While the shopping center was useful, we liked the Superfresh mostly for the variety of products it carried. The produce selection was merely adequate but all of our other staples were abundant, particularly the variety of meats available, from lamb to ground turkey and everything in between.
Workers who seemed more interested in carrying on conversations with each other rather than pay attention to the customer manned the deli counter, but the nearby self-serve selection of gourmet cheeses and fancy cold cuts was fine enough for any impromptu party. In addition, I think that Superfresh had both the best fried chicken and rotisserie chicken of any supermarket chain in the area. The fried chicken had a light, crispy coating, and the meat was both well-cooked and well-seasoned. The rotisserie chickens came seasoned with your choice of mesquite bbq, lemon, herb, or honey flavorings that penetrated the meat as well as flavored the skin. The skin itself was usually quite dark brown, with most - if not all - of the fat rendered, and occasionally even crispy. While the meat was usually quite overcooked - a gentle wiggle could extricate a leg bone while leaving the meat intact - and I like it that way.
Another favorite product available only at area Superfresh markets was America's Choice brand lime-flavored diet fizzy water, my favorite sweetened beverage. No other lime flavor is quite the same, and I must admit I've been hoarding it.
The one thing I most definitely will not miss about Superfresh is the self-check-out aisles. A couple of years ago, the pleasant low female voice that called out prices was changed to a somewhat shrill female voice, one that reminded me of That Girl Marlo Thomas yelling at her boyfriend Donald. (Yes, I am old.) The scanners were usually pretty slow on the uptake so there was no way to scan things quickly enough to avoid hearing that voice. And now I won't ever hear, ".99 CENTS!" in that same way again.
Recently we've taken to shopping at the new Safeway in Towson. While they have some interesting specialty products, lots of fancy cheese and decent enough chicken, their meat section leaves much to be desired. And the bagging skills of both cashiers and baggers are non-existent. (Shouldn't take a rocket scientist to know not to put the milk, orange juice, and 2-liter bottle of cola in the same bag. Or the soda in the same bag with a loaf of bread and some eggs.) But that's a rant for another post.
So buh-bye, Superfresh. We enjoyed our eleven years of shopping with you.
Posted by theminx on Minxeats.com.
