Six (6) years ago, Tom's Market arrived in Tiverton, RI, where the CVS used to be before they moved. A nice little 'junior' supermarket, it's what I call a 'yuppy' spot...overpriced (very) but has its redeeming value...its ace, if you will...in the store-cooked foods section within the deli area.
Immediately we LOVED their Mini Meatloafs! Gravy added, garnished with an onion ring...just take home, heat it up, and voi la!
So the following week, we returned. No mini meatloafs, but they did have meatloafs with bacon and gorgonzola cheese mixed in.
Why? What was wrong with the regular ones? Dejected, we left.
Ten days later, we tried again! This time, Chourico and some God awful cheese. No plain meatloaf. Yet
EVERYTHING ELSE they've offered since Day 1 is in the display case, unadulterated!
Now I'm upset. (We drive a bit just to spend our money at Tom's, and they arent offering everything they did at the beginning.)
So I tune down my fear inducing look and voice level, and simply ask, "Why aren't you making regular mini meatloafs as a regular item? If you can add the crap to them, you can certainly set aside a plain batch or two to make a few plain ones each week!"
THAT accomplished nothing!
A year or so later, we spoke to a 'Regional' (three whole stores need a Regional Manager, but can't make plain meatloafs!).
He gave us some runaround, a free slice of plain meatloaf used in the making of meatloaf dinners (so they DO make it, but just not to stick in the display cooler) and assured us that, on any given, random day, we ought to be able to get regular mini meatloaf!
[Yes, I know...Kim Jung Un and Donald Trump want to blow us all up, and I'm irked over meatloaf! Welcome to my brain! The grass is definately not greener in there!]
Finally I call Tom...THE Tom, of Tom's Market.
He tells me that my request isnt that difficult, and not to worry. Our next visit in?
Meatloaf with blue cheese and goat milk, or some hoity toity crap, but NO regular mini meatloaf!
WHY ON DAY ONE DISPLAY YOUR OFFERINGS, ONLY TO NEVER HAVE THEM AVAILABLE AGAIN?
So skip ahead to last summer. The deli case offered Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad, which Melissa loved!
Every visit since? Following along now? NO Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad!
As I told you earlier, they are WAY OVERPRICED, but their saving grace has been their 'home cooked' offerings. But now that we've given up on those, there is really no smart reason to shop there anymore.
Week One: Little pizza slices, made fresh, and in a little bag...nice and moist! Deelish! Ever since the end of month six? NO PIZZA SLICES. How many more times should we drive there, only to find that, foolishly, they don't have what we've come to enjoy...but could, if they so chose? Very rarely now do we stop in.
The two stars are for their plain mini meatloaf...which we haven't been able to buy since Obama's second term began!
Everyone must make their own decision, however, and some of you might love crap in your meatloaf, and some of you might enjoy paying $6 for what the area supermarkets are selling for $3. Go and be merry. Enjoy the Meatloaf with walnuts and squirrel ragu...I shouldn't have said that...it might end up in the display case!
And, as always, tell them...Christian wants to know when you're gonna offer plain mini meatloafs again!
UPDATE: 4/23/18
Was in this morning. Walked out, my Italian temper in full flame mode, verbally expressive. Glen, Tom's partner, explained things. There was no Chicken Caesar Salad...due, Glen said, to the Romaine lettuce issue. Agreed. There were no plain meatloafs, because they ran out. There was no macaroni salad, which isn't made there, but which ran out. There were several other empty bowls in the case. The small pizza slices, on the counter in bags, is the fault of the overzealous, not so bright apparently, Board of Health inspector. BUT Glen gave me his personal contact info, and numbers to call ahead next time. A+ effort by the owner operator, which needed to be shared. read more