Whole Foods Has Opened; The First Visit Left Me Overwhelmed, But I Finally Caught My Rockfish

The patio overlooking the Columbia lakefront

The couple was just behind me looking at the fish display.  Whole Foods opened in Columbia this morning, and we were in the lunchtime crowd.

They pointed.  They talked varieties.  They were clearly excited by just the idea of seafood because they were dressed for the office and clearly couldn't carry a fish with them.

Then the woman turned to the guy.  "Oh, wow," she said.  "We're in trouble."  He nodded.  "Yes, we are."

The pickle bar

If you're a Whole Food kind of shopper, then you are in trouble with the new store that opened in Columbia.  It's beautiful.  It's huge.  It's exactly the pricey temple to eating that you've seen in other towns, but now it's calling you from nearby

I barely looked at the central aisles today.  My first visit was a long circle around the edges where Whole Foods serves all kinds of convenience -- from ingredients like fish, sausages and meats to takeout like salads, fresh pasta, and olives to full meals like pizzas, bi bim bap, and sandwiches.

The meals seem as important to me as the grocery store.  Like Wegmans, Whole Foods offers tables after table of seating.  They want you to buy and sit.  They even have a deck and an indoor space that look over the lakefront.

I've said that this makes the Columbia lakefront a broad magnet.  People can shop.  They can just buy a meal.  In good weather, they can picnic outside.  Maybe stroll for a drink at Clyde's or our favorite cookie at Le Comptoir.

The cheeses

Today, I circled for things that I already know.  Some produce, a cheese, flowers, and the chicken sausage that will become a freezer staple for grilling, pasta sauces and more.   I planned to return for fresh pasta.  I gasped at the pickle bar.  A dozen kinds of pickled cucumbers.  Four kinds of kimchi.  A scattering of other cured vegetables.

I took my leap at that seafood counter.  I had two great fishing trips that both ended as fish-catching failures.  But Steve Vilnit talked up rockfish and showed me how they're caught in Chesapeake Bay traps.  I took the plunge on a small one that the fishmonger scaled, gutted and butterflied.  That's sitting now in the fridge with olive oil, roasted garlic, basil and lemon juice smeared inside.  Ready for the grill.

Does anyone else have stories from the Whole Foods opening day?  I'm sure that I'll post more as I try new items.  (Four kinds of kimchi!)  I'd love to hear about the actual meals -- the pizza, the lunch counter. . . .  Welcome to Whole Foods -- especially to the folks who moved to Columbia to work at the store.  I met a cheese guy who left California and felt duty-bound to warn him that this isn't the August heat that he should expect next year.

For more on the Whole Foods, check out the Two Dudes Who Love Food.  The teenaged bloggers made a short video about the store and making two healthy school lunches.  Just don't believe them about "wraps."  I love whole grains.  I love tortillas.  But America has ruined too many great sandwich ideas by switching bread for whole grain tortillas.

Whole Foods Opens Tomorrow!! I Can't Believe I'm Not Camped Out In Their Parking Lot

Whole Foods opens on Wednesday!!

Life has been so distracting recently that I don't feel like I've done this justice.  Wegmans changed the food options in Columbia two years ago.  Now, Whole Foods adds another dimension -- and really changes the lakefront.

I missed a media tour on Monday afternoon.  The Thrify Girl posted last night with descriptions and pictures.  I figure other folks went, and I'll link when I see posts.

Finishing Touches Going On The Whole Foods: Some Shelves Stocked, Aiming For Aug. 20

Finishing touches go on the Columbia Whole Foods

They've got a store almost built in Columbia, and the Whole Foods looks like it will change the entire lakefront -- at least for us.

The Whole Food sign it up.  The parking lot looks done.  Peeking through the glass windows, it looks like some of the shelves are stocked and people are working to install, unload and generally prepare for the August 20 grand opening.

The Whole Foods coming to Columbia will be in the white building across from the Columbia Mall on Little Patuxent Parkway.  It's between the main library and the new construction site for an apartment building.

