Pretty classy for a supermarket party...Wow, busy week! Before I was recruited for all-day obituary writing, I stopped by Fresh & Easy's tasting party at the Hollywood Roosevelt Pool Wednesday night, celebrating the Hollywood location finally getting its beer and wine license a few weeks ago. I met lots of blogger moms (note to Trader Joe's: they want organic baby food) as tasted some of Fresh & Easy's wines. The Pasadena location, in the former Wild Oats store on Lake Ave., will open July 15. We also met Fresh & Easy's head chef Mike Ainslie, who works in the Riverside kitchen and at the main El Segundo office to develop all their ready-to-eat meals. I'd probably buy the tangy artichoke antipasto for a party, and their Les Cepages Pinot Noir was pretty good, although I might be able to find something better for $6.99 with a little searching. Kathy said the Hilltown Vineyards Monterey chardonnay was "very oaky," and pointed out that the house brand Taurino beer from El Salvador seems very popular with the barely-legal party crowd. Ainslie said that British shoppers are much more accustomed to buying refrigerated prepared meals and don't use frozen foods as much as Americans, so he's trying to get American consumers more used to the idea. Fresh & Easy carries 180 wines, with more than half for less than $11 -- has anyone found one they really liked there?
2 comments:
Was great seeing you at the party!
Go to Topline in Glendale instead, and you will have a very good selection of wines under $10 or so. Nothing at TJs is any good, and I cannot imagine F&E will be any different. They have to buy for all their stores, and that means large producers trying to serve the entire chain.
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