A Fresh Look at Wellesley's Whole Foods Market

Most Wellesley residents didn’t become successful by making haphazard decisions about anything, not even something as commonplace as grocery shopping. For months, speculation, excitement and controversy has surrounded the new Whole Foods Market location. Final preparations are underway and on Monday, shoppers will get to experience the new store for themselves.

The expansion of Whole Foods in Wellesley points to an interesting dynamic at work.  According to Whole Foods Market, their “business is intimately tied to the neighborhood and larger community that we serve and in which we live.” The new expanded store will compete with Roche Bros. which is headquartered in Wellesley. Anyone who has spent any amount of town in Wellesley knows that Roche Bros. is a well-entrenched part of the social landscape. Been to a child’s birthday party? A Roche Bros. cake is almost certain to have been served. So how does Whole Foods intend to serve the community when its new store hopes to lure shoppers away from the longtime hometown grocer?

With a local flair

Taking cues from the old store and what’s worked at other regional stores, the product mix at the new store will reflect local preferences and demands. The store will host local purveyors of goods in a unique outdoor space intended as a seasonal farmer’s market and will continue sourcing from local producers throughout the year. The space that was formerly Tian Fu has been converted to a Community room complete with a demo kitchen which will be available to non-profits and cooking groups. To meet the need of the education-minded Wellesley consumer, the new store will be home to a “Cooking at Wellesley” specialist who will guide newcomers as they explore the bulk foods section. Shoppers who inquire can take a store tour with team members who will share tips for how to find the best values in the store based on the individual's needs and preferences.  Many of those team members will be familiar faces from the existing Wellesley store joined by new transfers from around the region.

Convenience served up

The new store has features that may appeal to the typical Wellesley shopper looking for convenience. There are extensive options for prepared food options ranging from the antipasti bar, wood fired pizzas, gourmet deli, taqueria and a full line of ‘grab and go’ foods. All of these options take convenience one step further by helping health-conscious consumers make smarter choices. Prevalent throughout the store and in the prepared foods, standards are in place guiding the products the store carries. Shoppers won’t find items with artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, hydrogenated fats or a host of unsightly ingredients. Convenience does come with limits however. For the consumer who has Diet Coke on their weekly list, Whole Foods may not be the place for one stop shopping. And unlike Roche Bros and Super Stop and Shop, Whole Foods doesn’t offer grocery delivery.

Gourmet options

The store has several premium features aimed squarely at competing with the town’s local specialty retailers. Toward the rear of the store is a case filled with dry-aged steaks and premium cuts that could replace a stop at John Dewar & Co. Pigeon Cove fish and seafood fires a shot over Captain Marden’s bow and the Fromagerie and Charcuterie gives the Cheese Shop a run for its money. While prepared foods are definitely a focus of the store, chef-worthy raw ingredients can be found in the aisles too.


Store features
While the new store is technically a remodel of the former Star Market, there is little reminiscent of the old space. The new building has received a Green Globes certification assuring that it was built with sustainability in mind. The inside features slate and concrete floors, reclaimed wood, recycled materials and LED lights, which all contribute to the unique aesthetic found in their newer stores. Signage is quirky and abundant with personal, hand-written flourishes throughout. The overall feel of the store reflects how you want your groceries -- fresh, vibrant and clean.

In the redesign of the building, a walk up window was added where customers will be able to approach from the outside and order takeaway items like gelato and made to order coffee. A small café seating area will make dining-in an option too.

While the old location had the character of the original Bread & Circus, the new building offers space for many more products. The new store isn’t nearly the size and scope of the Dedham flagship store but it is a far cry from the tightly packed shopping experience of late. Almost as notable is the much improved parking experience with more than 200 spaces in a dedicated lot.
Check it out for yourself
More than 1000 previewers are expected at the new 442 Washington Street location for Friday’s “sneak preview.” Registered attendees can participate with a $5 donation to the Wellesley Food Pantry. Frequent shoppers at the old location should say their goodbyes this weekend as the store will be closing Sunday night for the last time. The Grand opening begins with a 7:30am bread breaking ceremony (coffee, anyone?) followed by the official opening at 8am on Monday, August 22nd.


