Dear Erewhon…
…or air-WON. Era-waan. Truthfully, depends on the mood.
The breeze flushes me through a randomly overcast day, my cheeks titillating with the coolness of the sky. I’m wearing only one layer of sunscreen as opposed to thirteen (yay! No sun damage!). I briskly cross the street amidst the cars tapping their tires to the sound of my prance, clocks ticking until they can drive forward. But can you blame them? It’s just as exciting for me to get to my destination as it is for them!
You can guess what that endpoint is, right?
RIGHT?!
Hint: peek at the title of this post!
Sorry to say, Whole Foods, but I have a new Disneyland. It is spacious, rustic, aromatic, clean, structured, and poised. My favorite hours of the day to shop there are between 7 A.M.-10:30 A.M., just because rush hour tends to overwhelm me with lines of commotion. No fail, I stop by the front of the entrance to admire the floral arrangements every visit (I promise I’ll buy one of them someday). Then, we have to make our way into paradise.
To recap a typical visit to Erewhon is an arduous endeavor because each of them are different. However, I find myself most drawn to the following:
- A cold shelf of rainbow bottled shots, juices, and smoothies adjacent to the produce aisle (bonus points if they’re freshly sprayed for hydration)
- Refrigerated dessert cases—the Giselle’s Vegan Kitchen row is heaven in plastic pink-sealed containers, especially their peanut butter protein bars!
- Housemade recipes, hot and cold, fitting for any dietary restrictions, made for to-go—need I say more?
- Supplement section for skincare and unique brands of vitamins and bundles
- Any cooler for drinks; you need to hydrate while you shop and shop, after all!
- A café section with all kinds of coffee and tea beverages, smoothies, milkshakes, bowls, and many more (members: you can redeem some for free every month! Rejoice!)
- Honorable mention: they vary each time, but at least one day per week, there will be a brand ambassador sharing samples and discounts of items found in-store!
- Once in a while gems: plant-based cheeses and meats, sushi, pre-packaged housemade dishes such as burger patties, wraps, saucy kelp noodles, fish, roasted vegetables, spreads and dips, etc.
Whole Foods now is more so a hub for essentials. My family and I don’t visit Ralphs or even Sprouts for staples anymore—though the latter is ideal for an office-adjacent spot for hot deals and the occasional Kerrygold spotting. No, seriously. Kerrygold butter sticks are the new Easter eggs of any grocery store. If Erewhon is a therapist, I’m a client. If they have a hundred clients, I’m one of them. If they have one client, that’s me. If they have no clients, I’m deceased.
More often than not, I have to leave with a few snacks to dig into for lunch or on-the go along with a dessert and a beverage. The drink is generally kombucha or a sparkling water and the dessert HAS to be something with dark chocolate. Giselle’s Vegan Protein peanut butter & jelly bars and protein bars have hit the spot lately for a meal (trust me on this one), but my preferences change timely.
Still, my dearest, sweetest Erewhon, you are not perfect. Sometimes I’ll have to drive farther to you for my gems. There are days where your customer service is standoffish and curt, while some just recognize me by the hat I’m wearing and light up when they see me. In extremely gloomy moments, everything I want is out of stock. Lastly, no matter what, you are very, very, very, and I mean VERY, pricey.
Still, worth every penny.
Catch you later this week!
Love,
Cassie
P.S. Please open a location closer to Orange County! I’m deprived when I stay there for extended periods of time.
superfitbabe 
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