I Love a Good “Woo Woo” Grocery Store

When my wife and I (and our baby girl) first moved here from the San Francisco Bay Area last May, it took a little while to get our Iowa legs. While I was getting mine back after being away for 14 years and Rachel, who never lived here, was just finding hers, we looked for anything that felt familiar. Not because anything here in Des Moines was lacking or didn’t compare to the Bay Area, but because when you make a big change in your life, it’s nice to have a few things that are like what you left behind to ease the transition. Restaurants and bars weren’t a problem. Plenty of good ones around. And we found more than enough places for entertainment. But the one thing we both really found comforting was the indie/organic grocers here in Des Moines. Between Gateway Market, Campell’s Nutrition, and New City Market, we felt right at home having so many choices. We also recently discovered Tall Grass Grocery Co-op.

I’ve written before about my love of indie bookstores, and I have a similar affinity for indie grocers. I like the small places that are part of the community. And though they may not carry tons of mainstream products, what they have is usually exactly what I’m looking for.

Long before moving back to Des Moines, I knew about Gateway Market (my brother is George Formaro). So our first grocery shopping trip after moving back was there. It has lots of my favorite brands from the places I shopped in the Bay Area. Plus amazing cheese, wine, seafood, and meat selections. Lots of gourmet ingredients, too. And the café is one of my family’s go-to places for grabbing a bite out.

I like New City Market because it reminds me so much of the little neighborhood grocers in San Francisco. It has such a warm, inviting feel to it. And again, lots of great organic and healthy brands I had come to love, plus some new discoveries.

Campbell’s Nutrition is another great place to pick up tasty organic and natural foods. I also like the books and magazines they carry. And the vitamins and natural herbs section of the store is amazing. Looking for fenugreek? Of course they have it. We’ve also been able to find children’s liquid vitamins for our daughter there.

And just last weekend, I discovered Tall Grass Grocery Co-op. My favorite part of this little shop is the availability of so many local products. Among other things, we picked up a Farmers’ Creamery organic Monterrey Jack, and a Jasper Winery Seyval Blanc. Another thing I really like about Tall Grass is their dedication to carrying the most natural products available (no GMOs, refined sugars, chemical fertilizers, etc.).

I know some people might think these kinds of stores are a little too woo woo, hippie, or crunchy granola (you didn’t think all that time in San Francisco wouldn’t result in a little woo woo-ness, did you?). But organic and natural foods aren’t just for tree hugging, yoga-bending, New Age Spiritualists anymore. It’s just good sense to pay more attention to what we put in our bodies. So check out all of these places. And go crazy—try something you’ve never tried before. You might surprise yourself with how much you like it.