisk in sugar and salt. Gradually whisk in chai and milk mixture until fully incorporated. Pour into 4 individual ramekins and place those into a heavy baking dish with tall sides. Carefully pour warm water into the baking dish around the ramekins until it fills the dish, reaching about a half-inch from the top edge of the ramekins.
Bake 50-60 minutes, or until a clean knife inserted near the edge of the custard comes out clean. Serve warm or chilled with a sprinkle of nutmeg, a dollop of whipped cream or both.
