February 27
...serving up your daily dish.
Finally, after months of speculation, a sign that it's really coming: the new West Orange Whole Foods, taking the place of a Pathmark that closed last year.
That's an impressive addition to a shopping center that now houses a K-Mart, a Rag Shop, a Staples, a large-woman's clothing store and other untrendy businesses. Could a GAP be far behind?
I hope a Gap follows. You can never get a parking spot close to the one in "Upper".
Posted by: gaplover | Feb 27, 2006 7:58:57 PM
As a WO resident of 5 years, I am excited to see that we are emerging from the "Dorky Brother" status that we have when compared with Montclair.
Bring it on! Maybe while they're at it, WF will take their wine license out of the Woodbridge store and put it in the WO so that I can have a glass of wine without getting such a stinkin' headache.
Damn you, sulfites! Damn you!
Posted by: Dog Mom | Feb 27, 2006 8:07:46 PM
Sorry, Conan (if you're reading this.) In my excitement, I left out a few commas along with the word "store."
Posted by: Dog Mom | Feb 27, 2006 8:10:07 PM
You can't take a liquor license of any kind from one town and move it to another, Dog Mom.
Posted by: cathar (8T) | Feb 27, 2006 8:15:08 PM
The pithy marsupial squeaks above. And most wisely deign not to answer, lest it be encouraged. Too much sangria there, walleroo? Not enough? We've missed you.
Posted by: cathar (8T) | Feb 27, 2006 8:40:55 PM
Cathar-
That's exactly what they did a year or so ago.
Montclair WF used to have wine and beer for sale. They stopped selling it. When I asked the manager why, she replied that under NJ law, WF was only allowed 2 stores that sold wine and beer within the state. One was Madison. Once they opened the big WF in Woodbridge, management thought it best to "move" (for lack of a better term) the license to that store.
Personally, I thought it was a bit of a dumb move given that the Montclair store is amidst a BYOB haven.
Posted by: Dog Mom | Feb 27, 2006 9:00:58 PM
Whole Foods in West Orange, Kings expanding in Verona... looks like the neighbors are getting in on all the action. I'm sure the Essex Green Shop-Rite will raise hell, but I wonder if WO will give Whole Foods a liquor license? It would be nice to find a bottle of Smoking Loon or Our Daily Red without having to go to the declase Bottle King or search every little liquor store between here and Roseland.
Truth be told, I was hoping for a Wegman's in that spot. Dare to dream.
Posted by: notteham | Feb 27, 2006 9:04:35 PM
Come to think of it...
The Sears in Essex Green is closing. I wonder what will go into that space.
Posted by: Dog Mom | Feb 27, 2006 9:07:05 PM
Yes, Dog Mom, the legal limit for liquor licenses of any kind is (usually) 2. But they can't be transferred from town to town. (If they could be, then Montclair might suddenly have a real night-life district.) Trust me here. If they're going to sell spirits for off-premises use in WO, likely they bought someone else's license.
Posted by: cathar (8T) | Feb 27, 2006 9:07:28 PM
Oooh - MM!
Trader Joe's.
WF in WO Plaza (not that I really knew it was called that until I saw the sign) and Trader Joe's in Essex Green...
I don't know where I'd drop more money.
Posted by: Dog Mom | Feb 27, 2006 9:09:00 PM
Ah...
Thanks for the clarification. I guess I got the layman's answer when I asked at WF.
Posted by: Dog Mom | Feb 27, 2006 9:10:16 PM
But that still doesn't solve my hate-hate relationship with sulfites.
Anyone know where I could find organic wine other than Fre, which tastes like sweat sock-infused vinegar?
Posted by: Dog Mom | Feb 27, 2006 9:12:38 PM
The WF license in Montclair was sold to the owners of Amanti Vino on Church Street. The Woodbridge license would have to be a license from Woodbridge that WF obtained
Posted by: Greg Spinelli | Feb 27, 2006 9:13:26 PM
Damn. You know that Whole Foods is AWFULLY close to the Montclair Store. I mean it's only about a mile or 2. The new store might even be a closer drive from my house in Glen Ridge.
Just to speculate: Could they be MOVING. I mean the K-Mart site would offer more store space and better parking (Parking at WF in Montclair can be nightmareish).
I can't imagine that there would be enough demand to have two stores like that so close together. For most people it wouldn't be THAT much more of a drive to the new site.
What do people think?
Posted by: mgray | Feb 27, 2006 9:37:04 PM
I think the ultra-chic upper-montclairians wouldn't drive to WF in WO.
There is plenty of customers for both WF in this condensed baristaville.
Posted by: njholdem | Feb 27, 2006 9:44:49 PM
Dog Mom, lots of liquor stores carry a fair number of sulfite-free wines. Almost all (or is it all?) kosher wines are in fact sulfite-free, as in the Baron Jacquab Herzog line or Galil wines from Israel. Shoppers Vineyard in Clifton is just one place that carries a fair amount of sulfite-free stuff.
Posted by: cathar (8T) | Feb 27, 2006 10:16:11 PM
Dog Mom,
It's worth giving a call to Amanti Vino. If they do carry a sulfite-free wine, I would expect it to be decent.
Posted by: appletony | Feb 27, 2006 10:20:30 PM
oh, Happy Day. That Whole Paycheck will be right by my house! No more schlepping to Montclair and fighting the mammoth SUVs for parking. Yay!!!!
Posted by: Daniella | Feb 28, 2006 7:13:49 AM
Good luck to them. It sure wasn't a WF crowd at WO mall when Pathmark was there. I'm not sure what all has changed in the demographics although perhaps the newish condos off of Prospect will provide the WFer customers.
Posted by: Max | Feb 28, 2006 8:05:52 AM
"a large-woman's clothing store and other untrendy businesses"
If the women's store was for petites, would it be more fashionable?
Posted by: MadBrian | Feb 28, 2006 8:07:14 AM
I will drive right passed WF in Montclair in favor of the one in WO - the parking has got to be better there!
Posted by: caris | Feb 28, 2006 8:13:51 AM
"Sorry, Conan (if you're reading this.) In my excitement, I left out a few commas along with the word 'store.'"
Dogmom: do not perspire over minutiae; even Conan has been known to lapse into a comma every now and then.
(BTW, "Lapsing into a Comma" is the title of an excellent style guide by Bill Walsh, Copy Editor at the Washington Post. I recommend that all of you wordsmythes out there check out www.theslot.com for an enjoyable read.)
Posted by: Conan the Grammarian | Feb 28, 2006 8:33:03 AM