For many people, this will just be another grocery store.  But we're expecting a big change as August turns into September.  We walked around the Whole Foods on Tuesday and talked about a dozen uses -- buying groceries, grabbing dinner, picking a drink after walking around the lake, buying a picnic and sitting outside on the grass ....

That's the striking part of this location.  The Whole Foods sits next to the lakefront park -- just up from Clyde's, Le Comptoir, Sushi Sono and more.  We shopped the Rockville store Monday, and it's just a beautiful array of food at the base of an apartment building.  The Columbia store really changes the entire lakefront.  We imagine walking that path, sitting on that grass watching boats on the lake.

Whole Foods first announced its lease in July 2012.  It's amazing how long some things take, but then it's a change so large that "Whole Foods Coming To Columbia" was my April Fool's joke just four years ago.  As I walked around the building, I thought that Wordbones would have loved the real estate and the change to Columbia.

Whole Foods Sign Is Up In Columbia; Dreaming Of Summer And Warm Walks For Exercise And Food

Sign Is Up At Whole Foods Columbia

The sign is up outside the Whole Foods in Columbia.

Check out the giant logo that Mrs. HowChow spotted while she was stopping for French pastries at the Columbia lakefront.

The Whole Foods folks have been saying that they aim to open in the first week of August.  The sign is just one of 1,000 steps in that process.  But we're already dreaming of summer and warm walks where a few thousand steps could take us for food.

Across the lake

On the first Sunday that the weather broke last month, we drove to Columbia and walked around the lake.  On that Sunday, the main draw was pastries and coffee from Le Comptoir, which I'll rave about later this week. But we walked past the Whole Foods construction site and imagined an afternoon that could include takeout lunch on the grass, a walk around the lake, and then shopping for groceries.

Our walk was fun even though the lake was frozen solid.  I can't recommend the trip enough on a day with friendly weather.  Park in the lot off Little Patuxent Parkway across from the Columbia Mall.  The lot is next to and beneath the Copeland's restaurant, but you want to walk down to the lakefront for a walk and then something to eat.  Sushi at Sushi Sono.  Sandwiches, pastries and coffee at Le Comptoir.  Large menus at Clyde's and Tomato Palace.

And by late summer . . . Whole Foods.

On the first trip, I will pour one out for Wordbones.  He would have loved the real estate talk as companies develop the lakefront neighborhood.  I imagine he also would have gotten a kick out of standing in Whole Foods and figuring out where his former office would have been inside the new store.

Whole Foods Is Aiming To Open August 6, 2014

The Whole Foods in Columbia is aiming to open August 6, 2014, some Whole Foods employees were telling people yesterday.

The Columbia Association and Whole Foods had an event to show off plans for the fitness center that CA will run on the ground floor under Whole Foods.  Mrs. HowChow stopped in, and the Whole Foods employees said they're aiming to open August 6 -- or some point in the first week of August.

The Whole Foods is going into the former Rouse Company building on the Columbia lakefront.  It's right across Little Patuxent Parkway from the mall.  Click here for all the posts about the Whole Foods in Columbia.

This isn't new, but Luke Lavoie wrote in March 2013 about how the parking and traffic will work at Whole Foods.  The Sun article includes a drawing of the parking lot and a description of the plan to install a traffic light at the entrance.

Something Big Is Coming To Howard County In Late Summer Or Early Fall, Plus "Wellness"

I don't think that I ever heard an official announcement, but Luke Lavoie reported that the Columbia Whole Foods would open in "late summer or early fall of 2014" in a story about a spa that the Columbia Association will build underneath.

Seven-to-nine months?  It is feel like such a long time to wait after already waiting a couple years.  But good things take time, and this will bring fun to Howard County.  It will certainly be a big change in the HowChow life.  It helps to know that other people have waited in the past and that things turned out well for them.

The Sun story made me really excited that CA is building a "holistic spa and integrative health services."  I have been waiting for CA's "mind-body wellness concept."  I just need classes that "strengthen the body and contribute to overall wellness."  Tough to wait, but I feel fortunate to have that time to figure out what Luke and the CA are talking about.

