Store

It's apparent that the Type-A personalities have been hard at work here. The floors are shined to a bright finish, the shelves are stacked meticulously and each leaf of lettuce is in its proper place. The folks at Metropolitan Market have also studied up on what their urbane customers care about.

The thoughtful, extensive wine selection has been curated by an award-winning sommelier. Cheese? Please. Lots of it in European varieties, enough to make your French friends let out a gleeful "oui!" when you ask them to pick something up on their way over. There's a little United Nations of butter, too: Danish, Irish and Indian ghee (clarified). And when you're in that "I've got to eat something now or my young are in trouble" mood, a full deli serves up sandwiches. Also, a kitchen, staffed by nattily attired cooks, has entire hot dinners such as barbecued pork, teriyaki chicken and Tuscan polenta cakes. If you're in a gift-giving situation and strapped for ideas, head to the kitchenware section for linens, shiny copper pots, white ceramic olive trays and funky, funny coffee mugs.

Of course, if it all gets to be too much, what with the imported olives, dainty Parisian petits fours in pastel colors and free-range beef, take heart that there's a mighty selection of good old Jell-O, too.

TIP: Wondering how to de-bone a chicken? Want to try your hand at chateaubriand? Pick up a schedule of daily cooking demonstrations in the store.

By Vanessa McGrady
Special to NWsource