Whole Foods’ new Playa Vista location officially opens Wednesday, 6/17, but, GOF got the inside scoop a little sooner than the locals. Below is a tour through photos of the new digs.

 

 

Whole Foods

12746 W. Jefferson Blvd

Playa Vista, CA 90066

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/playavista 

This location is huge, it’s 35,000 square feet huge. This location isn’t limited to just groceries, if anything, it’s like a health emporium. There is a 5 level parking structure with plenty of spaces, free wi-fi and iPhone app Instacart provides home delivery service to locals. The use of natural lighting makes this location easy on the eyes. The panels and coloring used on the walls make it feel fun and sunny- just like Playa Vista. They nailed representing the location very well. I love that the art panels are made with repurposed materials. WF can’t resist a chance to recycle.

We all know and love WF for their efforts in creating over 420 stores that sell natural and environmentally conscious items. Now, we can know and love WF for their restaurants. You heard me right, this location has a restaurant and bar. In addition to a beer and wine license, they got liquor license. This is a first for WF and I hope starts a trend. The Astro Pub is where it all happens.

I cannot wait to invite my girlfriends for a happy hour drink (or two!) and a grocery shopping session. The art-deco themed Astro Pub has a countertop bar, table service, indoor and outdoor seating. The menu has a wide variety of treats including apps, pizzas, cast-iron skillet dishes, pub fare, seafood and sushi. Even the pickiest eater can finding something yummy on the menu.

Besides the Astro Pub, this location offers some other unique treats. There well-known breakfast buffet features a savory oatmeal station. Brown sugar and raisins are so last year. This station features 3 unique oatmeals: Mediterranean (eggplant, feta cheese, kalamata olives), Thyme and Shallot (thyme, shallot, mushrooms) and my personal favorite, Chicken Curry (chicken, curry, bell peppers).

 

The juice bar offers fresh made juices and smoothies. They are also going to start making ice cream sandwiches (inner child is rejoicing!). It also features a Sambazon Acai machine, which disperses the antioxidant rich acai like frozen yogurt. That’s healthy and great… but I really want that ice cream sandwich!

The 36 foot long beer aisle feels like it never ends. It’s beautiful. It just keeps going.

I learned on this tour that it takes a lot for hard cider to be sold at a WF. Many well-known ciders are rejected from WF for having too much high fructose corn syrup. Even with those rejections, there are still plenty of options here. Gluten-free friends, you have a new emporium.

I wish all WFs had a poke bar! Staff member Mike was also very educated on the product knowledge and created a fantastic mango sauce for us to sample the poke with.

There is also a Bulk Protein bulk station (see what I did there?). This is great for those who don’t want to commit to a huge plastic tub and want more variety.

Move over Cro-nuts. Kouignettes are taking over. These were amazing. They’re like if a  croissant and a cake made a baby, then stuffed the baby with raspberry filling and baked it. When it’s baked, the sugar gets crispy (similar to creme brûlée topping) at the bottom. You have to try one!

Their already fabulous organic and fair-trade Allegro coffee/espresso bar got some new features. First, is their draft Stumptown Coldbrew Nitro and the Allegro Draft. These coffees are frothy and have a sweeter finish. Second is the draft kombucha, from local supplier, Conscious Kombucha. The healthy hippies of LA, and those with sensitive stomachs, are going to love this. These draft beverages will make the Starbucks mermaid logo across the street glare in jealousy.

There were a couple of aisles that weren’t quite ready for us to snap a picture of, that you should know about. There will be a large selection of Paleo Diet friendly meals in the produce section. The bakery will be packed with desserts, including their tasty macaroons. The meat display also wasn’t ready, but I heard there is going to be a blueberry smoked bacon, which I cannot wait to try.

Whole Foods Playa Vista will be a game-changer in LA. I hope it’s a game changer for grocery stores all over the USA. You have to stop in and see it. It’s like Disneyland for foodies.

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