Don't forget the Grove

The next block to the east of the Farmer's Market is the Grove. Foot traffic between the two is constant. I got the impression (and followed suite accordingly) that the FM is where you power up (with good eats), so you can window shop til you drop at the Grove, (and then go back to the FM and power up again...).



The Grove has an entirely different dynamic than the FM. The shops and environment range from chic to gaudy. I poked around places like Crate & Barrel, where I found a very nice little pot of ganache on sale (which I later spread on Madeleines from TJ's). I was also tempted by a mini ceramic "salt pig" I saw, but resisted buying (I already have too many cute containers for sea salt...). The few other shops of interest to me were the ubiquitous L'Occitane, and a wonderful little Mediterranean specialties shop called "O&Co."



I suppose the Grove is intended to evoke some kind of grandeur, but I found it a little inaccessible. Of course, that's probably not surprising, on a library-worker's salary... So, my visit to the Grove was short.



And in the end, I was quite happy to return to the Farmer's Market, and visit one of my favorite shops of all time: Sur la Table. Of course, my favorite is the original in Seattle at Pike Place--but I'll visit them anywhere I go!