Yes this IS essentially supermarket, but with the Tavern and Table “gastropub” as well as a very diverse food court, I am including it as a legitimate place to eat. You can get beer and cocktails as well, which takes it out of the ordinary supermarket category. This review is from opening week.
Figured I would have to give the new Whole Foods dining area a try. This is from the Tavern lunch menu. It took me awhile to notice where they served drafts, so I skipped the brewski and figured a burger was a good bellwether. You order at the grill, and they give you a tracking device which can ostensibly find you anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere (or at least within their WiFi range.) You COULD sit upstairs where the dining options include wood-fired pizzas, Ramen, Poke (the new Hawaiian fad), sushi, or an incredible array of sammies, salads, etc.
As might be expected, the beef was fresh and hand-formed. The line cook gladly and accurately accommodated my request for medium rare (complicated by the two-patty configuration they serve.) It did maximize the seared meat content, so I give a thumbs up. The potato roll stood up until the end.
The taters were technically not fingerlings, but baby Yukons that had been par boiled. The chef hand-smashes them, sprinkles them with a selection of herbs (I think tarragon predominated) and deep fries them. They worked pretty well, and were a welcome change from mediocre fries.
There was plenty of seating. Tables do not have setups, so the condiments (ketchup, BBQ sauce, and a few varieties of mustard) were by the lemonade/water station, which gets kind of crowded. They DID have a closed jar of bread and butter pickles with the condiments, but no tongs, forks or any other implements with which one might potentially extract pickles. My first instinct was “Fuck it, I’ll just reach in with my fingers!” but before I did that, it occurred to me that a half dozen other diners who preceded me may have been equally ill-bred, so I just skipped the pickles. That’s life.
There is no salt or pepper anywhere (though I saw the chef season my burger with both, so I was cool.) The potatoes could have used a tiny bit of salt.
I’m not reviewing the store here, but if you normally shop at Acme or Giant, the phrase “OMG” will cross your mind.
Parking is a nightmare and requires a half dozen “parking consultants” to negotiate your experience. Next time, I think I will park inside (though that is sheer cognitive dissonance for a suburban supermarket.) I’m sure it will keep your blood pressure lower.
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Follow-up review. I tried a hoagie (pre-made hot Italian) with sharp provolone and prosciutto. The bread is up there with Sarcone’s making this an extraordinary hoagie. Ingredients were top-notch as well.
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Subsequently, before Thanksgiving shopping , I decided to check out the wood fired pizza. Selecting a mushroom and shallot traditional Neapolitan slice as well as a fat plain Sicilian. The pizza guy (not at all busy) began putting the slices in “to-go” boxes. I asked if they were hot. “Warm” he replied, grinning. I took them back to the dining area. They were STONE COLD. Returning them to the pizza guy, I brought up the fact that they were not in any way, shape or form remotely above room temperature. So he asks ” Do you want me to heat them up ?” Normally, I try not to be an asshole customer, but this display of attytood really got to me. I handed the slices back, and he threw them in the oven for a few. I accepted the reheated slices wordlessly with a note to skip the pizza there from here on out (as it was mediocre at best.) Just be forewarned that if you DO decide to order pizza there, save yourself some time, and ask that they be heated from the get-go. I hope this guy was just seasonal help. Usually the staff there is overboard helpful.
Main Line Food Blog 