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The produce section is small, organic, and some products are local. The prepared-food section has a Mediterranean slant with house-made white flour pita and Lebanese baba ghanoush. In addition to groceries, the store sells vitamins and homeopathic items.
HOME ECONOMIST QUICK TAKE
Layout: Easy and organic -- lots of wood.
Produce: Small, but organic.
Fish Department: Small.
Meat Department: Small.
Bakery: Small.
Prepared Foods: Many vegan and vegetarian dishes as well as Lebanese.
Finds: Freshly made pita breads, bulk Voortman cookies.
Hours: Monday through Saturday 8 a.m. until 8 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Home Economist, 2707 South Blvd.
HARRIS TEETER
A few weeks ago when I was purchasing shrimp at the Arboretum Harris Teeter, the seafood manager told me he was scheduled to visit a shrimp boat operation in South Carolina and that he just got back from an oyster harvest on Chesapeake Bay. He noted that three stores in the Charlotte region -- Morrocroft, Cotswold, and the Arboretum -- go on these trips. These stores also have the largest variety of seafood; especially shellfish -- from dry scallops ($10.99 per pound) to heads-on shrimp.
Harris Teeter, headquartered in Matthews, first opened in 1936 on Central Avenue in Plaza Midwood. Today the company has 18,000 employees and operates in seven states. That's a lot of buying power. They have only two flagship stores in the Charlotte area: Morrocroft and Cotswold. These stores feature amenities such as freshly baked pizza; hot and cold buffet lines (including an Asian buffet); large ready-to-eat counters; a bakery; sushi made to order; as well as an expansive fresh produce section with a growing quantity of organic and international fruits and vegetables.
The Morrocroft Harris Teeter, aka the Taj MaTeeter, is constantly upgrading. The wine "shop" is staffed with knowledgeable people and the prepared-food area takes up a sizeable amount of floor space. The antipasto bar ($6.99 per pound) has 36 bins, while salads run $4.99, and hot and cold buffets are $6.99. Bread is from L.A.'s La Brea and a proprietary brand. Local bakery Nova has breads on the shelves, and gigantic $5 paninis are grilled while you wait.
On the other side of the store are meats and a seafood department that carries mussels, clams, lobsters, shrimp (farm and wild) and a decent selection of fins. Smoked white fish (for you New Yorkers and Floridians) is available here.
HARRIS TEETER QUICK TAKE
Layout: Takes a few visits to get the pattern down.
Fish Department: Above average.
Meat Department: Above average. Will cut or grind beef to order. (Ground turkey, pork and lamb is prepackaged.) Lamb cuts include chops and shoulders and usually in stock.
Prepared Foods: Very good. Paninis and antipasto bar recommended.
Specialty Items: Average.
International: Above average with a variety of Indian, British/Irish, Asian, and Latino items. The Arboretum has more international items.
Finds: Augusta's Pimento Cheese (locally made) and manager's special sales. Customer service is first rate. For to-go foods, call in your order and drive by to pickup.
Hours: Open 24 hours daily.
Harris Teeter Morrocroft, 6701 Morrison Blvd.
LOWES FOODS
Lowes Foods, a supermarket chain headquartered in Winston-Salem, started in Wilkesboro in 1954 and has more than 100 stores in the Carolinas and Virginia. All 12 of the Lowes Foods in the Charlotte area offer the same selections and are approximately the same size.
Lowes has a reputation for high-quality and well-priced organic produce as well as a variety of fruits and vegetables. Recently the seafood department has blossomed and now carries fresh octopus ($3.99 per pound) and squid ($5.99 per pound) daily. Beef dominates the meat counter; no lamb here. The larger-than-a-Target pet section carries a vast amount of dog, cat, and fish food, including Fresh Pet Select packaged dog food in a refrigerator case.
The wide aisles here make shopping easy. A large freezer section contains such treats as excellent frozen pizza dough, Kosher and New York Italian-styled foods. The organic cereals are intermingled with regular cereals.
LOWES QUICK TAKE
Layout: Easy to navigate. Curved aisles.
Produce: Excellent.
Fish Department: Getting better.
Meat Department: Will cut or grind beef to order. Organics available.
Prepared Foods: Very good.
Specialty Items: Above Average, especially frozen Italian dishes.
International: Average.
Finds: Italian Bread a la the American Northeast, frozen pizza dough, kosher ice cream snacks, Point Reyes Blue Cheese, refrigerated dog food, cooking classes
Hours: 6 a.m. until midnight daily.
Lowes Foods, 10828 Providence Road, in the Promenade on Providence Shopping Center.
COMPARE FOODS SUPERMARKET
You may feel like you are not in Charlotte -- or the United States for that matter -- once inside a Compare store. And the prices are truly out of this world, too. At Compare, limes are eight for $1 -- and that's not a sale price. Trays filled with dried chilies are sold by the pound: pasilla, puya, monta, chipotle, ancho, arbol and guajillo ($4.99 to $5.99 per pound). Near these items are bins of Mexican squash, bags of fresh banana leaves, corn husks, Hass avocados, and green or mature plantains.
