Oliver T's and Whole Foods Market - Going out to dine in, Episode I

Sometimes you want something good to eat but you don't have the time to make it yourself. Perhaps you don't have the time or don't feel like going out to a restaurant and sitting down for it. Maybe you're thinking ahead and you want something for the next day.

If you don't feel like getting take out from a restaurant you can visit either Oliver T's or Whole Foods Market for some excellent choices.

Oliver T's is located in Grand Blanc, Michigan, and can be easily found due to it's marquee style sign on the front of it's store. The first part of their store has a little bit of everything in it. From toys and tableware, candy to cigars, and gifts to picture frames. The rest of the store is all edibles. There is a great selections of shelf items that will make any meal better. Fresh foods of all kinds. A huge selection of beers and all other libations. Then there is the deli and the bakery. The deli serves up the "not your everyday sandwich's", and the bakery has some of the sweetest selections you can find.

When we were there last weekend I decided on a "Cajun Turkey" sandwich, and my wife got the "Tuscan Turkey". Mine had horseradish and a scallion remoulade sauce, and hers had a spread made with mashed artichoke hearts. We also picked up some "Salmon Spread" and crackers. All of it was very good!

We were also in the mood for dessert that day and wanted to try a cake. After hearing the run down of what was behind the glass we decided on a "Hazelnut Cappuccino" cake. Now I'm not a fan of coffee. I love the smell of it but don't like the taste. I do however like Tiramisu, so I was ok with this. The cake was good but was too heavy on the espresso for my taste.

Whole Foods Market has a few locations in southeast Michigan, (the one in Ann Arbor is our favorite) last weekend we visited the Rochester Hills store. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that this one had been upgraded. The store always seemed a little cramped with little room to move around in. But now they moved, just down the road! They took over a building previously occupied by another grocery store, with lots of room, and it looks great inside and out.

They are the world's largest retailer of natural and organic foods. Being a grocery store there are staple items we like to pick up whenever we go there: 365 Everyday Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Tea's Tea - Pure Green, and their Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad - which can be found in their deli. They too have a large selection of adult beverages. There is a salad bar that would rival any restaurants set up, hot food bars, prepared foods, deli, not to mention a sections for both middle eastern and Asian foods. Followed up by a great bakery with lots of bread choices and desserts to die for.

On this day we picked up one of our favorites, the "Smoked Mozzarella Pasta Salad", and also some "Cajun Potato Salad". Both of which proved to be excellent side dishes.

We stopped into the bakery for a dessert to help end the night. We found one that both of us could enjoy - "Chocolate Mousse for Two". It was so good and so rich we couldn't finish it and had to save it for the next day!

Our Tip: Both of these stores are well worth the trip. When you're at these stores please look through the whole store, who knows what you'll find! We plan on keeping the visits to these stores on the blog to further share their beauty.