Grocery Store Foods that Will Make You Feel Posh

I am an unapologetic food snob. However you will still find Slim Jims and Cheez-Its in my pantry, but not for children’s lunches. They’re for me. Because I like them. It doesn’t make sense, but it’s absolutely true. I will travel far and wide for specific types of food. When I travel somewhere new, I research what they have to offer in the baked goods and ice cream department. There’s a certain quality I look for. When it comes to the ice cream, they must offer unique flavors. All of the flavors have to have been concocted by the company in question. For me, if they offer lavender or violet or avocado or ginger lemon, we’re going there. 

For baked goods, the company has to be in love with carbs. They have to have a “good” rotation system in place so that the baked goods are always fresh. I have been to too many bakeries that don’t effectively rotate their baked goods. It makes me so sad because they put love into their art, but they’re not organized and it doesn’t help their reputation. If it’s a croissant, the laminations can’t be separated on the outside, to where they’re curling up, but the layers must be clearly visible when you slice it open. It’s got to be brown. I don’t do pale croissants. Cookies, gosh dang it, I’m so picky it’s not even worth the time. There’s one single solitary chocolate chip cookie recipe that I like, and I might have accidentally thrown it away today. Whoops! 

I’m also very much a Coke Zero aficionado. I have preferences on cans vs liters vs single bottles vs fountain drinks. Each vessel has a slightly varied flavor and fizz profile. My favorite way to get Coke Zero is from Sonic…it’s heaven in your mouth I’m still waiting for Coke Zero Cinnamon to come to the states. “Coca-Cola, hint, hint, hint.” There are a few things that are easily accessible, affordable and simple that you can pick up at the grocery store that will make you feel like a fancy food snob. Below is a list of my favorites!

• Toasteds Flatbreads crackers – these crackers have a beautiful texture with small crunchable seeds. The flavor of the cracker is slightly nutty, but also very neutral, making it great for serving with a dip, charcuterie or using as part of an appetizer. 
• Rosemary – it’s a flavor you don’t experience everyday and it’s so quintessentially mediterranean. I don’t know about you, but being anywhere in the Mediterranean feels romantic and fancy.
• Delyssa Extra Virgin Olive Oil – it’s sharp and fruity and it will make you feel like you’re in the Mediterranean. 
• Sourdough Bread – artisan made is my favorite because you can taste the love kneaded into the bread. Grocery store sourdough is also great, because the texture and flavor are robust. I often have a hunk of sourdough served with another hunk of butter for breakfast.
• Pasta – serve in shapes other than basic spaghetti and macaroni…especially if it’s made in Italy. Unique pasta shapes just feel a little more intentional.
• Sparking water – I have favorite brands, but this I think, this is something very personal (yup I’m weird like that). Seltzer water is so refreshing and zingy and there is nothing more posh feeling, than feeling fancy and free. My favorites are Topo Chico (great for basic everyday sparkling water or mixing mocktails), La Croix (La Croix has tons of flavors) and Aura Bora (Aura Bora has a completely unique range of flavors). These sparkling waters are very fizzy, with a smooth mouthfeel and they don’t leave a dry feeling in your mouth.
• Babybel – how many foods, besides fruit, are sold in netting? How many foods are sold with a wax rind around the food? Have you ever peeled the zipper off of a Babybel? It’s so incredibly satisfying. The wax and netting bag really do make it fancy and the flavor of Babybels is anything but basic.
• Refreshed croissants – refreshed croissants are unbelievable and make you feel like you picked up the bun right in the middle of Paris. Even if you’ve never been to Paris, I don’t need to explain the essence that lilts in the air in Paris and how that can make you feel fancy.
• Classico pasta sauce – I’m kind of in love with it… can I recommend the Cabernet Marinara? The flavor profile is completely balanced, it’s rich, not too sweet, not too bitter, it’s splendidly perfect. It tastes like you’re biting into the Mediterranean sun. 
• Pesto – where I live, pine nuts are extra pricey and though homemade pesto would be the first choice, having a few jars of premade on hand, allows you to add pizzazz to everyday. You can use pesto to make bruschetta, elevate sandwiches, make a unique pasta dish and salads. Pesto, like rosemary, is a flavor you don’t experience every day and tastes like a vacation in Italy or the south of France. 
• Eucalyptus or tea flowers (manuka) – This isn’t food, but a bouquet of greenery can do a lot to liven up your living space. When you feel like your home is alive, it feels more beautiful, when it feels more beautiful, you like it more, when you like it more, you do more to make your space better. Adding bouquets of fresh greenery has a lovely domino effect on your mental health. 

I have so many other foods I look for, study, research and critique, but croissants and ice cream are my favorite to work with. I can’t spend my entire life eating out, so I keep things at home that have the same effect as eating at the best restaurants. Maybe I’m a food “snob”, but maybe I’m ultra detail oriented.