Venice is known for its beaches, surf culture, design and gathering of hipsters and hippies, so, it's no secret we love a good green store, fresh organic produce and delicious food to boot. But nothing beats the opening of our new Whole Foods Venice Store -- it's an irresistible eco destination of adult entertainment in the hood. Spielberg, Dolce Group, and speed dating sites pay attention; John Mackey may be onto something here.
When my friend Karen and I first I entered the Whole Foods Venice about 10 days ago, I felt this visual overload, an overwhelming sense of adrenaline pumping through my body. We were like giddy schoolgirls. It's as if someone dropped us into an "everything is $5" sale at Barney's, except in this case, all the shoppers are employed, hot men in board shorts, Patagonia t-shirts, and slippers, who are all willing to hold our groceries while we shop around.
Aside from being a haven of health and goodness, this store is a godforsaken meat market, and by meat, I don't mean cow.
Whole Foods Venice is not only the new black, it's also the new hot restaurant and club rolled into one. This is my dream fantasy come true -- I can feel like I went out for a night on the town without leaving the zip code and I can wear my swimsuit and cover up while getting my shop on. Sweet Jesus.
Suddenly, I have a clearer idea who resides in my neighborhood; I see friends I haven't seen in awhile, as well as strangers I can't wait to meet. Everyone is talking to each other -- hovering around the salad bar as if they are sipping a cocktail making small talk about how delish the lasagna looks, or stopping mid cereal aisle to discuss their favorite flavors with each other. It's a bonafide social scene bursting at the seams. The sexual energy flowing is transparent and it's exciting and delightful to watch.
I must admit as eco as I aim to be, "Whole Paycheck" has never been my store of choice, sure I wanted to be part of the movement, just not at that price point. I was a yummy.com delivery addict; I loved not leaving the house and having things brought to me with one quickie phone call. Well, this new market has changed all that. I'm officially a convert.
Now, I zip to the Republic of Whole Foods for oh, a tangelo orange in the middle of the day (seriously) just because the store is close by, pretty to look at and fun to visit. I feel like I went out without dealing with the annoying parts of going out. Our friend Lysa calls it the new "disco," saying "if you slide over there after 5pm go ahead and slide on your heels." I love it because anything goes and depending on what time you go, the shoppers are so random. From business attire to yoga threads, post-surf sandy feet and my favorite "I just woke up and look this good."
My friend Shelby and I went for a Thai massage the other night and opted to go to Whole Foods for post massage dinner, versus going to a sexy restaurant, because the food is good, but also we love the booths, which are right at the end of the check out line, so can see all the action.
Pre-dinner, we ran into our friend Mike in the chip aisle, and he mentioned how amazing the place was and that he had already been there five times this week. Mike said, "it figures, now that I have a girlfriend and cable that this place opened up." He mentioned he was only there to "grab tortillas" and cruise for a bit. I totally get it.
We eventually moved on to the cookie aisle where we ran into Zach, another friend who was chatting with a somewhat hot guy named Ari. While post workout gear at the market is generally creepy and just not okay, for some reason -- with the Whole Foods backdrop -- Ari's workout wardrobe was not offensive, rather slightly sexy. Maybe it's the lighting or the fresh produce.
Regardless of who is there or why, for now, we are all eating healthier and meeting like-minded people who clearly can afford shopping at Whole Paycheck -- funny how the prices seem just fine to me these days. Amen to the movement.