Central Market Shoreline

I recently moved to Seattle and was seriously considering taking a ferry to the grand Central Market store in Poulsbo. Then not a couple days later discovered the Shoreline location and my life hasn't been the same since. I normally judge grocery stores by their produce section and this store WINS. Just the fact that they have four different colors of cauliflower on display makes me want to buy cauliflower. I don't even like cauliflower! I've been sampling random varieties of fresh fruit at will lately. All quality, never plastic. Major selection, and reasonable prices. I'm used to shopping at Winco. But this store has a great depth of specialty items in stock. Sometimes more expensive. I am always amazed when I come in with a challenging list of hard to find items and end up finding exactly what I need. The variety of fungus this place carries year round is better than anywhere else. I've seen fresh lobster mushrooms there, maitake (hen of the woods), enoki, king oyster, jarred truffles, variety samplers, dried varieties, alongside monster portabellos, crimini and buttons, chanterelles, shiitake, etc. Pros: produce section, fungus, specialty items, prices, parking Cons: strip mall context more

This is now our regular grocery store! My husband and I have found that we can save money by shopping here, as we get fresh food and can find sale items each week that we use all the time. Since we started shopping here instead of a large chain, our eating has improved and the money wasted is much less. Pros: Produce, customer service, variety, parking, location Cons: could be closer to our home more

I used to commute to this grocery store, and then bought a house right next door! This is the best grocery store ever, though if you are watching your food budget there are a few things to keep an eye on. I do most of my shopping here, and supplement with an occasional run to costco and safeway. I buy bulk here (refill your cinnamon shaker for $.43!), and I usually get 5-10 bulk items here per week. I love the sugar free maltballs, celtic grey sea salt, psyllium husks, pistachios, veggie chips, spices, rice selection, popcorn - I could go on and on. Their dairy is average, but you can buy eggs individually, which was good when I was cooking just for myself. The meat department is fabulous if a bit on the expensive side, with my favorites being the marinated lamb kabob, chicken gizzards (remnant of my childhood, and hard to find elsewhere), thick by-the-pound bacon, oxtails for soup, and their fabulous lamb shoulders, They are always having a sale on something useful that I can plan my menu around. Their fish department is as good as you can get without going downtown, but the real star is the produce. It is fabulous! It is not terribly expensive, always tastes incredible, and has hard to find items. The deli counter and international cheese area are a good are to treat yourself, especially with the olive bar. Sometimes you can find small nibbles of cheese you can buy for a dollar or so. The wine is fantastic too, and a natural beauty product area as well. To save money, don't buy your cleaning stuff or canned goods here, unless you want something natural or unusual. But if I was not worried about keeping my food budget down, I would never shop anywhere else. Pros: parking, service, variety, ethnic foods, meat department, wine, international cheeses, produce Cons: some canned items overpriced more

Seated between Sears and Big Lots! is one of the most amazing grocery stores I have into in quite a while. In this building, you will find one of the better collections of produce, wine, chocolates, Asian foods, seafood, meats, cheese, dairy, organics, and bakery goods than any other store in the North Seattle area can boast. Despite carrying so many specialty and gourmet foods, CM manages to carry more of the conventional groceries that other stores of their genre throw to the wayside. Western Family products, Coca-cola, and Hungryman dinners are nestled near vegan soups and soymilk. The wine section is quite good, and Steve ""The Wine Guy"" is well versed and aimiable. The beer section is also quite nice. ALthough it is easy to specnd a lot of money there, one can find a lot of great deals. I tend to do most of my grocery shopping there, and by being aware of what I buy I can actually spend a great deal less than I would elsewhere on supplies. When I shop there, I feel like I am more aware of what I am eating. Pros: A wonderful assortment items Cons: Limited commercial brands more