Repeats with a Twist - Wegman's, Columbia, MD

If you live anywhere from Virginia to New York and have never been to Wegman's, you don't know what you're missing.  Some will say it's a grocery store...I say it's a mecca of food.  You can literally spend hours walking up and down through the aisles, especially in the fresh food section.  They have breads, seafood, meat, desserts, sushi bar, a deli, olive bar, prepared foods, and vegetables...pretty much every fresh item you could possibly want.  I get so jealous passing by the fresh seafood, because I don't get good fresh seafood in Oklahoma. 

When I lived in Maryland the closest one was nearly an hour away, near Baltimore.  I still made the trek out there every couple months.  Once I moved, they built one in Lanham, only about 20 minutes away from my parents' house.  And then, of course, about a month ago, a new one opened in Columbia, literally 3.5 miles from my old house.  It's the biggest Wegman's I've ever seen, with a 2-story parking garage.  My friends here in Maryland still ask when I'm moving back.  I don't know that there's a job that will bring me back, but Wegman's in Columbia just might... :)

In the fresh foods section there is also a huge food bar, and you pay by the pound.  You wouldn't think you would come close to a pound, but once you start piling food in your container, it's quite easy.  My dad and I went to Wegman's on Thursday afternoon, and the food bar was packed with employees from the area, as well as folks just out doing their weekly shopping.  They have almost every type of food you could possibly want.  The best strategy is to walk around, see what they have, and then go back with the container.  I also really like that they include the calorie count for a 4-ounce portion on each of the items.  I decided to try to be good on the regular food, because I had to have sushi as well.

The sauteed green beans were awesome. They had just replenished the tray, so they were hot & fresh.  I had never had shrimp purses before, and they were very tasty.  The fried rice was your good, solid rice.  Nothing outstanding, but still good.  I had the raspberry vinaigrette, which I really liked.  I never buy beets, because I hate that your hands are red for the next week.  But when someone else has done the work, I'm all over them!

The sushi was awesome.  They used real, fresh crab, and there's no comparison in the taste.  They also shook Old Bay on the roll, which added an awesome flavor. 

I always make a stop in Wegman's when I come back to Maryland.  It's where we stock up on groceries, and where I always know I can get a great lunch.  It's one of those places where you could eat every day for a month, and get something a little different each time.