Randalls

The bakery here is a supporting character. The real story at this Randalls is the people. During the winter storm, manager Steve personally hunted down a yogurt that looked sold out, while Lucia and Jazmine bagged two separate orders without breaking stride. When a flower delivery went to the wrong address twice, Lauren in floral didn't pass the buck, she fixed it and hand-delivered a better bouquet. That's a crew that actually gives a damn, and I noticed.

The store itself runs nicer than most: good seasonal spread, fresh produce, a serious meat counter with chicken cut specifically for curries, which tells me somebody's paying attention to who shops here. The one knock, and it's a real one, is the bakery's 7-grain bread, which too often shows up smashed or half-baked into wet dough. Skip that loaf and you'll have a good trip.