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Just outside the bakery was a display showcasing products from a preserves and nut butters brand, Stonewall Kitchen.
On the shelves were packages of Gelson's brand meat. At $15 a pound, this New York strip steak was on the pricey side, but it looked pretty high-quality.
I briefly considered getting poké for dinner, but once I looked at the ingredients and price — $18 a pound — I decided against it.
The fish in the case was not nearly as impressive as the colorful, shiny fish in Wegmans' sushi case.
Overall, there weren't that many Gelson's brand products. But most brands were local or organic, or some combination of the two.
Sure, there wasn't a whole lot of Impossible on the shelf. But it was still there, and it was there first.
Next, I dipped into the wine, spirits, and beer section. There were a few restock carts sitting in the aisle.
Most of the offerings were on the pricier side. Gelson's brand wine was sold next to Francis Ford Coppola's wine brand.
However, I also found an incredible deal on apple pie-flavored moonshine. As a "Justified" lover and Margo Martindale fan, I had to try this.
Mags Bennett, Martindale's character on "Justified," is known for her signature moonshine, which tastes like apple pie.
Like Wegmans, Gelson's had a kombucha fridge. However, all these pre-bottled kombuchas were outside brands.
When I looked up I noticed that the walls were lined with star-studded moments from Hollywood's history.
But the store didn't feel quite as glamorous as it could have, despite a wood-paneled display fridge for fresh-cut cheeses.
It was the first time I'd seen a wooden fridge, but this party platter inside looked less than festive.
But the average shopper can't live on splurges, and it was clear that even everyday products from normal grocery brands had some pretty significant markups. These Knorr chicken bouillon cubes cost $2.79 a box at Gelson's, but cost only $0.98 on Amazon Fresh.
Source: Amazon Fresh
$9 for a rotisserie chicken wasn't atrocious, but it was definitely on the high end of what I'd expect to pay.
All the eggs on the shelf were pasture-raised, organic, free-range ... you get the idea. A Gelson's dozen cost $4.50.
At first, I balked at paying $5 for discounted butter. But it was hand-rolled. Maybe it was worth the premium over the regular stuff.
And honestly, most things at Gelson's took me on the same buyer's journey: this is too expensive, but wow, it's really nice, maybe it's worth the extra money.
There was a fresh flowers and balloons section that sold everything from holiday wreaths to orchids.
The produce section felt almost unbelievably overpriced. I could never justify paying $7 for a mango, even if it was from Australia.
However expensive it was, I had to admit that the produce section was fresh, colorful, and full of variety.
Here's where Gelson's really one-ups Wegmans. It not only has its own house brand of kombucha, but it also has its house brand kombucha on tap with reusable glass growlers.
Wolfgang Puck Express is a gourmet fast-casual and foodservice brand, but the food left in the case wasn't too appetizing.
The employees behind the counter were friendly and helpful. They offered me samples, and eventually I went with a superfood salad with Brussels sprouts and lemon vinaigrette.
I left Gelson's feeling disappointed. My visit didn't spark the joy I had hoped, and I just didn't understand how the chain had won the "Best in the West" award. I've been to other grocery stores on the West Coast that were far more impressive.
Even though Gelson's had high-quality products, I didn't feel like most of them justified their even higher prices.