Whole Foods Market Wellesley
442 Washington Street
Wellesley, MA
Hours: 8 am - 9 pm daily (except holidays)
@wfmwellesley
On Facebook

Further Reading from the Wellesley Wine Press:
Inside the Bread: Whole Foods to Open New Location in Wellesley

First Look: Pinkberry Wellesley

Trendy frozen yogurt purveyor Pinkberry opened in Wellesley tonight, offering up free t-shirts and yogurt from 6-9 pm. The t-shirts were gone by the time we go there, and given the lines it all felt a little illogical at times. But in the end we got our free treats and I'm glad we got a taste of what Pinkberry is all about.

I thought I'd heard they were taking over the space vacated by The Gelato Cafe last year, but Pinkberry is actually a couple doors down. It's a prominent location they've got on the corner, and along with recent aesthetic improvements to Linden Square the area felt lively. I don't think I've ever seen so many people out in Wellesley past 7 pm.

Judging from the crowds, buzz, and smiling faces, Pinkberry knows how to run a grand opening. Along with employees offering small samples to people waiting in line they had what felt like as many people as they could possibly fit behind the counter:

Even Miss Massachusetts was there:

The hook, as far as I could tell, is a frozen yogurt product with health benefits like live active cultures like you find in non-frozen yogurt. I was wondering what differentiated it from old school frozen yogurt like TCBY so I had a look at their website and noticed they have a new product called Super Fro-Yo. Gotta love the competition and America's thirst for the new.

They offer up a wide range of toppings which are positioned as being high quality and fresh:

The free offer for their grand opening was any flavor small yogurt with all the toppings you wanted. I went with a coconut yogurt with blueberries, yogurt chips, and -- since they were out of praline hazelnut crunch -- Heath Bar pieces. The coconut yogurt was outstanding. Just the right about of coconut flavor, just the right amount of tart, and a very clean finish. I think could have used more guidance, a la Cold Stone Creamery, because I don't think the sum of the toppings I chose was much better than the components. Still, I enjoyed it very much.

I think Pinkberry is a welcome addition to Wellesley that will do very well. I'll look forward to getting back there again when the lines are shorter and with a little more time to think about which toppings work best with which flavors.

3.75/5 Stars: Very Good Stuff

Check 'em out:
Pinkberry Wellesley
180 Linden Street
Wellesley, MA
781-239-3400
@pinkberry

Question of the Day: What do you think of Pinkberry? What's your favorite place for a frozen treat near Wellesley?

A sun smart guide to a summer without regret

Summer is time for building sand castles at the beach, playing in the lake and taking swimming lessons.  It's all great exercise but the sun can take a toll on young, delicate skin.  According to the Skin Cancer Foundation,  just one severe sunburn in childhood doubles the chances of developing melanoma later in life.  With a family incidence of moles and displastic nevi (a precursor to cancer) I wasn't taking any chances with all the arms, legs and noses I'm responsible for.  I am always thinking about how to minimize the amount of sun exposure for my kids while not turning into the fearful killjoy who threatens to lock the children indoors.  A smart mom (or dad) needs to manage the risk, letting kids enjoy life while taking preventative steps wherever feasible.  Along the way, I've found some products to make playing outside safer.

Our first line of defense is trying to schedule outdoor play first thing in the morning.  Our kids are early risers so heading to the beach when we're on vacation at 8AM (sigh) isn't a problem and that keeps us out of the most intense rays of the day.  Next, we create a shade situation where the kids can choose to play.   A large
umbrella like this one and/or a pop up tent like this one can help provide some shade for little diggers.  But since nobody stays in the same place very long, both boys are used to wearing their sun protective beachwear.  I am a big fan of Coolibar hats and long sleeve rashguards from Lands End.  I wash them gently so the specially designed fabric doesn't lose any of its sun protective properties as the weave breaks down.  I replace them seasonally and now and then test them by holding them up to a lamp or window to see how much light filters through.  I strongly recommend getting children accustomed to sun protective gear sooner rather than later.  My kids have been wearing long sleeve rashguards to the beach their whole lives so they don't know to complain about it!

