I live in the fourth largest city in America, but often Houston can seem quite small.  There is a distinct lack of healthy grocery stores, for example.  When I lived in Denver, there were four separate chains (Sunflower Market, Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Trader Joe’s) and a store was always nearby.  Houston?  Not so much.

I did visit the local Whole Foods and was disappointed.  It was much smaller than the organic markets I’ve been to in other states (EarthFare in SC, Whole Foods in CO) and did not carry the specific item I was looking for (natural food coloring).

However, I had been hearing about the legendary Central Market, run by HEB.  Recently, Rod Dreher penned an ode to the Dallas version, and that sealed it.  I was going to drive into the city and shop at the foodie paradise.  I was going to be inspired by the sights and sounds, I was going to find foods that would make our tongues sing, and it was all going to be fabulous and healthful.

I was sadly disappointed.  I knew something was up when the carts were itty bitty.  This was not the type of place where Moms stopped by to pick up dinner and school lunches on the way to soccer practice.  This was the kind of place where discriminating adults shopped for food.  Even their meal deals came in portions for two – no family size.

The store is oddly laid out and difficult to navigate.  It’s actually three separate rooms accessible by tiny doors.  In the miniscule grocery/pantry section, the aisles were barely wide enough for two carts to pass and the traffic flow was terrible.  I was unable to find natural food coloring or caraway seeds on the shelf.

While there were a few brands of specialty, imported, or organic items, the mainstream counterparts were absent.  No Campbell’s soup here, for example.  (Funny I should mention that.  I don’t remember the last time I bought Campbell’s soup.  We can’t eat it because of MSG.  But I did notice a distinct lack of selection.)

In the baking section, there was a good selection of many different kinds of chocolate, but the selection of decorating accoutrements (sugars, nonpareils, etc.) was disappointing.  Again, my regular HEB has several shelves dedicated to fancy baking decorations (not just Betty Crocker sprinkles, but pearls, caster sugar, dragees, large colored crystals, several brands of meringue powder, and more.)

The bulk bin selection, however, was astounding.  I bought red rice as well as several other varieties, and was glad to see them.  Recently I had purchased a jarred mixture of rices (red, wild, brown basmati, white) that the family loved; however, I bought it on the discontinued rack and I’ve never seen red rice before.  Of course I stocked up.  I got some pink lentils and purple sticky rice; whole wheat pastry flour; plain flaked coconut without additives; and husband dear went crazy over the candied nuts.  And candied espresso beans.  And candied creme brulee balls.

I did find caraway in the bulk spice section, and got great deals on dill and fennel, as well.  Husband dear is starting Atkins, (hmm, maybe that’s why he binged in the sweets section?) and I purchased pecan meal to make something special for him in the future.  Great selection!  They also had hazelnut meal, but I passed on that because of the recall.  I don’t know if it will be expanding and don’t want to take a chance.

The cheese section is amazing.  I used to work in a deli, but I have never seen that many different varieties of cheese – over 700!  There are plenty of choices in the bakery, which was full of a wide variety of fresh baked, preservative free artisanal loaves.  The deli featured vacuum packs of nitrate free lunch meat and hormone/antibiotic free cold cuts from Applegate farms.  The olive bar was the most extensive I’d ever seen and included all manner of antipasto, peppers, tapenades, and specialty foods.

The meat section – the main reason I went to this market, truth be told- was sorely lacking.  It was bustling, but there was little to no info on the meats.  Most were simply marked “natural beef” with a price – and often the price was several dollars more than the exact same item at another HEB store (Wild gulf shrimp were $9.99 at Central Market; $6.99 at my regular HEB).  There wasn’t a sign of grass fed beef, bison, or other premium meats like I hoped there would be.

The produce section was about average.  I think there were actually fewer organic choices than my regular HEB store, and the selection was poorer than at my favorite conventional produce market (FiestaMart, a Mexican market.)  There was a slight premium on the prices, and again, the produce section didn’t flow well and was difficult to navigate.

The staff was excellent.  Friendly, knowledgeable, ever helpful, and happy to give out sample after sample.  However, the above par customer service can’t make up for the lack of selection and difficulty navigating.  I probably won’t be back.