Grocery stores are seldom worth a second look, much less a review. Most chain grocery stores carry the staples and very little more. Many grocery stores these days stock an alarming amount of frozen or processed food. If you are a serious cook and love to experiment with food flavors and wine, a trip to the grocery store can either seem like a scavenger hunt or be downright depressing.
If you are a resident of southeastern Michigan, a trip to the store is not the case of normal or hum drum if you go to Papa Joe’s Market. I discovered this gourmet market ten years ago, and am a loyal customer. It’s where I go when I want to find something out of the ordinary for a special meal. Papa Joe’s recently celebrated their grand opening at a new store location in Rochester Hills. The original Papa Joe’s, in Rochester Hills, has been shuttered for almost three years. Plans were made for new construction on the north side of Rochester, 6900 North Rochester Road, at the corner of Rochester and Tienken Roads. Construction delays moved the opening date back several times. In the meantime, a smaller, more crowded store in Birmingham was taking up the slack.
I took a trip up to the new “Papa” this past Saturday during grand opening festivities. The first thing I noticed about the new store was an abundance of parking space. The Birmingham location is right on busy Woodward Avenue, where business parking is at a premium. Since it was grand opening week, the new store was jammed with customers; however, because of the open lay out, the store didn’t seem as crowded as it probably really was.
Establishing a foot traffic route was a little confusing with all of the grand opening activity. My advice is to take an immediate left as you enter the store. This will take you to the produce section. Papa Joe’s is known for having some of the freshest produce I’ve ever seen. The mushroom section alone is worth a peek. I bought some beautiful, fresh oyster mushrooms, which were almost a pearly blue, and some nice shiitake mushrooms, which were presented bulk. There were also fresh morels that day, some of the largest I’ve ever seen. The Papa features many organic vegetables for the health conscious.
The dessert area is the next stop. This weekend, Papa Joe’s featured a “buy one, get one free” offer on many items. I picked up small lemon meringue and key lime tarts, and they were fabulous. I love the fruit topped custard flan, which is always a good choice, and the chocolate cakes are decadent and rich. Another favorite dessert of mine is the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Desserts come in various sizes; small tart sized, small, medium and large cakes.
Like the Birmingham store, Papa Joe’s wine section is located in a second floor loft. The big difference in the new store is that the second floor wine section is visibly open to the rest of the store below. Papa Joe’s has an outstanding wine selection featuring wines from many different countries, and all of this is thanks to resident sommelier, William Schwab. Schooled in Europe, Mr. Schwab is available for consultation to consumers with any questions regarding wine. I’ve had many occasions to meet and talk to him, and he’s extremely knowledgeable and helpful.
Just under the stairs to the wine loft is the meat counter. The Papa is the place to go to find the finest in meats. There’s a full selection of lamb, veal, and many kinds of beef, ranging from USDA grade all the way up to Angus. The meat counter occasionally offers other meats, such as buffalo and game. Chicken, capon, ducks and other fowl are available fresh as well.
The seafood counter displayed an array of fresh oysters, in addition to fresh fish, including ahi sushi grade tuna, shellfish, lobster, seafood salads, and much more. Papa Joe’s makes its own seafood sauces, and they’re all delicious. I hit the Papa this time of year since this is where I can find some of the biggest and freshest soft shell crabs there are when they’re in season.
Papa Joe’s also has an extensive deli, featuring gourmet pre-cooked foods, a sushi bar, lots of great cold cuts and cheese, and many kinds of breads baked fresh on site. There’s a wonderful olive bar, with many unusual kinds of olives and antipasta. Papa Joe’s also provides catering services, and having used them for company parties and graduation open houses, I can highly recommend the quality of the foods provided.
An extensive coffee bar with many choices in beans is also available. The tea selection is mind boggling on its own merit. Papa Joe’s also sells a wide variety of Godiva Chocolates and other sweets. The floral department has an amazing array of cut flowers not found elsewhere.
The “staples” part of the store features many items you can’t get in a regular grocery store. There are many Italian pastas, Asian food products, imported honey and organic foods that you can’t get anywhere else. Yes, you can even pick up a gallon of milk, if you can remember!
This Saturday, I was in gastronomical heaven, like a kid in a candy store. I’ll definitely make more trips to the new “Papa” in the next few weeks.
You can find more information about Papa Joe’s at www.papajoesmarket.com. The phone number for the Birmingham store is 248-723-9400, and the Rochester store is 248-853-6263.
