I've been experiencing a lot of frustration, lately, with my local food scene. We live in the heart…read moreof Ontario's best growing country, and yet the "Farmer's Market" is crammed full of sellers who import things from Mexico, Morocco, even from my beloved Willamette Valley in Oregon, 3000 miles away -- all with the inconvenience of cash-only, no ABM/ATM on the premises, and so desperately overcrowded that it often takes 10 minutes to move 5 feet. (And did I mention that it's only available Saturday until noon? And the actual local producers sell out long before then? And that parking thereabouts is a nightmare?) The grocery stores that we've investigated are full of cheap/generic/environmentally unsustainable, with some of the most appallingly aged and limp imported produce I've ever seen -- and all with the customer service attitude of "like it or lump it; who do you think you are, someone special?" Oh yeah, and the supply is inconsistent -- if I find a product that I like, they'll stop carrying it and won't bring it back, even if I'm willing to special-order it by the case.
Disheartened, I had pretty much resigned myself to shopping weekly at Whole Foods, an hour away, which (as always) is stocked to the rafters with beautiful organic foodstuffs, nitrite/nitrate-free meats, sustainably-harvested, marine stewardship council-certified wild-caught fish, artisan boutique cheeses, and organic fair-trade shade-grown coffee. (Did I mention that it's an hour away? Not exactly convenient. And that's a lot of driving -- 2 hours worth of carbon emissions per shopping trip.) But coming from Portland, I have food quality standards that I am unwilling to compromise, knowing just how good food can be...
Enter Angelino's Market. My darling husband, feeling adventurous, found this gem due to a traffic detour. Locally owned family market, featuring local produce and high quality meats. It's not much to look at on the outside, but get a load of the pics I took inside... it's spotlessly clean, and filled with gorgeous high quality food. Some of my faves:
The best fresh-squeezed orange and grapefruit juice I've had since I left Portland. On par with what I used to drink daily when I lived in Southern California, where the oranges and grapefruits are grown.
Vast and varied meat and cheese deli. They roast their own garlic roast beef in-house -- tender, medium-rare, stuffed with roasted garlic cloves and crusted in fresh herbs. Thinly sliced, it's the only lunch meat I've found in the Guelph area that isn't chock-full of nitrites/nitrates (which prematurely age cells and tissues -- I don't need any help aging, thanks -- and can lead to cancer). It's also utterly delicious.
An enormous olive and antipasti bar. With several different iterations of anchovies and sardines. Yum.
A large meat section -- they cut and grind their own meat daily, and it's lean and red and very appealing.
A bakery section that features local bakery bread, gorgeous focaccia pizzas, and some of the loveliest pastry confections I've ever seen.
The best produce I've seen in the province. Period.
Friendly, attentive, responsive staff -- I spent half an hour gabbing with Rob, the meat department manager, who was knowledgeable, clued-in as to the health benefits and superior flavor of sustainably-produced, local fresh meats, and held forth in intelligent discourse about production methods (he's produced his own in the past, and is currently raising free-run chickens).
So, for those of you who love good food, good news! I'll see you at Angelino's. Just save me some orange juice.
