Whole Foods Market - Santa Rosa

Whole paycheck does it again, I have lived 63 years and have NOT eaten organic. I grow my own vegetables and fruits, lift my own chickens, eggs, and I have no mutations, no cancers and no bad habits.

Good food. But it costs an arm and a leg. Soup and chili. Wish I had a few, now it's cold out here, I don't like being alone

I stopped by to pick up some ice because Safeway was out when I went grocery shopping. I bought a 16-pound bag and a 9-pound bag, and it cost me a total of $23.

This is one of the older Whole Foods locations in the chain, but it appeared to be well-organized and efficiently run. Although some of the aisles were a bit narrow, the overall experience was satisfactory. However, the parking lot is quite narrow and feels cramped compared to the Coddington location. Nonetheless, we were able to find everything we were looking for during our visit.

We found an excellent deal on deli pre-packs—located in the cold case next to the sushi counter—where you can get a large selection and two sides for $23.99, which is enough for a dinner that can serve between 2 and 4 people. I do have one ongoing complaint about the Whole Foods deli: the vegetables could use some improvement. Everything tends to be undercooked. I appreciate al dente veggies, but every Whole Foods deli I've visited since the mid-90s has undercooked their vegetables. I don't want them soggy, but certain vegetables need more cooking to taste good, like Brussels sprouts. Back in the early '90s, my roommate in Palo Alto helped start a separate deli that later became part of Whole Foods in Austin, Texas. I’m not sure if he’s still involved, but I can’t imagine Alan would approve of these undercooked Brussels sprouts, which are just bad: tough and bitter with some blackened leaves and a squeeze of lemon. I was a night manager of a Whole Foods deli back then, so I know the standards. Someone suggested reheating the food at home, which might help with the Brussels sprouts, but my vegetables were basically raw when I got them. The winter squash was delicious, but the summer squash was still raw. The pasta dish we chose as another side also needed a lot of doctoring at home; the mushroom sausage Campanelle was super bland, albeit a decent base. On a positive note, the duck was tasty and perfectly cooked. During my visit to the Santa Rosa location, I was accompanied by someone who needed a motorized shopping cart, which was easy to find, and it was great to be able to take it to the parking lot. The rest of the space was also accessible, with support rails throughout. While we were in the back using the restroom, a man stacking empty wooden wine boxes on a shelf offered us some for free, which was a delightful surprise! Overall, we had a great day. Whole Foods definitely has its perks—it works when you put in the effort!