TOUR: Garden Gourmet Market - Kingsbridge

Now for another store tour less than a block south of Stop & Shop. This store is very different!

Once again, if the map doesn't display correctly, choose the view full screen icon (top right).

Opened in 2005, the Garden Gourmet Market reflects the changing population of Kingsbridge -- increasingly affluent, and increasingly interested in healthier and more specialized foods. To say that Garden Gourmet offers something different from most supermarkets is the understatement of all of The Market Report's history. Including its time as NJ Supermarkets. (Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating slightly.)

Standing just outside of Stop & Shop's parking lot, we can just barely see the Garden Gourmet storefront. But it's not a matter of distance.

Although the store isn't that old, it has been expanded out both sides. Generally, you enter to produce on the left with meat in the back left, with deli/bakery on the right side. As we'll see, the layout -- while somewhat mazelike -- makes for a fascinating trip through the store's vast selections.

We get off to a strong start, with the store's exterior display already better merchandised than Stop & Shop's entire produce department. Heading in, we are not disappointed...

Beautiful produce is accentuated by even better fixtures and display. This store is everything Fairway wants to be.

Every inch of space is well used, not only because of the incredibly well-stocked shelves, but also just because the fixtures appear to be largely custom-designed.

The produce department, as you can guess from these pictures, is enormous and a major focus of the store.

Keep in mind as we tour this store that it is only about 20,000 square feet -- that's about 10,000 square feet smaller than Stop & Shop, by the way, although this store packs in about 3x the merchandise.

This, by the way, is just the organic produce department.

And here's an overview of the whole produce department, before we continue on to dairy which is at the back of the store.

Frozen foods are also on the left side of the store...

Additional dairy, seen here, runs along the back wall of the store. And get ready for what's probably the largest selection of Bob's Red Mill products you're ever going to see...

The grocery aisles are packed with similarly extensive selections of international foods, organic foods, and specialty items. But let's continue our tour of the perimeter and perishables, which is really the more exciting part. As we move towards deli/bakery, we get an enormous selection of cheese and baked goods.

More Greek cheeses than you ever thought existed. (The owners are Greek, by the way.)

Domestic feta. Greek feta. Bulgarian feta. French feta. Goat feta. Yep, I'll take one of each.

More awesome cheese merchandising and display as we make our way around to the service area.

They do NOT mess around with cheese.

Nor do they with baked goods and prepared foods, which come next in the next island.

We continue our journey to see the full service deli on the perimeter wall...

Oh wait, we just have to pass the sushi counter, salad bar, rotisserie display, prepared foods counter, and soup bar before we get there.

Other stores are proud of their two-tier display cases. Garden Gourmet beats them all with three tiers.

Absolutely beautiful salads and prepared foods line these cases. I was here early in the morning, so they still look pristine and they are not fully stocked yet.

And now for the standard deli in the back corner. Even that is lined with specialty sausages and other meats on top!

Enormous olive bar in the corner as well.

While we're here in the back of the store, we may as well take a look at the grocery aisle (excellent selection and not crazy expensive). There are definitely items you aren't familiar with or are suprised to find...

...such as this display of three full shelves of locally baked Russian and Polish breads in the regular bread aisle.

Now we regrettably must leave this wonderland, but we can take one more look as we head out towards the front end. (By the way, as I'm writing this, it's 5:21pm and I'm currently in a cafeteria. I am very hungry and looking forward to getting my own dinner in a minute after looking at all these appetizing pictures.)

Pretty cramped front-end, but it looks like they generally get customers out quickly. You can see down to the produce department on the far end.

This store is absolutely incredible. I have never before been to one like it and have not since, either. It is an absolute must-see if you're ever passing through the area! (Note for visitors: there is free parking located in the back at Kingsbridge Ave and 234th St.)

Garden Gourmet Market

5665 Broadway, Bronx, NY

Open Daily 7AM-11PM

gardengourmetmarket.com

(718) 796-4209

Photographed June 2018