The Cadillac of Wegmans

I had promised the boys that we would take a field trip to Pittsford for the sole purpose of gawking in what I consider to be the premier store in the Wegmans chain. People told me that some of the newer ones in the Rochester area are amazing, and we did visit one, but its got nothing on the Pittsford store. In fact, there are 18 stores in Rochester alone, but I still find this one the most engaging.

The boys didn't remember visiting this store, and they were young last time we were there. They were not particularly interested in making a trip clear to the other side of the city, but in the spirit of the holidays, they indulged me. Traffic on 490 was heavy - after work homegoers still straggling along at 6:30 pm. 590 south was no better. It took forever to arrive at the Monroe Avenue exit and wedge our way into the stream of red taillights.

You can't see Wegmans from Monroe Avenue, but as we pulled into the parking lots, the boys began to pay more attention. We found a space not too far from the entrance and sallied forth to brave the exotic and quintessential foods I knew awaited us. I watched the boys' eyes widen as we stepped into the store. The fruits and vegetables section spread before us like a vast sea of green and orange. We moved slowly down the aisle, remarking on the various unknown items surrounding us.

Kiel and Drew moved from bored indulgence to animated engagement in 2 seconds flat. It was like exploring a new planet. They picked up odd shaped produce and weirdly colored vegetation, reading the thoughtfully posted signs about the various items. When we had finally worked our way halfway through the vegetables, Drew stopped dead in his tracks, his mouth hanging open. "Hey, look - look!" He almost yelled. "You aren't going to believe this! Where's my phone - I'm going to take a picture." He was pointing to a locked box containing mushrooms with a posted price of $499 a pound. Unbelievable! Where else but at Wegmans!

It was all uphill from there. We wandered slowly as if in a foreign country, examining things one would never expect to find in a grocery store. Here was an entire Godiva chocolate store, there a machine that created puffed rice cakes, exploding them from the heating unit like baseballs from a practice machine. Next to it we found a quaint tea shop with loose leaves of unheard of blends scenting the air with tantalizing fragrances. The blend of the day was a Christmas flavor with ginger, cloves, cinnamon and gingerbread! You could sample a small cup with a piece of the fresh rice cakes - wow!

In the deli aisle, there was a dinner bar. You could sit on one of the stools surrounding a small kitchen kiosk in the middle of the aisle and order whatever your heart desired. They made it fresh on the spot - all healthy and green. Beyond that, the Tastings Restaurant 2 stories high that excelled even the freshly made casseroles and platter items in the cases. The bakery was replete with every kind of bread and dessert your heart could dream up - I had to drag the boys drooling from the cases filled with cheesecakes and carrot cakes and tortes and trifles. Not in the budget, dearies.

I found all those little hard to find items that had been on my list for awhile - furniture scratch repair kits and chip clips at a reasonable price among other things. The markdown aisle held our fascination for awhile as I procured bargain things perfect for those last minute stocking fillers or thank you's for unexpected surprises.

Even the "normal" food items we usually purchase were less expensive here - must be those who can afford $500 a pound truffles turn their noses up at everyday fare. We shopped with glee. It was a delightful field trip. After a full two hours, we finally tore ourselves away. Sighs of contentment punctuated the air as we drove home through the light snow sifting down. What fun!