The last line of defense is sunscreen and I've tried plenty of them.  I've also read a lot about them because there's a lot of information out there about the chemicals used in sunscreens and whether or not they may be too harsh for a child's skin.  I prefer to balance out the physical and the chemical blocks used in my products while the jury is out on micronization and nanoparticles.  If you care to read more, check out HealthyChild.org.

My husband's dermatologist likes Blue Lizard sunscreen and I really like it too but it's relatively expensive and hard to find in stores.  It rubs in easily and doesn't leave a white residue.  More accessible
choices which I also like are BabyGanics Cover up Baby which is also available at my local Toys R Us and Badger sunscreen face stick which I can pick up at Whole Foods.  The Badger stick is easy to swipe over little noses anxious to get back to playing.  All of my personal picks are also on the Environmental Working Group's list of "Best Beach and Sport Sunscreens." 

Do you have any must-have techniques or products to keep your kids safe in the sun?

First Look: Old School Pizza in Wellesley

If there's one thing Wellesley has plenty of it's banks and pizza places. The latest addition is Old School Pizza which takes up space vacated by College Square Pizza which mysteriously disappeared last year.

According to The Townsman's Teddy Applebaum Old School is owned by Joe Perdoni Jr. with help from highly regarded Tutto Italiano's Bobby Palizzolo. Though they don't have delivery (yet) we decided to try Old School for this week's Family Pizza Night. How was it? I'm glad you asked.

Ordering the pizza for pick-up over the phone was an interesting affair. I was left on hold for 3 minutes and able to hear what sounded to be a crowded and hectic restaurant. I got disconnected, called back and placed my order:

• 1 Small White Clam Pizza ($14.99)
• 1 Small Tomato Pie w/Mozzarella and Mushroom ($8.99 + $0.75)
• 1 Greek Salad ($6)

Total: $36

A little pricey but we could have kept he cost down if we'd gotten 1 large instead. I wanted to try a couple different pizzas so I think it was worth it. Good start.

Pick-up was a little hectic. We had to pay for parking across the street and there was a line for pick-up. Our food was ready by the time we got through the line, we got what we wanted, and it was still warm by the time it got home.

The Greek salad was nicely loaded with toppings including stuffed grape leaves. The dressing was typical pizza house quality. A good salad for $6.

The White Clam pizza is described as coming with "Whole Belly Clams, Grated Cheese, Fresh Garlic & EVOO, Basil & Shaved Parmesan." I'm not a big clam guy but visually the pizza looked and smelled delicious. Our 6 year old blurted out an unsolicited "this is better than Upper Crust!" My wife said it was "garlicky" - and she likes garlic.

I went with a simple mushroom pizza wanting to compare it to one of my favorite pizzas I've had the past year - a mushroom pizza from Upper Crust paired with a 2006 Radio-Coteau La Neblina Pinot Noir. The combination of earthy and slightly sweet notes in each combined with their focused flavors was a brilliant pairing.

That said, I think the Old School mushroom pizza was better. The mushrooms were sauteed to perfection, and the crust found that perfect combination where it's crunchy on the outside but still soft on the inside. And the sauce - the sauce! Ripe tomato flavors with a touch of sweetness with the perfect amount of saltiness for my taste. I can't think of a better sauce I've tasted. A delicious pizza.

Overall Rating:
4/5 Stars: Very Good/Outstanding

Conclusions and Outlook:

Old School Pizza is a welcome addition to the crowded Wellesley pizza scene. Add delivery and we'll look forward to trying them again. I thought the simple mushroom pizza was delicious and some of the "Favorite Pies" on their menu look intriguing.

Further Reading:

• A first look at Upper Crust
• Why doesn't anyone eat at the CPK in Wellesley?

Check 'em out:
http://OSPizza.com
781-235-8300
No delivery (yet)