Finally in Maryland!!

lisab99

lisab99

Cathlete
Hi Marylanders!

Well - I got here permanently on the evening of August 31st. We are in our empty apartment waiting for furniture and stuff!

So - I am living in Columbia right now and have found the Trader Joe's but I'm really needing a good natural foods market. And wasn't there a vegetarian restaurant that everyone recommended to me also??

I admit - it is a little weird coming from California to here - I am so used to being able to buy VERY local produce. But I know that there has to be that opportunity around here since this place is so incredibly lush and green and decidedly moist! :p

You input is most welcome! And oh, I can't wait to get back to my regular exercise routine. I am appalled out how flabby I have gotten so quickly without my regular Cathe!!
 
Oh - AND:

There are great farmer's markets in Maryland, and bunches in Columbia. You can find one near you here. The canteloupe and tomatoes are doing really well right now, and so is corn!

Let us know how you get along - and please just ask if you need any directions, suggestions or commiseration. Maryland is a great place to live...once you get used to it. ;)
 
Thank you so much for the information. This is really different being here. I am glad we are here - but I am feeling rather lost. I actually tried to shop at a Safeway because I didn't know what else to do - ack! I rarely go into those types of stores anymore. . .

I'm sure I will be posting more as I try to find stuff around here. Again - thanks so much. I will be at one of those places tomorrow for sure!!!
 
Arg! NOT SAFEWAY!!:eek:

I always find standard east coast grocery shopping depressing. I got spoiled by Central Market in Austin. *sigh* I miss Texas!

But, there's no need to rely on the Giant/Food Lion/Safeway trifecta. I forgot to mention: there's also a brand-new Whole Foods down here in Annapolis!

It takes a while to get used to Columbia - I was always getting lost, even after I lived there for a few months! Mapquest will be your best friend for a little while, but you'll soon know your way around like nobody's business!

The Conscious Corner is the name of the shopping center where Roots & Great Sage are located. It's at the intersection of MD 32 and MD 108 in Clarksville. It takes about 10 minutes to get there by car from Columbia. It's also a nice bike ride from Columbia, if you're into cycling. Roots is nice - it's upscale but not outrageously pricey. I love shopping there.

David's Natural Market is more of an old-school, "smells like vitamin B-12" health food store, but they have a little cafe in the store and I used to go there to get lunch all the time. I liked their "Lotta Love" Salad, which can be made with vegan cheese.

Hmmm...there's also a terrific Indian restaurant in Columbia - Akbar. It's on Snowden river Parkway, which is a difficult road to navigate (U-turns are occasionally required) but well worth it.
 
You are sure right about Columbia - lots of twisting and turning and suddenly I find that I am in a big circle - so sometimes I realize that if I had turned left instead of right, I would have gotten someplace quicker.

I bought a GPS - life saver!!!! When I moved to California 11 years ago - I always had a map by my side and it took me forever to learn the area because there was no such thing as google or gps - thank goodness times have changed. . . . I'm hoping to learn Maryland quicker.

I am going to drive to Roots today and to David's market just to compare the two. Do you know anything about MOMs? My husband saw it and was curious - he didn't go in. . . .

I just want my stuff to get here - I having nothing to sit on and an air mattress for a bed. My tailbone is starting to ache. I'm too old for indoor camping! LOL!!!
 
Oh! MOM - My Organic Market - I totally forgot about them!

They're pretty good - somewhere between Trader Joe's and Whole Foods in terms of their "vibe" - MOM is small and their selection is somewhat limited. I have no recollection of their produce section, but I would occasionally stop by to pick up staple items, like tofu or tempeh, soy milk and such. I think they also partner with Napoleon, a local bakery, and they have fresh bread from there.

As to the giant road circles in Columbia - EVERYONE has that problem! I have a friend who has lived in Maryland her whole life and she always ends up making at least one giant circle of lostness in Columbia every time she is there.

I grew up in a Navy family and I've had the empty-apartment-or-house air mattress experience countless times. It is SO NICE when your stuff finally catches up with you. Unpacking feels like Christmas. I hope your furniture finds you soon!
 
Hi Afreet -

I went to David's Natural Market today and to Roots. David's has so much stuff - great for the bulk items, yes??? I was impressed, but I was also rather discouraged by some of the pricing - pretty high overall except in the bulk bins.

I went to Roots also today - Great Sage was closed for Labor Day. Roots has a more limited selection, but their prices were really good.

I will check out MOMs for the bread as no store I have been to has the selection that I could find in CA - even the Trader Joe's is bare and I expected much more from them in terms of bread.

BTW - what is this with no wine sold in grocery stores?? Do they have specialty wine stores? Does BevMo exist is Maryland?? I need good cheap wine!! LOL!

Your assistance has been truly invaluable!! Thank you so much for responding to this thread!!
 
lisab99 said:
....BTW - what is this with no wine sold in grocery stores?? Do they have specialty wine stores? Does BevMo exist is Maryland?? I need good cheap wine!! LOL!
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Yup, one of the nicest surprises about moving to Virginia from Maryland is that we have wine in the grocery stores! :eek:

Trader Joes is probably your best bet....try the "4 buck Chuck" (or however much it is now!)

But hurry up and go back to Great Sage, it is the YUMMIEST!
 
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