Belltown Messenger

The Whole Foods supermarket scheduled to open at 2200 Westlake later this year is a score for the Belltown neighborhood because the quality of their food is so good. Yes, it's expensive, but it will still change the way downtown residents shop for the better.

The closest supermarkets to downtown right now are the QFC on lower Queen Anne across from Key Arena and the Larry's Market due north of there - too far for many downtowners to walk to toting bags of groceries. And besides, QFC has gone drastically downhill since being acquired by mega-chain Kroger. Remember the old saying "don't buy meat at Safeway?" That applies to QFC now too, where I've seen steaks that would make Upton Sinclair queasy.

Speaking of queasy, I once saw (now deceased) rock star Layne Staley at the lower Queen Anne QFC. He was buying an armful of sugary cookies and candy - I was buying quality beef. Those good old days are over, and I blame Wal-Mart, whose entry into the grocery business has impacted the bottom line of the other mega-chains, forcing them to butcher their standards of quality while simultaneously demanding unfair concessions from their unionized workers. Belltown does have three quality mini-markets City Foods, Dan's and Ralph's - all fine stores for convenience, but not necessarily a place to shop if you're cooking a fancy meal for friends.

When the Belltown Whole Foods opens, downtowners will have quick access to high end groceries within walking distance. Sure, it's pricey and the employees have kind of a standoffish, cultish attitude - but doesn't that describe a large chunk of Seattle citizenry anyway? Here are my nominations for the First Annual Belltown Messenger Grocery Store Awards. All stores must be at least a short bus ride away from Belltown.

BEST SEATTLE GROCERY STORE: Uwajimaya
BEST PRODUCE: Uwajimaya
BEST SEAFOOD: Uwajimaya
BEST DELI/FOOD COURT: Uwajimaya
BEST BUTCHER: Lower Queen Anne Larry's Market
BEST QFC: The upper Broadway QFC
BEST MINI-MARKET: City Foods
Did you know that there's a fish farm in Idaho that trucks live turtles to various Vietnamese markets every week?

We'll save that for some other time. -AM