So, last night, the R.C. and I did a Philanthropic Thing and supported the Denver Center for Performing Arts with a $25 donation (each) that, not incidentally, also garnered us access to the Sneak A Peek at our brand-new neighborhood Whole Foods.

What a very odd and interesting event.

Me, I could have lived without the group doing covers of Frank Sinatra standards. Yes, I understand there's some kind of performance of same running at the DCPA right now and it was, after all, a benefit, but still.

As it happens, I do like Frank Sinatra's music. As a matter of fact, I have a particular fondness for the old Big Band and Swing music.

I just feel that a group (with accompaniment) belting out standards through an amplifying sound system in a warehouse-shaped grocery store not designed for purity of acoustics was a bit much. I might have felt differently if they hadn't been miked. As it was, all I heard were echoes and distortion.

But Whole Foods! I hear you asking, "what did you think of the store, Anne? And what did they give you to eat?

The store was...expensive. The prices are, yes, approximately 50% over what you'd see in a normal grocery store.

And it was amazing. I loved the "natural" and "organic" and "unprocessed" signs everywhere. That kind of thing appeals to the cootie-fearing snob in me.

And I loved the food. They offered tastes of the brisket, meatballs, sausages, rotisserie chicken, summer sausage, and smoked salmon, and I tried them all. The brisket was tender, the sausage was spicy and had a good texture, and I'm a sucker for good summer sausage, which this was, being made in-house. (The favor was a teensy bit bland, but that probably had more to do with the fact that I'd just been eating jalapeno meatballs and sausage than to any problems with the summer sausage.) The chicken was moist and the salmon was, for smoked salmon, very tasty.

And the cookies and cakes. (The R.C. had cake. I was still working on a plate of mashed potatoes and chicken when we got there, but I found time to eat two cookies.) And the fruits.

And the pizza (I passed).

And the beef with balsamic vinegar onions. (Yum. I could have eaten a pound of this.)

And the wine (we passed).

And the salsa (we didn't, personally get to try this because the line was too long, which suggests to me it has A Certain Reputation, so I'll be trying it later.)

And some kind of tangerine punch or fruit juice.

And shrimp salad.

And some fabulous salad with greens, blueberries, and walnuts that I'll definitely be searching for in the future.

And chocolate-dipped strawberries that were only surpassed by the breathtaking display of brick chocolate and truffles that we got to see, but not sample.

And there was a giant display of cheese that we also weren't allowed to nibble on. Very sad.

The smoked salmon quesadillas are the only thing we tried all evening that we really didn't care for and that's mostly because neither of us are big smoked salmon fans. But we like salmon and they offer wild (not farmed) salmon year-round! (There was even, in the ready-to-eat section, a description of a prepared halibut that I'd be happy to try, and normally I can't stand "fish" at any price.)

When the store opens, they'll have a huge ready-to-eat section that will include Indian food, Mexican, "American" (the aforementioned chicken and whatnot), Japanese, pizza, sandwiches, and I can't remember what else. Polenta, fixed three different ways! I adore polenta.

I don't remember seeing advertisements for any of your rubbishy macaroni-and-marshmallow salads so beloved of Middle America's Picnicking crowd, which was another excellent sign.

There's an in-store dining area (and café tables outside) or you can take it with you.

And they roast their own coffee blends, in-house. (We got to watch and I tried the mocha java, a blend I'm particularly fond of.)

It would be far too expensive to use as a replacement for a "regular" grocery store, but I can easily see myself walking over 2-3 times a week and picking up something fresh and ready-made for dinner that night. Assuming the quality remains as high as it was last night, which, considering the reputation of the stores, I think can be assumed.