Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/841201
s u m m e r 2 0 1 7 | 7 9 W hen you walk into your favorite store— whether you're shopping for clothing, cosmetics or golf equipment—there's a reason you continue to patronize its brick-and-mortar landscape. It may be the ambience, the spectacular way items are stocked, the personal service or simply the location alone, with easy-access parking. Ultimately, the consumer, the buyer with money in wallet, has a keen sense of his or her preferred store's individuality. As food consumers and shoppers, we are in a position to purchase the freshest pro- duce, select any number of wines priced from under $10 to our own budgeted limits, and be on the hunt for gourmet cheeses, artisanal breads and photo-perfect meats. I preface with this because of the jaw-dropping experience I recently had when visiting a knock-it-out-of-the-park Pavilions market in the Southern California town of Rancho Santa Margarita, an upscale hillside community in Orange County. My adventure began when the doors opened. Bins of opulent fruit were laid out in farmers market stand fashion, carefully presented in a wash of hues that looked like a watercolor painting. Rows of aisles stretch from one side of the store to the other, and they're widely spaced—a concept that allows shoppers to peruse shelves as if they are in an art gallery: the museum of modern food. Large signs on the back wall announce unique offerings such as rice bowls, kombu- cha on tap, a juicery, artisanal sandwiches, a bakery and a deli that wraps around the middle of the store with just-baked breads and pastries in addition to sliced meats and a global display of cheeses. But the most impressive focal point of this magnificent market is the mesmer- izing wall of Champagne: top-name houses and small producers temptingly beckon from the impressive display. It's pop art for bubbly. Turn the corner to approach the temperature-controlled wine cellar, which is stocked with over 500 highly allocated, sought-after labels, as well as a collection of hard-to-find magnums. This small but well-appointed room, dotted with wood crates, could be in any great restaurant: I've never seen anything like it in a supermarket. The bakery and deli wrap around the middle of the store, offering just-baked breads and pastries in addition to sliced meats and a global display of cheeses.