If you do not live in Texas, we feel bad for you. Not just because Texas is, well, Texas but because your area does not have a grocery shopping experience that is Central Market.
Central Market-H.E.B. locations are not high-falutin’ food and drink venues for the well-heeled. Nor is Central Market a warehouse-style store with a hodge podge of this-and-that.
Central Market is found only in Texas…for now, as of 2011
The point is, nothing quite defines Central Market or is quite like it. Each Central Market store is subtly divided into areas that resemble a “neighborhood” where food groups reside.
Fresh fruits and veggies are waiting to be bagged and weighed by the customer before proceeding to the checkout stand. Who knew there were so many different kinds of apples? You will see a lot of products you do not recognize at CM, and that makes grocery shopping fun.
Central Market says about their produce:
- “Our climate-controlled produce section offers more than 700 varieties of fresh produce from around the globe, including up to 150 varieties of seasonal organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs. We avoid warehouse produce by working directly with the growers to stock our shelves with freshly harvested fare. This means our Partners only slice, dice and julienne the ripest veggies – and juice the freshest fruits – each and every day.”
After experiencing the shock and awe of the produce section, cruise through the meat department and make a selection that will have you putting a gourmet dinner on the table in a snap. Stuffed chicken breasts, fresh seafood, and ready-to-cook burgers, such as the Cowboy burger, will wow you.
Stroll through a bread department that surpasses most bakeries. Central Market’s store-made tortillas, loaves of challah, and the amazing prosciutto and black pepper ficelle are divine. Piles of pumpernickel, rye, and sourdough loaves will tempt your taste buds and have you cursing the carbs in baked goods.
If sweet treats are your weakness, make sure you do not take a peek at the store-made desserts unless you wish to stand like a drooling fool staring at the works of art that the CM dessert artists create in the patisserie.
Dairy selections are mind-boggling, with fresh mozzarella balls in an Italian marinade being our favorite guilty pleasure. We try to nosh on “one or two” but generally fail to maintain such a limit. With “more than 700 varieties of cheese from all over the world” there is a lot of cheese to love.
The best garlic dill pickles on the planet, those by Bataampte, are also at Central Market [as is Bataampte delicatessen mustard and half-sour pickles.] Chilled sauces and dips are located next to the pickles, near the pre-made food and salad bar where a wide selection of homemade soups reside our favorite soup is their poblano chicken corn chowder.
Grilled shrimp, risotto cakes, roasted vegetables, turkey meatloaf, tuna salad, grilled salmon, and more, sit in chilled cases, prepared and ready to eat. Admittedly a bit costly, but it is worth the time-saving benefits for some.
Line up for custom-ordered stir-fry, fajitas, and warm sandwiches. Do yourself a favor and try the bacon, goat cheese, and fresh spinach pizza at the brick oven pizza counter for a slice of decadent heaven.
As if it weren’t already enough, yes, there is a sushi bar offering freshly-made selections. Nearby, you can find roasted turkey legs and zesty homemade tamales [sample chicken and jalapeno tamales – they are addictive!]
The wine and beer selections available at CM are rather impressive and we especially enjoy the wall of recommended wines that are very affordable.
If buying in bulk is your thing, CM has you covered, as well. Coffee beans, candy, nuts, various flours, grains, and pasta are easy to buy and weigh perfectly for when you do not need to buy a large quantity AND for when you do.
In addition to exotic flowers, the aroma of store-made face creams and cleansers is unique and fresh located next to the create your-own bath salt area.
Lastly, CM offers a unique opportunity with its cooking school. Offering different classes some for children each CM cooking class has a theme. The cost of the class includes eating the tasty meal you have learned to prepare. Pretty good return on your investment.
