What’s the Deal with Wegmans?

North Carolina has a lot of transplants from the Northeast, particularly New York and New Jersey. When word got around that Wegmans was coming to town, these people were ecstatic.

Wegmans is a supermarket chain that started in New York in 1916 and is still family owned. It is a favorite among Northeasterns for their products, service and pre-made foods.

When Wegmans opened here in Raleigh last month, 3,000+ people lined up on the first day to get into the store. Some started lining up the night before, Black Friday style. This had me and many others wondering what in the world could be THAT special about a grocery store?

I can’t really be a self-respecting foodie and not go see what Wegmans is all about for myself. So, on a quest for Vernor’s ginger ale, a specialty of Michigan that is not readily found outside of the North, my parents and I set off to drive the 30 minute trek to this famed destination.

First impressions – this store is HUGE. The parking lot has airport parking vibes, but we arrived mid-morning on a Friday and found a spot easily.

Like most supermarkets, you walk into the produce section. I must say, Wegmans produce is most impressive. We immediately realized we could not share a cart together, we each needed our own.

I did come armed with a small list, so I could compare prices on some everyday items I buy every week. I was off-list the second I entered.

Into my cart went grape tomatoes, jumbo blueberries, strawberries, and apples.

Wegmans has a huge variety of prepped veggies, too. I was amazed at how fresh they were and they were really quite reasonably priced. I was tempted by them all, especially the beet noodles, but I selected a package of precut butternut squash.

For comparison, I paid $4.99 for 20 oz. of medium sized chunks of butternut squash at Wegmans. A week before, I purchased a smaller bag of prepped squash from Walmart for $2.98 for 16 oz. cut very small. Wegmans’ was by far better looking than the bag I got at Walmart.

After you are done drooling over the produce selection, you will find an amazing array of cheeses. Soft cheeses, hard cheeses, imported and domestic, they have it all. In fact, I found Halloumi cheese, which I had been hunting down for over a year. It is a dense, salty cheese that grills and fries like a dream. You can find pre-made charcuterie boxes for sale or you can find everything you need to make your own impressive charcuterie platters for the coming holidays, including a fabulous olive bar.

There is wine conveniently placed by the cheese, but there is also a HUGE wine and beer section at the back of the store staffed by knowledgeable and friendly staff to help you find whatever may suit your fancy.

I had some basic grocery needs, so I wandered into the packaged goods. They have everything you can find at another grocery store and more. My parents found their Vernor’s and I found cake mix for $.99 and Wegman’s Family Value pack of peanut butter – 2 jars of 40 oz. each. That’s 80 oz. of peanut butter for $5.09.

They have a Bulk Foods isle, with a tempting amount of candy, sprinkles, trail mix and dried fruits. I got each of my girls a small bag of their favorite gummies for just over a dollar each. As a special treat for my husband, I found a tub of chocolate covered peanut butter pretzel nuggets. Those things are dangerously good.

I bought some dairy staples, too. Their house brand of Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk is actual $.10 cheaper than I pay at Aldi. They had eggs on sale for $.87 for an 18 count. And in case you are already stocking for Thanksgiving, they have salted butter in the shape of a turkey.

All of this is to say that if you shop the store brands and look for special deals, you can find prices that are quite comparable to your usual grocery store. If you download their app, you can find additional coupons and deals as well.

But the absolute best part of Wegmans is the prepared foods. You can find many prepared convenience meals for busy weeknights that look delicious. Not only can you stock your cart with these, but you can get food to eat while you are there in their large seating area, or grab for lunch or dinner on the go.

They have about 4 buffet style food bars, Asian, Vegetarian/Protein, Salad Bar and Seasonal Specialties. You can get sub sandwiches to order, pizza, burgers, and there is apparently a cookie bar that I somehow missed on my visit. For the food bar items, it is pay-by-the-pound at $9.99 a pound.

I couldn’t pass up the Asian bar, so I built a box with lo mein, fried rice, sautéd green beans, chicken stir fry, one pot sticker and a huge, delicious egg roll.

It was just enough for me, and with a fountain drink, it came to $13.62. There were many other things I wanted to try, so I will just have to go back another time.

In case you need dessert after all of that yummy food, you can find an impressive selection of cakes, tarts and, of course, cannolis.

The bakery and bread section is amazing as well. You can find yummy samples and half loaves of delicious, grainy breads, in case you are the only member of your family that likes nutty, grainy, delicious bread.

There is really so much to see and try at Wegmans, I cannot begin to tell you about all of it. If you are a lover of food and food adventures, I highly recommend a trip to Wegmans.

In case you are wondering what I did with my Halloumi cheese, I am sharing the recipe with you today. Because it fries or grills so nicely, it is a great protein substitute in many vegetarian recipes.

I added mine to a nice veggie Shakshuka. Shakshuka is a Middle Eastern dish that incorporates stewed tomatoes, spices and poached eggs. It is simple, comforting and uses staples you likely already have on hand. It is also extremely versatile. In my version, I added zucchini along with chick peas and red pepper.

The Halloumi is fried ahead of time, then sprinkled on top of the Shakshuka. The cheese holds it shape nicely, and adds a delightful, salty chew to the dish. The best part is sopping it up with a nice hunk of fresh, crusty bread.

So, if you have a chance, get yourself to Wegmans soon and pick up some wonderful food and fabulous deals.

Recipe adapted from http://www.thespoonandwhisk.blogpost.com