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Thursday, December 4, 2008
Publix Greenwise Chaos, Week 4
Posted by Brian Ries on Thu, Dec 4, 2008 at 3:20 PM
Stopped by the beautiful new Publix Greenwise Market in SoHo for some lunch today. After reading Laura Reiley's cautious optimism about the massive selection of prepared foods, I thought it might be worth a try now that the market has almost a month under its belt to get the kinks worked out. If anything, it seems like the kinks have taken over.
Get past the confusing system of ordering everything from its own section, the areas delineated only by small, laminated "Order Here" signs that are often hidden by waiting diners and you'll find a staff that has the haunted look of the harried and fearful. Or the defiant glare of workers pushed past the breaking point, just daring you to comment about the slow service. Or the downcast faces of truly practiced restaurant workers who want to avoid eye contact until they finish the task in front of them. If you're looking for a quick, healthy lunch during a brief work break, it's a horrifying experience.
Sure, it's a pretty place, with a glorious selection of ready-to-go items, hot sandwiches made to order, and quick cook pastas and pizzas, but just try to get your lunch and get out in a timely fashion. After standing at two separate counters for a few minutes, with only an "I'll be with you in a minute or two" from the people behind the sneeze guard, and I settled for a cold sub I could have gotten from the most low-down Publix in the chain. And even that took an agonizingly long time, the sandwich guy laboriously layering meat and veg in a tentative and unpracticed way.
Sigh. I guess I'll check back next week, although at this rate the entire prepared foods area could devolve into cannibalism and Lord of the Flies-style primitive gang warfare by then. Mmm, organic long pig.
Comments (2)
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I agree, stopping by during lunch hour is a bit distressing. I prefer to drop in after work around, say, 6. There are always great free wine and cheese samples (the other days they had out some killer blue cheese brie) and usually one of those tiny "meals" they make between the beer and butcher sections. I also find the checkout lines aren't too bad at this time. By the way, for stuff like T.P., my Prilosec and most other none food items, I still go to the Sweetbay in SoHo. Such items are considerably cheaper there and both locations are within about the same walking distance from my apartment.
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i love the greenwise, but my wallet doesnt. the deli and prepared foods are pretty good (with a couple of ewws), the produce is very comprehensive for my needs and the butcher, deli, and cheese areas all make me smile. oh, and i can get jamaician ginger beer there too. if you hit the sales, they can be really awesome, but the stuff that you can find in outer stores is way over priced. it is my closest grocer, and i am glad it is.
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