Black Sheep...I agree, no argument from me on your comment.
I tend to be more forgiving on a blog, but in the corporate world or on a resume, it it definitely disappointing. I still see these same individuals get promoted and if they are particularly technical it is overlooked, not my opinion of how it works, but still a fact.

E/C, I don't make a habit of correcting grammar and spelling mistakes. However, it does make me take them less seriously - both on a blog and in corporate-land. If you think it doesn't matter at work, you are kidding yourself.

Silence.kit, to answer you question YES it is too much to ask...you come off superior and this is a venue where people express their thoughts and ideas, and sometimes (as is the case with me too) the typos are easy to make, and there is no spell check or grammar check anyway. If you read papers written by high school student or even college students I am sure you would be horrified...the schools do not enforce spelling or good grammar..so go to the source, and this is not the venue to show everyone what was not enforced inthe schooling...I am in a corporate enviroment and the employees who are 30 and under often times use text abbreviations in their emails...so the language usage outside of this blog is far scarier...find a place to volunteer to make the world a better place as far as the english language usage

LOL I know exactly who that is.

Ha ha! that has to be it!

"The employees actually seem happy :)"

Well last time I stuck my head into the office to ask a question, the evening manager came out reeking of weed, a la Cheek and Chong, so that might explain why.

I would imagine that BM would be a nice place to work.
The employees actually seem happy :)

@ bmvaughn - I've been on both sides of the union table; as a steward and as management; and I believe that a union can (didn't say does, said can) encourage mediocrity. That said, BM is union but the family thats owns that small chain treats their people so well that they are the exception not the rule. Don't ding BM based on other shops.

Wow, if BM is union (along with Safeway) and WF isn't, I may actually shop more at WF. I've worked in both union and non-union grocery stores and far preferred the non-union. It was a much better working environment and people actually worked hard. At each of the union shops I went to, everyone knew that it took a lot to get them canned and did just above what was required for that not to happen.

"Hostess’s repeated anti-union remarks didn’t appear to have any basis in fact"

Who's facts, yours or mine?

Confidential to Allison: She's like that, don't waste your time.

Silence.kit, people dont like you two pointe owt there mistaks. Nock it oph.

Personally, I enjoyed this: "it doesn’t (does not) make sense."

Candice, you crack me up, too. Well played.

E/C - Is it too much to ask that people have a basic understanding of the language? Honestly, a mistake here or there is fine, but it's hard to take posts seriously when they screw up first grade-level grammar.

I'm not trying to sound superior. It's annoying.

Black Sheep:"Didn’t take you long to get on board with the bashing, did it?"

I'm sorry, it was not meant that way. Hostess's repeated anti-union remarks didn't appear to have any basis in fact, and I was hoping she'd realize that if I called her out on it. Her response makes it clear that my effort was futile. :(

Another stupid thing I just noticed... my comment about dirty jokes is numbered quite accordingly.

I crack myself up.

Ha ha E/C... you said "dangling".

Yes... I am retarded and can make a dirty joke out of anything. It's one of my many useful talents.

BTW... if you're against unions get a different job. Jeez. In my experience it's been very useful to be part of a union.

It's going to be very interesting to see what type of crabby comments are left once Red Robin gets closer to opening...

Silence.kit-
I think you need to start a "proper english" blog...god forbid you start on the english usage for texters..the next generation will hardly be able to spell let alone recognize a contraction, or even a dangling participle...this blog is for information, thoughts and ideas, not a lesson is english usage...we all now know you are at the top of the class...

I head Trader Joe's is opening soon, mid February here inBallard, also heard rumors that a Red Robin may also go in either there or across the street..any word on what is planned over there that isa not just speculation? Curious minds want to know.

Look people, "you're" is the abbreviated version of "you are." It's a contraction. When you use "your" instead, it doesn't (does not) make sense.

Thank God we aren't getting a Walmart anytime soon! BTW, I am very much pro-union!

"Hostess, your ignorant union-bashing remarks really add nothing useful to the conversation!"

Didn't take you long to get on board with the bashing, did it?

This comment thread is hilarious. Thank you for the late-night comedy!

viva la ballard market!

