Best Produce '98

Best Produce

Reay's Ranch Market
3360 E. Speedway Blvd.
4751 E. Sunrise Drive
7133 N. Oracle Road

READERS' PICK: Shiny, bright oranges and tomatoes welcome you to the produce aisle at Reay's, the place our readers pick year after year for exceptionally fresh, beautiful, or hard-to-find produce. Not exactly a bon marché, but still, it's a very nice market. Reay's carries both certified organic and above-average conventionally grown produce. Also, the atmosphere in the produce aisle is so soft and lovely, it's even become a renown pick-up spot. Hey, strawberries aren't the only thing that look good in diffuse light.

READERS' POLL RUNNER-UP: From bok choy to arrow root, lemons to Chinese parsley, if thou art a lover of all things vegetative, then thou whilst find the Holy Land of Produce in the 17th Street Farmer's Market, 840 E. 17th St. The market boasts an excellent assortment of traditional supermarket produce (fresher, in greater abundance, and even at better prices), a solid organic section, and an Asian produce section that'll knock your tubers off. The quality, variety, and prices will astound, and the professionalism and care of the friendly staff will ensure that you come back for more.

CLUE IN: In the wee hours of the morning they arrive like gifts from Eden at your doorstep--beautiful, perfectly ripe, seasonal fruits and vegetables. The plain brown cardboard box, dog-eared and relaxed by its recycled use, contains a mix of familiar and bizarre organic succulents, ranging from truly tasty carrots (when's the last time you ate a raw carrot that didn't have the taste and consistency of a matchstick?) and abundantly mixed greens, to purple potatoes and rosy red rutabaga. What could be better than delicious, organic greens delivered straight to your own home? No more standing elbow to elbow at the supermarket, squeezing mealy, flavorless tomatoes. The big box o' greens delivered by Boxed Greens, 1665 E. 18th St., is always full of surprises and often turns up a better selection than you can find at most area markets. They offer a weekly and bi-weekly deliveries of certified organic produce, in a variety sizes and tailored to fit your personal needs. They also offer bulk and dry-goods ordering for members. Call 629-0555 for information.

1997 Winner: Reay's Ranch Market
1996 Winner: Reay's Ranch Market
1995 Winner: Reay's Ranch Market