The Whole Foods is really exciting as we drive past and watch them gut the old building.  Does anyone know a more-precise estimate?  I feel a need for a count-down clock like the fun that we had with Wegmans during its construction.

See The New Columbia Whole Foods -- Photos!

Where you'll eat lunch from Whole Foods

Take a tour of the new Columbia Whole Foods.  It's still under construction.  No food displays because they're still pour concrete, and there are no walls.

Duane got a tour, and he posted photos and descriptions on HoCo Connect.  He noted that windows -- even those overlooking the lake -- will be replaced by supermarket walls.  He also described some kind of spa and exercise facility that the Columbia Association will open in the same building.

I can't wait for Whole Foods to open in 2014.  Over the summer, we had a great day around the lake.  We ate at Sushi Sono, but I noticed the grassy areas between the Whole Foods and the lake.  That will be a great place to eat lunch.

Start Planning For The Whole Foods

The process to build a Whole Foods in Columbia has started -- reports Duane on the HoCo Connect blog.

Duane saw a posting for a March 7 meeting of county planning board to discuss the plans to build a Whole Foods in the former Rouse Company headquarters near the Columbia Mall.  Last I heard, the Whole Foods was slated to open in 2014.

Columbia Whole Foods - A RoundUp With Recommendations From Mrs. HowChow

The Whole Foods in Columbia looks a like a reality -- although one that we won't see until 2014.

The supermarket will go across from the Columbia Mall at 10275 Little Patuxent Parkway.   It's the low-slung office building along the lake -- midway or so between Copeland's restaurant and the main Howard County library.

For the official word, check out stories from Andrew Metcalf in the Columbia Patch and Luke Lavoie in Explore Howard.  For other thoughts, check out posts on HoCo Rising and Tales of Two Cities.  More than anything, this is a real estate event -- a store that offers food, but frankly makes an entire neighborhood more exciting to people who want to live near one.

Amusingly, the store already had a Twitter account where someone at Whole Foods is writing about Columbia.

There will be lots to write about Whole Foods -- when it will open, what it will offer, how it will affect others.  For now, I'll defer to Mrs. HowChow, who was a Whole Foods regular when she lived in Los Angeles.  She was bummed when the Howard Hughes folks said their negotiations had stalled.  She was so excited when I emailed her last week that she worried that I might be joking:

I'm super exited.  To me, Whole Foods' prepared foods section is the best.  In LA, I would buy one serving and often split it into two meals.  Lasagna, different pastas.  I'd get fish like prepared salmon. 

When I go to Whole Foods now, I often get the bean and cheese burritos to bring for lunch.  I get cornichons, olives, crackers and cheeses.  I'm almost an antipasta eater.  I love the fruits as well.  The fresh orange juice is the best.  On special occasions, I get fresh squeezed tangerine or blood orange juice.

It is hard to put my finger on it, but I feel like this is complimentary.  It is a different niche than Wegmans or any other local places.  Oh, and I forgot -- Mr. HowChow laughs a lot because I bring home a lot of the baked goods and candies.  I especially like the candy fruit slices that I got at Silver Spring and the pies that they have in Baltimore.  I have served the vegan pies to unknowing guests when Whole Foods was out of the regular pies, and they're actually quite good.  (Shhhhhh.)  

Mrs. HowChow plans a countdown clock once we get a little closer -- or know a more-accurate time for opening.

Whole Foods Will Open A Columbia Store In 2014

Whole Foods announced this afternoon that they have signed a lease in Columbia, Maryland.

They'll go into the former Rouse Company headquarters near the mall.  That's the low building on Lake Kittamaqundi between the central library and the restaurant area with Clyde's, Red Pearl and Sushi Sono.

More details to come. 

(Update: Think 2014 for your Whole Foods shopping, according to a company press release.  Check out that release on Explore Howard or the Columbia Patch.  And keep an eye on the Tales of Two Cities blog for updates by Wordbones.  He has been in front of this story from the start.)

(Update 2: The store is set for 45,000 square feet.  For comparison, old press releases say the new Rockville Whole Foods is 51,000 square feet.  The new Columbia Wegmans is 145,000 square feet.)