Ya know, in light of what we've gone through over the last 8 years I get a real kick out of the anti-union crowd...we were all getting tooled in in our collective nether regions by Neocon apologists. The only thing I enjoy more is the fact that they got it a whole lot worse than I did and seemed to have enjoyed the experience.

Sorry SeattleMama, but I absolutely call WF "Whole Paycheck'. In my experience, almost everything is exponentially more expensive there, and not justifiably so. I've had problems with their products being mismarked, and the experience of shopping at the WF on 65th is such a turn-off that I avoid it whenever possible.

Maybe it's good that so many people are excited for the new WF - shorter lines for me at my stores of choice!

E/C - Yes! I dig the Ballard Market wine selection - I can always find some goodies there, and their recommendations rarely steer me wrong.

Allison, your ignorant Whole Foods-bashing remarks really add nothing useful to the conversation!

Hostess, your ignorant union-bashing remarks really add nothing useful to the conversation!

80th and 24th fish market has the freshest.

Freshy so fresh.

"Not much is justified, and the union WONT back you up!!"

But they'll take their union fees.

Sounds as if we can all use WHole Foods and what differnt things they may have to offer. We buy all our meat and chicken at A& J Meats (butcher shop) on QUeen Anne- McGraw and Queen Anne Ave connected to McCarthy & Shilling wine shop, it has the best by far, hands down! Ballard Market is owned by a wonderful family from Bainbridge (Nakata's) I am sure there are a couple of other owners, but they have the Thirftway on Bainbridge, the Greenwood Market and also the Central Markets. I have not been impressed with the staff there or the prices, but they are definitley a niche...and I find that they often times have things I can't find elsewhere. Their wine selection is great too. Sounds like ther is a need for all, and it will be nice to have Whole Foods on the way home fromwork, just knowing how crowded Ballard Market will be...

Fred meyer has good price's but they treat their employees so terrible. i worked for them for 2 years and 95% of the staff is treated poorly.
Nothing is fair.
Not much is justified, and the union WONT back you up!!

I wish I had never worked there so I could still shop there... :(

Just a little nit, according to the Magnolia site, Whole Foods will be taking 38,000 square feet of the total 60,000. The other 22,000 will be sub-leased.

Sorry, I get annoyed when people call WF "Whole Paycheck". OK, yes, if you buy their bakery items, made to order dinners, salads (i.e. comment above regarding $27 for 2 salads) you will spend a lot of money. The WF brand, however, is very very reasonably priced and, in my opinion, high quality. Just be careful of the choices you are making while there and you can get some good deals.
Central Market has the best produce in town, and is overall the best grocery store in town. It is so worth the drive!

No unions but health care and benefits for full time employees and industry competitive wages. Plus you don't need to have a 'friend down at the union hall' to actually get a job there.

Where are the Wobblies?

Ouch Allison, I had no idea Whole Foods was non union. (I should have known of course, lazy thinking on my part) That’s a deal killer for me and I won’t be stopping in.

Also-- thanks to those who recommended fish places!

Allison and kj-- I absolutely agree! Let's start a revolution :)

Yes Allison- I agree with you! It is often too much smackdown and not enough discourse in the comments on this site (again not the geeky swedes doing in any way)....and I do hope people become more thoughtful in their approach to each other.
Or perhaps someone could just start a "Bitchy Ballard" site and then everyone could be happy.

Freddies is great if you like to shop in sweat pants.

Lots of BM and WF talk...where is the love for Freddies?

Yes, BM is union.Almost all grocery stores are union here, including Safeway and QFC.

Seattle is a very pro-union town, or at least it used to be--we have a pretty storied history in that area.

The snarky and nasty remarks on the myBallard site keep me from posting much or reading the comments. I do not blame the Geeky Swedes at all, and I love Phinneywood, but the nastiness seen in the comments kind of make me sick to my stomach. Hopefully things improve over time.

Ballard Market is a union store? One less reason to go there.

"I like Ballard Market, and they are a union grocery store"

Maybe that explains why there's usually only one surly person in the meat and fish section after 6pm?

