We just discovered this the other day. I had read about it but we have been very happy with Trader Joe's for great selection of reasonable gourmet food. Trader Joe's searches the world for good deals and buys in bulk and puts their name on it. Tremendous value.
Bristol Farms also searches the world for amazing stuff but it's more the money is no object game. We'd be broke if we shopped here too often...good thing it's in Palm Desert and not 5 minutes away like Trader Joe's! Susan and Chris...you are going to love this store!
Just to give an example, they have 350 cheeses mostly artisian cheeses from smaller markets from all over the world. They were tasting something from France called "Delice de Bourgogne" which could be called "Died and Gone to Heaven". Of course we bought some of that. Then a fabulous New York Artisian cheddar...Extra Sharp Washed Aged Curd Cheese from a company called Yancey's Fancy. Unreal...it crumbles when you cut it and is like something I've never tasted in the cheddar realm before.
The booze is something else...specialty everything and loads of very special scotch, tequila, vodka. Same for the wine. And then the bakery, the fish, the meat, the deli and on it goes.
Worth a visit on my own without Jim along to cramp my style...
