The other Fresh Thyme - Mount Prospect

Okay -- saw the thread on Fresh Thyme, but didn't realize until today that they were talking about a different one.

The Fresh Thyme near me is on Rand Road:
211 W. Rand Road
Mount Prospect, IL 60056
224-318-4003
Open 7am - 10pm Daily

I don't know what the other location is like, but I thought this place was really delightful. Definitely not a destination store -- but not meant to be. It's a wonderful oasis in an area that is many miles away from the nearest Whole Foods. I probably wouldn't stop in if it weren't within ten minutes of my home -- but it is, and if you're close, it's great.

Because the OP on the other Fresh Thyme thread said the green onions were $2.99, I specifically sought those out -- and I'm wondering if the sign was wrong or if it was something special in the organic section, but the only green onions I saw were 2 bunches/$1. (I did see kohlrabi for $2.99 a bunch.)

The olive/antipasti bar and salad bar look very nice and are just $5.99, with the olive bar in particular offering great variety (and excellent quality -- had to try them). By great variety, I'm considering the olive bar at Mariano's, since the prices are similar. Whole Foods, where the salad and olive bars are $10.99, has a bit more variety in its olive bar -- but not a lot more, for the price difference.

The deli focuses mostly on sandwiches, wraps, and ready-made meals -- all of them pretty impressive looking (and, since they had samples, I can say fresh and tasty). In fact, a great deal of what is on offer is clearly geared toward those who are harried and hurried and want as much of the work as possible done for them.

The store is open and bright and airy. They have lots of local and artisanal products (some lovely cheeses from Wisconsin included). The seafood looked awesome. The meat case offered a number of meats that were already sitting in marinade of some sort or otherwise ready to go, and possibly because it's summer, about half of the meat case was encased meats -- a wide range of large, handsome sausages of various ethnicities and protein sources.

The bulk section reminded me of the old Home Economist, if anyone remembers them. There are several aisles of bins with coffee, nuts, cereals, dried fruits, seeds, grains, candies, etc. -- the usual -- but also bulk liquids, including olive oil, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, agave syrup, maple syrup, and honey, plus grinders for making peanut or almond butters.

About 1/3 of the store is produce, and the produce looks lovely. I bought a few pounds of bing cherries for 97 cents/pound, which I thought quite reasonable.

Lots of organic, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, and probably other things-free that I just didn't notice.

There's a nice beer, cider, and wine selection, and a quite substantial health foods/vitamins/supplements section, with many books on offer.

Even in the ethnic aisle, the focus was on ready-made. They did have a tremendous array of unusual chips, should you wish to bring a wide variety to a party: quinoa chips, rice chips, lentil chips, falafal chips, and, of course, sweet and regular potato chips, in a range of flavors.

Nice touches: on the signs identifying produce, there is information on what vitamins or health benefits the produce offers.

Lots of Boar's Head products.

Friendly, helpful people who seem to enjoy being there make it pleasant. And the fact that it's at a major crossroads (Rand/83) makes it hugely convenient for a lot of folks.

Lots of weekly specials offered some very good prices. Organic foods/sustainable fish/grass fed meats all at prices comparable to Whole Foods.

Considering I was there at 11 am on a Friday, free samples seemed fairly abundant.

Again -- not a destination place -- but a really nice place, filled with good, fresh, thoughtfully assembled products, prices no worse than Whole Foods and often much better, and well located for some of us.

Hi- Their ads run for eight days, W-W, and so if you shop there on a Wednesday, you get to hit both sales.. 2/$1 for green onions is cheaper than Jewel. Hope this helps, Nancy

There is a thread for this one, but it started long before it opened.

I've only been in a couple times, but it doesn't thrill me much. I should at least get to know what's in the bulk aisles.
The second time I went in, there were berries of some kind on sale (I don't remember if was straw, blue or rasp), with a big display in the vestibule with the shopping carts, and every package had visible mold. I get the feeling they're getting the seconds after WF, Mariano's, etc. snatches up the best.

Selection of exotic produce is pretty meager -- even the Meijer on Golf in Niles carries a wider variety of greens and Asian vegetables. I can get more chile varieties at Ultra Foods or Super Tony's.

JoelF wrote:There is a thread for this one, but it started long before it opened.

Selection of exotic produce is pretty meager -- even the Meijer on Golf in Niles carries a wider variety of greens and Asian vegetables. I can get more chile varieties at Ultra Foods or Super Tony's.

Sorry I didn't see the other thread. I did a search, and the only thread I noticed was for the FT in Deerfield.

As for variety -- as I noted, it's not a destination store. It's a place for someone who lives in that fairly underserved area to grab something on the way home from the office. Certainly, Meijer, Ultra Food, and Super Tony's are more impressive -- and vastly larger -- but they're filling a different need. Recreational shoppers (and I include myself in this category) love the giant places. Hours can be lost trying to see everything available. However, someone rushing home from work to feed a family wants to be in and out in minutes -- and that is who this place is designed for. Or dashing in for lunch to take back to one's desk (long line at the sandwich counter when I was there are 11.)

That said, the olives and roasted garlic I bought were so nice, and at such a good price, and the quinoa chips were so good, I'll have no problem dropping by on occasion -- especially since it's right on the way home from so many places I go.

So not a destination store. And not a store for large-scale recreational shopping. But for the niche it appears to be targeting, it's a splendid little store.

NFriday wrote:Hi- Their ads run for eight days, W-W, and so if you shop there on a Wednesday, you get to hit both sales.. 2/$1 for green onions is cheaper than Jewel. Hope this helps, Nancy

Yes -- they did mention that to me when I was there. Thanks for confirming it, Nancy. Nice to keep it in mind.

For those who might be interested -- through Wednesday (7/16), all bulk items (and they have a lot of them) are 25% off.