There's a BNSF rail yard, true, but it serves freight only. Doubtful that "future rail service" along those lines includes future Interbay residents.

Bookreader I agree. InnerBay seems a great location for possible development. High-rises there would block no views and improve many. AND there are lots of existing tracks for future rail service.

At most I might go to Whole Foods a few times a year but if they can make a go of it I am all for them.

Don't know guys. Google WF and Organic Food practices. They talk the talk, but can't truly walk the walk. They can increase the wank factor fo the neighborhood, though.

The good news is that the other businesses will have a fighting chance to clean up the area, at least.

BM and the Fresh Fish Company for me! : )

We paid $3 a pound for whole fish at the Native Dock this summer but they were not catching much so it was limited .

I like Ballard Market, and they are a union grocery store. Central Market's not all that far away if I need more than what they carry at BM.

WF is widely known as "the Wal-Mart of the natural foods world" and I will never, ever set foot in one of their stores again unless something changes. Shop with your conscience at a store that treats its employees with respect and decency.

no frozen fish for me.

The price of salmon is directly related to the price of diesel fuel, moorage, and whatever else the Port of Seattle deems necessary to make the lives of fishermen more hellish. BTW, for all the non-natives out there, that fish you are buying is frozen. There is also a price we pay to get out of season food. If you want raspberries in December, you'll pay more for them. Salmon has a season, too.

how are the prices on the 80th fish market? We've been having a heck of a time lately because salmon has been ridiculously expensive at Ballard Market.

I miss the Butcher Shoppe too. My Dad used to take me there in the 70's every Christmas season to pick up potato sausage and maybe some pickled herring. We also went to Jones Bros. meats before it closed up.

I love Ballard Market produce - stick to the sales and the prices are as good as other stores, if not better.

By brother works at a WF, doesn't make a lot of money, and lives by this mantra, "Whole Foods Market is more expensive than inferior products at other stores - OFTEN less for the EXACT same quality - but getting good-tasting, good-for-you, and better-for-the-planet - and often the producer is, for a core population, worth it."

A Whole Foods for us and the rest of NW Seattle. If you thought rush-hour traffic on Elliott/15th was bad now, wait until the store opens up. That ought to add nicely to the evening commute!

This is great news for Ballard! Finally a Whole Foods for us. Welcome!

YAY!
Does anyone know whats going on with the QFC on 24th?

I sure miss the Butcher Shoppe on 65th. They cheerfully boned a leg of veal for me, and you could EITHER wait in line downtown for corned beef on St. Patrick's Day or stroll into the Butcher Shoppe and get it in a nanosecond.

Fresh Fish is great! HOWEVER, I have a friend who is a fish broker, and Safeway gets the marjority of their nice white king salmon.

I never shop at WF. I rarely shop at the Ballard Market,because the prices are exponentially higher on staples than QFC or Safeway. I tend to buy meat at the Ballard Farmers Market, which bears no resemblence whatsoever to what you buy in the grocery stores.

...or, i mean, BY christmas of this year.

so it looks like we can expect it to open around christmas of this year! that is what the magnolia blog says. that is quite awhile from now.

another vote for the 80th and 24th fresh fish market; it's the bomb.

also love ballard market - not had bad experiences there at all.

dvacc:
the fish place is on 80th, not 85th.

Actually I usually drive to Ballard Market but mostly for treat type food not real groceries. They sometimes have local berries and peaches earlier than other places and I like their bulk foods. Maybe I go twice a month? I don’t go shopping for a social life so they seem nice enough to me.

“Whole Foods is just a great experience created by brilliant in store merchandising.” I agree. I also do not go grocery shopping for an experience. Remember Larry’s Market?

I occasionally went to Whole Paycheck when I lived in the SW because they, and Wild Oats, were the only places where I could buy a decent piece of fish there.

I recommend Fresh Fish (80 & 24 next to Larsons). Great fish & great service. Try the crab cakes or the crab artichoke dip. Yum!

I special ordered some meat atWF for a special occasion and when I got home it was all wrong. They finally agreed to redo it. Was a lot of laughing and eye rolling between the butchers. Will not shop there again. Didn't think it would be such an ordeal to get 2x3 short ribs. I'll stick to beans and rice!

