We Are Going Where?

 On Christmas Eve, we were visiting our youngest daughter Katy in Austin. She was up early preparing for a big dinner party that evening. She said.”come on Mom, I need to go to Central Market”. Don’t know about where you live, but grocery stores on Christmas Eve here can be a nightmare! Although it is a favorite place for my husband Tom. He has always trekked to the grocery store Christmas Eve. He thinks it’s festive! I should have sent him..

Maybe you have never been to a Central Market…It is a Texas gourmet specialty store owned by HEB, which is a family owned Corporation. I don’t know how to explain it. It is a treat to the senses. You walk in the door and you are met by display cases full of chef prepared ready to eat food. Set up like a European market, you will find thousands of cheeses, wines, bakery items, flowers, prime cuts of meats and extremely hard to find produce, amongst the aisles of groceries.There is a place to dine inside and out and several nights a week a band on the patio. Did I mention their cooking school?

Here in  Ft. Worth, it is my closest grocery store. Tom and I go there several times a week for a cup of chef prepared soup at lunch. 

Sorry I do get a bit too wordy. Back to the trip with Katy…to her Central Market.

The thing that shocked me the most (other than the crush of people) was the fact that they are growing their own mushrooms! Because of the crowd I didn’t have time to read what kind of mushroom this is. One of my followers can tell us though, as her husband is a world renowned mushroom expert.

This case had tiny ones,

and this case had ones that were so strange …That I had to know more. 

So here ya go.. it's called Lion’s Mane. Have you ever heard of them? Not me!

Anyway…I actually enjoyed going to the store with her, and was amazed how efficiently they  handled the crowd. If you are ever in Texas, check to see if there is a Central Market. I consider it a tourist attraction!