Adventures in Nirvana

Nirvana exists and I have seen it with my own two eyes. Yes friends, in the form of Restaurant Depot it does truly exist. For foodies it is as defined by Webster: Nirvana - "A place of complete bliss and delight". This gem on Wilson Road is billed as the place where restaurants shop. You do need a membership card to make purchases, and this foodie was fortunate enough to have gained entrance to this Utopia of food!

May I just say this? Oh, wow! The walk-in cooler is a place where one feels almost compelled to genuflect. The hunks-o-meat will dazzle your eyes. The gorgeous produce will tickle your senses. And the wheels of cheese; oh my! It truly is one of the most magical places on earth.

Okay, you get the picture. So get on with it already, you say! Alrighty then...

One of the gals with us was a "Restaurant Depot Virgin", so we took it aisle by aisle. (Ha! Like I'm an old experienced pro! It was my 2nd visit ;-) So much cool stuff; chef's wear, pots, pans, ladles, gadgets, pizza pans/peel/screens, pastry bags, whisks, funnels,...and that was just in the first little section! I could just blog all day about this place, but I'll cut to the chase.

The cooler is where it's happening! Not only is the quality great, but the prices are awesome. Oh, did I mention the butter? Yeah, I had to take Dianne by the hand and lead her away. She was starting to swoon from all that Plugra in one place! And it was worth the trip to see Susan's eyes glaze over when we came around the corner to the cheese aisle. A woman smitten, she was. It really is incredible. No frills, but just incredible. Time ceases to exist when you enter the inner sanctum of the cooler.

Here is a little bit of what I got on our adventure today:

• a pizza screen (never heard of it, never knew I needed it til Dianne showed it to me)
• a roll of lean & gorgeous pancetta at an incredible price (did I mention I love this place?)
• a 9 lb bag of shallots to be split three ways (I'm going to be a sautéing fool!)
• a 4 1/2 oz wheel of Danish Brie (perfect for 2)
• a 10 ct bag of Greek pitas
• a package of frozen beef gyro slices (you know where I'm going with this & the previous item)
• a ginormous container of exotic dried mushrooms (also to be split)
• a half moon of Antonella roasted garlic, tomato & basil cheese (Antonella is a hand-crafted pressed curd, semi-soft cow's milk cheese)

So you see how this place can turn a girl's head? Thought you'd understand. If you ever have the opportunity to go to Restaurant Depot on a shopping adventure do not pass go, do not collect $200. (uh, maybe reconsider the last bit of advice; $200 can go a long way here!)

Here's to Nirvana on Wilson Road!