BEST GROCERY STORE DEPARTMENTS
Price| Produce | Deli/Prepared foods | (Coming soon: Bakery| Butcher| Customer service | Seafood| Overall)
Most grocery stores don’t just offer ingredients, they also serve hot, ready-made foods so shoppers can grab lunch while they’re shopping or bring something home for a family dinner.
With all the options, we wanted to know which metro Phoenix grocery store served up the tastiest ready-to-eat food in their delis. So, we directly asked readers in The Arizona Republic’s grocery poll, which launched in early April.
We were certainly curious: would readers choose Safeway, with its prominent fried chicken stands at the entrance to every store? Or would they pick Whole Foods, which is known for its extensive salad bar?
Here’s a look at the homegrown market that took the title.
The people have spoken: Arizona-based grocery store has best produce, according to readers
AJ’s named readers’ choice for best deli and prepared foods in metro PhoenixExplore life in Chandler with these photos from the 1900s
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AJ’s Fine Foods claimed the title of having the best deli and prepared foods with 19% of votes, narrowly beating out Fry’s and Whole Foods.
AJ’s has 11 locations in Arizona, with all but one in metro Phoenix.
The grocer specializes in gourmet food products and has a bakery and deli with a pizza oven. The menu includes sandwiches, like a roasted salmon served on focaccia, as well as a rotating array of hot dishes, such as pasta with mushrooms or teriyaki chicken.
Each AJ’s location serves different food, said Sherry Powers, the bistro team lead at the AJ’s at the intersection of Camelback Road and Central Avenue in Phoenix.
Every day, the chefs decide what dishes to make for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sometimes they’ll pick a theme, like Italian Thursdays, or decide a menu based on what ingredients the store has.
“Pretty much everything is made from scratch,” Powers said. “It’s just kind of up to the chefs.”
AJ’s opened in Phoenix in 1985, named after Andrew Joseph Bayless, who founded the Bayless grocery chain in Arizona in the 1930s. Bashas’ acquired AJ’s in 1993.
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Reach the reporter at reia.li@gannett.com. Follow @reia_reports on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona supermarket named best deli for pizza and more
Dining and Cooking