NVM Review

By Warren Rojas

The days when grocery-getting and dining remained separate activities are quickly fading from memory in today’s commuter-based society. So it only makes sense that as our needs have evolved, so would our food suppliers.

Northeastern gourmet retailer Wegmans has pounced on the central shopping/communing concept by outfitting its modernized groceries with myriad in-house eateries (made-to-order sandwich counters, sushi stations and full-service cafes, for starters) as well as a litany of ready-made salad options.

A Wegmans spokesperson says all the Virginia locations typically stock around two dozen artisan salads (seasonally rotated, naturally) produced special for the grocery giant by a third-party vendor.

Prices range from $3.79 to $8.29 per pound, and the salads run the gamut from everyday favorites like macaroni and mustardy potato salads (both top sellers) to innovators like spinach and craisins or pulled chicken Waldorf (barbecue-infused bird steals the show).

A brawny antipasto layers salami, herb-covered pepperoncinis, mozzarella, black and green olives, diced red and yellow peppers, onions, garlic, grape tomatoes, spicy ham and plump garbanzo beans into a Mediterranean jumble of utter deliciousness (pepperoncinis and ham add fire; mozzarella and garbanzos mellow and bind all the flavors; olive oil slick keeps everything well lubricated).

A pennetti and sun-dried tomato mash-up produces another Italian stunner, delivering a sweet-and-sour dance across the palate courtesy of marinated peppers, fresh honey and chewy tomatoes, while the dynamic duo of pureed garlic and jumbo olives manage the latter.