I had to spend the afternoon in Glastonbury (CT) today. I had an hour or so to waste so I decided to go to Whole Foods. This was the second time in my life I had been to a Whole Foods, the first being in California; the store had been there for about 15 years, it was small and the aisles were over stuffed and the prices were high (but it was California). It had a similar vibe to the Willimantic Coop, but with a more commercial feel. So over the years I have talked to people and have heard positive an negative impressions of Whole Foods as it expands into the mega-business it has become. My next visit was in Glastonbury, now I am an elitist- will openly admit it and can be quite proud about it, but there is nothing like the pretentiousness of the people shopping and working at the Whole Foods in Glastonbury.
First of all, I assume I looked the part, but not quite. I was not dressed as everyone else there, no Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister & Co, or Bonobos. No canvas summer sneaker or garden clog (three dudes wearing garden clogs- didn't even bother counting the women...maybe they are the new Crocs). I was wearing a pair of Khaki shorts, Keen sandals, a kick ass handlebar mustache, and had my daughter with me, so I sort of blended in. I was also wearing a My Father Le Bijou 23 cigar t-shirt so that must have been what threw them off, that and I was only driving a Saab wagon. Pretty sure they knew I was not living in a castle starter kit built by the Toll Brothers.
Now compared to the local coop, this place is about 4 times the size and an overload to the senses. On top of the people that can not get out of their own way, let alone anyone else's, my daughter likes to push the cart and can be a bit wild if not watched and reminded about it. The adults in this place had no consciences about their surroundings and that other people existed in their world. (Of course if you have ever driven through Glastonbury, you would have known this already, as they drive the same way.) So for the first time I was more worried that my daughter was going to get hit with a cart instead of doing the ramming.
I had gone with a specific item in mind, which I could not find it locally and it was suggested that may be Whole Foods would have it. That item was coffee bean oil, it is used for number of things, but mostly beauty products. I was directed over to the "Whole Body" section of the store and asked for it. They did not have it. I was then informed that a coffee essence may be what I was looking for. To me an essence is not the same as an oil extract from a plant, so that was not what I was looking for, so thanks for the suggestion. They also didn't have a coffee essence anyway.
So we wandered for a bit checking out their beer selection, not bad but a bit over priced, and you can get some microbrews from some western breweries that other stores around here do not carry. Did over hear one conversation between two gentlemen about how good Redbridge was and that they needed to get some. I bit my tongue wanting to inform them that it was an Anheuser Busch product and massed produce, but maybe they needed that gluten-free piece of mind in a crappy made and tasting beer, but that is just my elitism showing....