(Update 3: Wordbones has renderings of the soon-to-be Whole Foods.  He also has news that Clyde's has renewed its lease in Columbia.  He says they'll be remodeling.)

Whole Foods Still Being Pursued For Downtown Columbia's Fmr. Rouse HQ, Says Wordbones

Whole Foods is still being pursued by downtown Columbia's major developer, even after negotiations were announced as "stalled" in March, reports Wordbones on the Tales of Two Cities blog.

Wordbones says a source told him a month ago that negotiations were continuing between Whole Foods and the Howard Hughes Corporation for a store in the former Rouse Company headquarters near the Columbia Mall.

Today, Wordbones writes that an HHC executive gave a slide presentation to the Columbia Council last week that included pictures of the building with the Whole Food logo gracing the facade.  Wordbones reads that as confirmation that the parties are at least talking.

Wordbones teases that Whole Foods may be lukewarm on Howard County because we haven't given enough love to the upscale market.  He says that sounds like a job for HowChow.

Oh, no.  That's a job for Mrs. HowChow -- who shimmied before her coffee this morning on hearing the advance word of Wordbones' post.  Whole Foods sells many amazing things, and it's quite a different place than Wegmans so I think they could both thrive amid all the local places that I enjoy.  We'll work to gin up local enthusiasm.

I'm sure this story will continue.  Click here for all the news about Whole Foods in Columbia.

No Whole Foods In The Old Rouse HQ

Whole Foods is no longer negotiating to open in the former Rouse Company headquarters in downtown Columbia, reports Kevin Rector in Explore Howard.

Kevin interviewed a Howard Hughes Co. executive, who said they're looking for another tenant for the lakefront building.  I'm all for that.  I have to admit that I had pictured the Whole Foods filling that place and spilling out with some chairs on the lake.  It would be great if they could find something fun.

Whole Foods: HHC Holds Dress Rehearsal

Wordbones has photos of an unusual event outside the Columbia building where the Howard Hughes Company appears to be trying to lease to Whole Foods.

Apparently, the company invited guests to mingle in front of the building in return for flowers, granola, dog biscuits and more.  No one talked on the record, but Wordbones said it was a dress rehearsal in the hopes that Whole Foods' CEO was driving past this morning.

Message to Whole Foods:  Columbia would be a great place for you to open.  That's one of the easiest places to drive from around the country, and a lakefront location could be awesome if you and HHC get creative with a cafe, seating, etc.

For more, check out the post on Tales of Two Cities.  He says the deal is close.

Keep Hope Alive For Whole Foods In Columbia

Whole Foods released its first quarter results yesterday, and the press release announced their new leases -- none in Maryland, definitely none in Columbia.

I was bummed, but Wordbones pulled me out of the funk today by posting about unusual signs going up on the site of the Howard Hughes Building near the Columbia Mall.  That's an office building now, but it's the site that Wordbones has said is under negotiation to become a Whole Foods.

The signs -- in green and white that look like Whole Foods' colors -- say "Organic," "Natural," "Local," "Value" and other words right out of the grocers' playbook.  It certainly looks to me like a landlord showing a tenant how great the building could look converted to a grocery store, and a Howard Hughes executive released a statement to Wordbones that says in part:

“The banners attempt to demonstrate the potential for alternative uses for the building and its associated parking areas beyond simply an office use . . . 

Keep hope alive.  Read the Tales of Two cities post to see the signs and read the rest.

Howard County To Get First Whole Foods In Gehry-Designed Headquarters: TOTC Blog

Howard County may gets its first Whole Foods, reports the Tales of Two Cities blog, which posted this morning about negotiations to turn the former Rouse Company headquarters into a ritzy grocer.

Wordbones works in commercial real estate so I take his word that Whole Foods is in the final stages of negotiating to convert the first floor of the Frank-Gehry-designed building.  This is the current Howard Hughes building at 10271 Little Patuxent Parkway, right across from the mall in Town Center.

Go to Tales of Two Cities for that news (and if you're a journalist, credit him for getting this first).

Then come back here for some thoughts on the food.