Fresh Fish Co on 85th is the bomb! The people there are very knowledgeable about their products and the prices are decent. I bought a bunch of shrimp, ahi tuna and scallops for christmas eve dinner and it was $40. Plus they have great homemade cocktail sauce and crab/artichoke dip.

Whole Foods is just a great experience created by brilliant in store merchandising. The quality is great, but it just doesn't make sense to make it your regular grocery store unless you have disposable cash to spend on groceries.

I haven't gotten the best service at Ballard Market, either. I would think it would be hard to not acknowledge someone while ringing up their purchases, but they can do it!!

I have consistenely received lack of acknowledgement or rude/no service at Ballard Market. Seems strange that the whole store can be this way, but after 20+ visits, I won't go back. Glad to see WF is coming finally. Trader Joe's & WF's will be my groceries of choice!

Time for a diet, magnolia....

While I am glad to see WF come to our area, I must say that their prices are crazy. Stopped by the Lake Union store to get a couple of salads for dinner. Worked our way through the tempting salad /hot bar and at the check out i was shocked to find the two salads came to $27!!! We did not go crazy, it was lettuce and meat and tasty stuff. they measure by the pound. they were big but not crazy big...not even the largest container. It tasted great but hard to rationalize spending that kind of money too often!

I hope they have plenty of bulk foods - even in their smaller store.

Nice to have another option in the general vicinity. BM is adequate, but they are significantly lacking in the meat (e.g. steaks, sausages) and bakery categories (no fresh bakery at BM). I'll probably still go to BM for produce, etc., but when I'm also buying food for grilling I'll probably just stick to WF.

it will be interesting to see how long the last. i am not a shopper because of the outrageous prices!

OMG - I'm astounded by claims of rude service at the Ballard Market. I've always been treated very well by the staff at the fish counter and the meat counter. They've cut to order for me and made suggestions about cooking. In fact, I love the entire staff at BM; I dish with the cashiers and joke with the produce guys. Its one of my favorite parts of my neighborhood.

wuh... ?

Ballard Market is nice, but it will be nice to have WF a little closer. Their cookies are awesome!

@ Hostess, I have also had rude service at the BM fish counter. The guy actually yelled at my 65yo father for getting to close to the glass when he was trying to figure out which filet he wanted.

That market at 80th used to be called fresh fish. they were on western Market for a long time. they have always been the best around for those in the know.

i can't for the life of me remember the name either but it is right next door to Larsens Bakery for any of you who may want to check it out!

gurple:
that fish market there is awesome. i live on 80th and frequent it once a week and have found them to be very friendly and knowledgeable. the fish is always so fresh & tasty!

The fish market on 80th and 24th (can't remember the name, but it's owned by CasCioppo) is consistently awesome. Since I'm usually buying fish on the day I'm going to cook it (as opposed to on grocery day), making a separate trip isn't a big deal.

Sorry Joey, WH will be right on my way to and from work every day. Too convenient. Plus I love their meat, poultry and fish section. The one over on 65th is great: friendly staff always willing to answer even stupid questions, lots of choices, more than happy to cut meat the way you ask -- Ballard Market doesn't come close.

It will be a lovely addition to the neighborhod, but I can walk to Ballard Market, so I doubt I'll go tto much. Maybe on the way home from the Shanty Cafe.

If you are looking for good meat cuts why would you not go to the butcher at the corner of QA Ave and McGraw?

Nothing like changing your mind a few times to send the community into a tizzy. Sounds like it will be a great place in the end.

But the meat and fish section at Ballard Market ain't very good and if you go after 6pm (you know, like many working people have to) you'll be lucky to find any help in that section. I've found the staff to be down right rude in the fish section.

I've complained numerous times but no luck. Sorry to say, that means Whole Foods for the large, expensive meat and fish purchases. Which probably means I'll grab other things while I'm there.

Ballard market has better produce and lower prices. I'm not a WF hater but we already have a better options in Ballard propper.

Yay! I think WF is great and can't wait to have one in the neighborhood.

Great news! I love their meat and fish counter.