The Whole Foods Market that’s taking over the old Rouse Co. building in downtown Columbia, Md., is looking pretty deluxe. Besides operating out of a beautiful, lakefront, Frank Gehry-designed space, the supermarket boasts a vegetarian diner, a pickle bar, and a wood-fired pizza oven.
I’ve never personally been in a Whole Foods with a diner, and I’m googling “pickle bar” right now to figure out what that is exactly… Oh, okay, I get it.
The Whole Foods has also bragged about being the first mid-Atlantic location to offer popsicles made from cold-pressed fruit juices. So there’s that, too.
And it’s all opening August 20, so you’ll have a day trip to in the waning days of summer.
May I suggest forgoing a trip to this Whole Foods, but instead make a trek down Rt. 108 to Roots Market in Clarksville, MD. Enjoy the only full-organic salad bar in the region and vast selection of vegan items in their Prepared Foods department. All products carried are certified GMO free and maybe best of all, a company created by conscientious Marylanders for conscientious Marylanders.