Wegman's

So, the opening of a Wegman's in Hunt Valley was all over the news a couple of weeks ago. Frankly, I didn't get it. It's just a grocery store. Was Hunt Valley really that hard up for produce? Yesterday was my day off; while I was out running errands, I decided to swing by Wegman's to see what the brouhaha was about. It was kind of like Whole Foods, with a wider selection, crossed with Target. Plus an AMAZING bakery. Tasty little samples of turkey breast in brine with brussel sprouts, cranberries and applewood-smoked bacon were being given out, along with slices of whole grain bread with currants in the bakery. The crazy thing was that at 3pm on a Monday, the store was as crowded as Best Buy on Black Friday. Don't get me wrong, the store was nice. But every one of the checkout lines (20+) was full; carts were everywhere; the parking lot was full; there was a wait at the deli, at the coffee bar, at the cheese shop. Were people in Hunt Valley starving before the store arrived? Or was it the novelty? I bought a loaf of chocolate cherry bread and some produce (a little pricier than my neighborhood SFW). Pretty tasty. But I don't see what the fuss is all about, nor do I see myself as a regular customer. *shrugs* Welcome to Baltimore, Wegman's. jmc