one realm of the possible

Most people I know hate shopping for groceries. They see it as a chore or an expense they'd rather avoid. For me, however, a trip to the grocery store is like a journey into another world, a magical kingdom filled with culinary possibilities, a realm where dreams are conceived and realized, a land filled with delights of every taste and texture.

We typically shop at regular places like Rainbow and Super Target. Even your every day grocery store will be filled with wonders for the senses, and this usually suits me just fine. Every once in a while, however, we'll go to a more upscale grocery store for higher quality meat and/or produce. We invited my brother and his family over for dinner last night, and I convinced the little lady to bake an apple pie for the dinner she was preparing. We decided to go to Kowalski's to get Honeycrisp apples of the highest quality for this pie.

Kowalski's is very small--the smallest grocery store I know of. It used to be called Driskill's. I don't know if that's a chain, because it was the only one I ever saw. I went in there a couple times before it was bought out. It reminded me of the tiny market in my mother's hometown of Alpine, UT where we used to buy candy and sodas when we'd visit my grandparents during the summer. The selection was almost as narrow as the aisles, and the lighting and atmosphere hearkened back to a simpler time in our nation's history. For this reason, I was sad to see Driskill's go. Had I known what was going to replace it, however, I wouldn't have felt bad at all.

When I go to Kowalski's, I realize right away that I'm in for a different experience. The potted plants and warm colors of the flowers in the planters outside the store are a far cry from the cigarette butts and gum stains on the ground in front of my local Rainbow Foods.



Kowalski's turnstiles are arranged in such a way that you are forced to walk through the produce section in order to get to other parts of the store. I wish I had a picture of the produce. The bright colors of the apples, pears, peppers and other forms of produce are mesmerizing. The selection is broad and varied. There are organic selections off to the side for those days when you've had your fill of pesticides. When compared with the muted hues and run-of-the-mill offerings of regular grocery stores, Kowalski's produce seems unreal and transcends every expectation.

The meat counter is at the end of the produce section. Again, I wish I had a photo. After a single glance, you become convinced that these meats came from no ordinary animals. The colors are vivid; the marbling is perfect; the seafood actually looks fresh. Seeing selections such as these brings tears to the eyes of this carnivore.

Mysteries that tease and tempt the senses are to be found in other aisles. Dozens of varieties of cheese are available. Jams and jellies from small, unknown producers invite you with their exotic flavors. While much of what you would find in any other grocery store is available in Kowalski's, it is offerings like these that are the very antithesis of what you would find at the corporate-run, soulless grocery stores I typically frequent.

Unlike most grocery stores, Kowalski's frequently has samples available to try. We tried honey at one stand, and a 7-layer dip at another. Both were heavenly, and if we ate either with any frequency, we would have filled our cart.

The deli and bakery are toward the front of the store. Much like any other grocery store, they offer sliced and roasted meats, sandwiches, salads, breads, etc. This is where the similarities end, however. The varieties and quality offered by Kowalski's are beyond comparison with what the big chains can offer. Being thus amazed by the selection, we decided to buy a "Philly cheesesteak" panini and some potato salad to share. This brings us to another great thing about Kowalski's--there are tables and chairs at the front of the store. You can purchase a meal from the deli and eat it right there in the store. With the wonders of Kowalski's all around us, sharing our lunch in this little store was like capturing a brief moment in the golden age of a civilization.



The bakery has a fireplace in it. When I first saw this a few years ago, I thought it was silly. When you think about it, however, it makes sense. It's warm and inviting, and it reminds you of the way bread used to be baked. The fireplace wasn't going during yesterday's visit, but I'm sure it will be soon. It's getting cold in Minnesota.





The service at Kowalski's is also a cut above. The workers are friendly and cheerful; they act like it's a pleasure to serve you, rather a favor they're doing you. In short, these servants of the public are a cut above.

Yesterday's visit to Kowalski's was all too short. Our brief 30 minutes in Shangri-la could have stretched out to hours or days, were it not inhibited by the need to clean the house and bake an apple pie. At least the dinner was a success and the pie a triumph.

And no, I don't work for Kowalski's.