Best Produce '95

Best Produce

Reay's Markets
Three (soon-to-be four) locations

READERS' PICK: Yams and tomatoes and eggplants, oh my! Cruising the produce aisles at Reay's Ranch Market, 3400 E. Speedway, is one of the more colorful ways of spending a shopping day. Traditional choices mix with fresh herbs, such as basil and oregano, plus there's an ambrosial selection of mushrooms and more exotic fruits and veggies. Besides, there is no better place for tomatoes, except in choice Jersey backyards. Reay's has always been dedicated to healthy food, and offers up two produce sections--commercial and organic. The commercial section sports high-quality general produce. The certified-organic area promises each choice to be pesticide- and fertilizer-free, grown on California farms that have undergone at least seven years of agricultural scrutiny by law-abiding agricops. The one drawback Reay's is famous for is--of course--their prices. Organic fruits and veggies tend to be even higher-priced than their commercial counterparts, and usually for less bulk per selection. Not that any writers here at The Weekly have ever indulged in this practice, but at least one community member has been spied disguising their produce. We won't name names.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: Smith's Food and Drug Centers, five locations.

STAFF PICK: TIE--Food Conspiracy Co-Op, 412 N. Fourth Ave., and 17th St. Farmer's Market, 840 E. 17th St. The produce crew at the Co-Op has made a Tucson tradition of stocking the section with great-looking and even-better-tasting fruits and veggies for years. They also provide a selection of local crops, from potatoes to melons, that appear to have gone straight from the ground to the bin that morning. The P.C.-looking staff is always relaxed and helpful, working in a non-hairstyle-restrictive environment where the question is not, "Paper or plastic?" but the Hendrixesque, "Are you a member?" The 17th Street Farmer's Market hasn't been open as long as the Co-Op, but nevertheless has stepped up quickly to provide some of the best values when it comes to the raw and the uncooked. The market has expanded to house one of our favorite spreads of fruit in town, with many Willcox organics, and an extensive variety of vegetables, including some surprising Asian specialty types that are sure to add a little Wang Chung to your Chung King.

1998 Winner: Reay's Ranch Market
1997 Winner: Reay's Ranch Market
1996 Winner: Reay's Ranch Market