A friend of mine moved to Chapel Hill some time ago and was telling me about this store that he said was tailor made for me. I gave him a skeptical raised eye brow and waited to see for myself.
OH. EM. GEE. I could lose my mind in this place.
From the outside, it looks like any other generic, big box store. The brick facade is fairly plain so I had no idea the wonders that lurked inside. It was like entering Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.
When you first enter, you go past the bulk coffee and tea section and the aroma is like an old Bugs Bunny cartoon where the whispy white scent trails lift you off your feet and you float to the brewed coffee counter where you can actually get some perfectly brewed coffee. There were several nice blends to choose from and the price was fine. It was less than Starbucks to get some great- but very hot- coffee to enjoy while my husband (clutching his credit cards in fear) and I wandered the rest of the huge store.
Just past the coffee stand on the left are cases of prepared foods. First, perfect pastries and other sweets. Then moving on to cheeses, gourmet deli items and prepared salads. Everything looked so delicious and there was a large selection of specialty items I'd only ever seen for sale online. I was so tickled to see that nestled in among the foie gras and duck confit and merguez sausages were some boxes of this Jersey Girl's breakfast staple: Taylor Ham brand pork roll.
On the right, the barrage of amazing cooking implements and tools arranged in thematic kiosks started. Looking for an Asian dumpling steamer? Go to the Asia kiosk. A ravioli maker? The Italian kiosk. Scandinavian. French. British. Knives. Citrus tools. Candy making. Handmade. Hand painted. Hand blown. Locally made. It was such a refreshing change from a chain store where if you went looking for a ball whisk, you might find one. At Southern Season there was an array of sizes, styles and prices for every oddball item.
Toward the back of the store we wandered into a huge selection of beers and wines (not really our thing) and then packaged gourmet food items and I was in HEAVEN. 500 different types of hot sauces and marinades. Cheese ball mixes. Dips and spreads. Crackers, cookies, cheese straws, nuts. Gourmet chocolates and candies.
And scattered throughout all of it were samples of real food, like Costco but really good. We tried handmade raviolis stuffed with country ham, pesto and cheese. There was a guy frying breakfast sausage that came from locally raised pigs. We had some brie en croute covered with a sweet walnut glaze that made my eyes roll back into my head. This, my friends, is foodie paradise.
They have Le Creuset cookware and Vera Bradley handbags. Local pottery. Specialty linens. Cards and stationery. Holiday decor. The huge inventory of really cool stuff is staggering. There's a plant section with huge gorgeous cut flowers that smell like sunshine and live plants and topiaries that seem to be thriving despite the lack of overhead misters and sun lamps.
And then the icing on the cupcake is that the place is swarming with friendly, knowledgeable, HELPFUL staff people who know their stuff and genuinely want you to have a good shopping experience.
I restrained myself and only picked up a few items and then briefly considered putting it all back when I saw the checkout line that stretched halfway back through the store. I don't know how they did it but holy cow, that line MOVED. I only waited for two or three minutes before I was able to swipe my card and be handed a lovely, sturdy shopping bag with my purchases.
My friend was right. I loved this place. read more