Wild Oats

Many grocery stores have some sort of to-go offering -- sandwiches encased in saran wrap, cold sodas, microwavable burritos -- but no one offers the the array of delicious treats that Wild Oats does. I go here for lunch at least twice a week. They offer the added benefit of plenty of seating at the front of the store, so if you're not in the mood to eat hunched over you desk, you can sit by the big sunny windows (or even outside in warmer months) and enjoy your food right there. Let me walk you through the store on a typical lunch outing:

Start in the produce department, which is by the entrance. Pick up something ripe and juicy. Apples and navel oranges are a good bet right now. If you want to go exotic, they have stuff like Ugli fruit, papayas and mangoes.

Next, go over to the bulk food aisle. If you pick up a few items for your 3:30 snack now, you won't be eating Ding Dongs out of the vending machine later. I like the sunflower seeds and wasabi peas. If you haven't tried wasabi peas, I highly recommend them. They sound gross but they're not. There's also a vast selection of granok yourself out.

Next, head over to the dairy aisle and grab a yogurt. They have a bunch of low-fat and no-fat varieties in flavors like caramel and maple, as well as the more traditional fruit permutations. If you're feeling kind of crazy, try the soy or goat milk yogurt.

Okay, now you're ready for the big guns. On the south end of the store you'll find lunch Nirvana. They have pizza, a deli counter with a nice selection of pasta and grain salads, made-to-order sandwiches, fresh sushi, a soup bar, pre-made Mediterranean platters, a juice bar, rolls, bagels, scones, and the most kick-ass salad bar in town. It sports three kinds of lettuce mixes, pasta salads, bean salads, grain salads, nuts, fresh fruit, all sorts of fresh veggies, and stuff that's too expensive so most salad bars skip it, like hearts of palm and artichokes. There about 8 or more dressings to choose from, as well as high quality vinegar and oil.

The juice bar is a revelation. You can go from the menu board of their suggested fruit or veggie combos or make up your own. I like a blueberry-banana combo or beet-carrot when I'm feeling vegetal. Get that wheat grass shot for a little something extra.

As for desserts, you can go healthy with spelt cookies (not recommended) or just splurge and get a hunk of chocolate cake, which is excellent. In fact they have an entire refrigerator case of luxe desserts, so if you want to blow your diet you can do that here too.

Once you've made your selections and checked out, there's plenty of seating. You can buy a magazine to read while you eat or grab a free Nuvo (free papers are in the exit vestibule).

The nice thing about going to a grocery store for lunch is that with a little pre-planning, you can also pick up dinner for later that night. Wild Oats has most of the standards, although because its focus is natural and organic foods, you will pay more, as well as sometimes have trouble finding some basics. (What? No aluminum foil?)

So, give it a try. It's a great little lunch spot with something for everyone, especially if you're looking for something differnt, something healthy, or just something really tasty.

Location

Wild Oats Market
1300 E 86th Street
317-706-0900
Web site: http://www.wildoats.com/u/home/
Lunch, January 11, 2005

Ratings

Food:
Service: Serve Yourself
Atmosphere:
Price: $$