This was such a delightful find. Driving up to visit a few of my fav vegan spots in B'ham, I…read moredecided to change plans and veer east towards Arlington to finish my morning latte & oatmeal (picked up in Everett prior to) in a chill setting.
Located on the main drag, walking up to the storefront, the signage was thoughtful and pleasantly detailed. Venturing inside, the whole feel isn't much to brag about (mostly drab, outdated vibes and inexpensive lighting). There are a few spread out pieces of what appears to be 90's era stock contemporary Frasier-esque artwork along the walls to give credit there. Just really no "pulse" and understandably so during global health crisis.
The main reason I wanted to jump on here was for their SELECTION. Oh. My. God.
I mean, sure, you could find Lara Protein bars at WF, bulk spices at Central Co-op, natural/organic snacks at PCC, multi-purpose natural new-brand-to-me cleaner at Marlene's Market & Deli, No Cow bars at QFC - that's all definitely cool - BUT for a store of this size, in such a dated space and in this small rural town, the sheer selection of goods is really super impressive & truly admirable! Seriously, I was grinning at times like a kid in a candy store - and this tends to happen more-so when you can realize and appreciate certain things. Some lesser-known unique products that stuck out at a glance were D'vash nectars, Pukka Tea milled blends, numerous brands new to me, etc. I was so happy for this unexpected detour. Plus, they're just some of life's most interesting detours, anyway.
My curiosity was livid but I managed a small haul for a No Cow lemon meringue bar, squash/veggie/herb pretzels and GloryBee organic date sugar (I'd no idea approx 1/3 of date sugar volume has fiber - rad!).
One thing to note was that many items were "expired". Depending on the ingredients, expired items can be 1 of many things: 1) gross, toss out; 2) still edible but perhaps more bland; 3) still edible and wouldn't know the difference. Ask the online community if you want some expiry guidance or call them. Compared to perishables, shelf-stable product "expiry" limits technically can vary wildly from printed dates so just check & learn about them.
One older lady was working between the 2 adjacent spaces. She's really quiet and I didn't seek any help during my perusing but at checkout she seemed rather pleasant with a few questions I had and gave me half-off for the expired items.
Get your derriere up/down/over here and check it out for yourself with an open-mind to see where your eyes wander and products you learn about. if driving this far from Seattle/etc is discouraging, then just combine the day trip with other local activities/places to visit/try - make it a field trip!
*** This review was written during the local COVID-19 Advisory as businesses were limiting operations. Contact the business to verify operational changes ***