So, as I seem to be the only Australian who has never been to the store before, I naively strolled into Jones the Grocer to buy something for dinner.
grocer [groh-ser] noun the owner or operator of a store that sells general food supplies and certain non-edible articles of household use, as soaps and paper products. Origin: 1325–75; Middle English < Old French gross ( i ) er wholesale merchant.
But....
I kind of liked the look of the cafe, so I arranged to meet a couple of friends there a couple of days later. Walking into the architecturally slick shed at noon with a grumbling tummy, I found myself in a much more positive frame of mind. No disappointment, no confusion, just awe and hunger. This time I loved it, and not just because I discovered the cheese room hidden at the back of the store.
We sat on the couches and ordered off a menu both tempting and comprehensive. My coeliac and totally sugar and dairy free friend managed to find something (no mean feat), as did the health nut, and me, the lover of all things rich and fattening. There is breakfast, sandwiches, salads and real main courses. I had the grilled chicken with harissa and couscous. If I had seen the desserts earlier, I may have started with something lighter. Nevermind, I was more than satisfied.
It's not just a cheese room, but a deli. There are more than 50 varieties of cheese - soft, hard, white, yellow, blue, cow, sheep, goat, with or without rind, aged and fresh. Not only that, but the accompaniments - moscatel grapes still on the stalks, verjus, quince paste. Then there is the meat section. No pork of course, but so much more than Carrefour or Geant seem to rustle up - bresaola, chicken chorizo, lamb salami, smoked turkey. All sliced with a beautiful red-enameled manual contraption that makes my friend want to go into the business.
The area is tended by a British lady who knows and loves the product. She's happy to let you sample, and in fact, encourages it. This is what sets it apart from the Galeries Lafayette cheese room, and will make me return - not the prices, which are probably as sharp as a mature Stilton, but the fact that she will make sure I get exactly what I want - it saves money (and heartburn) in the long run.
So. Lesson learned. First impressions count, but only until they are quashed by superior secondary ones. Go to Jones, but not for groceries, and you will definitely NOT be disappointed.
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Jones the Grocer is located on Sheikh Zayed Rd in Al Manara. The easiest way to get there is to take the Al Thanya exit and backtrack along the sliproad. Trading Hours are 8:00am - 10:30pm except Friday, Saturday, and Public Holidays: 9:00am - 10:30pm
There are also venues in Abu Dhabi, and this is where they initially entered the UAE market. They are more established, and apparently more comprehensive than the Dubai version. They can be found in Al Mamoura, Kalidiyah and al Raha Gardens, with another opening in Sowwah Square soon. From what I have heard, one of them also has a liquor license. www.jonesthegrocer.com
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