5 Awesome Things about the New Whole Foods Playa Vista

Playa Vista is probably one of the hottest communities in Los Angeles right now. It’s close to the beach and Santa Monica / Venice area, near the freeways, and is very family friendly. Many companies are now moving into the area too, including Google, who announced late last year that they purchased 12 acres of land in Playa Vista and plan to have up to 6,000 workers there.

One highly anticipated addition to the Playa Vista community has been the new Whole Foods Market Playa Vista. The closest Whole Foods for Playa Vista residents to date has been either El Segundo or the Venice location so this new opening is quite exciting for the local community. I had the opportunity to go on a tour of the new Whole Foods Playa Vista and sample some of their offerings before it opened and it is just incredible. Here are some of the top things I saw on my tour that I am most excited about:

1. Made to Order Poke – My jaw just about dropped to the ground when I saw that the new Whole Foods Playa Vista has Made to Order Poke. Yes, you read that right. Poke Master Mike lived in Hawaii for several years and learned the art of making poke. He has 22 different kinds of poke that he can make for you, and it’s all sustainably sourced. I am on Whole30 right and he made me a special poke sample with ahi tuna, watermelon, mango, and red salt with no sauce. It was delicious. He said all their poke is gluten-free (made with gluten-free tamari sauce) and if you ask him he’ll make a paleo or whole30 version of poke for you. Mike told us a story about how you have to be in the right mindset when you make poke. He learned this when he was in Hawaii and they told him if he didn’t have the right mindset, his ahi tuna would turn brown by noon. He says he always makes sure he’s in good spirits when he makes his poke.

2. Cold Brew and Kombucha on Tap- They are serving Stumptown cold brew and Kombucha from Conscious Kombucha (a Santa Barbara company) on tap. I didn’t get to sample either of these but I have never seen an offering like this at a grocery store before and know it will be amazing.

3. Active Living Section – This is an expanded section with everything you need for before, after, and during a workout. They’ve got activewear, yoga mats, water bottles, nutritional supplements and bars, and a bulk protein powder bin. Pretty cool. Right next to the active living section is an aisle full of household supplies and personal care products such as deodorants, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, etc. It was so crazy for me to see a row full of natural products like this. I remember when I was a kid and the only natural product around was Tom’s of Maine. This industry has come a long way in the last 20 years and seeing this aisle in Whole Foods Playa Vista lined with natural products like this just showed me how far it has come:

4. Sambazon Acai Bowl Machine- The first ever Sambazon Acai machine can be found inside this store. They’ll be making made-to-order acai bowls at their juice bar. Yummy! They will also have cold pressed juices and elixirs made in the store.

5. Instacart- Ever since I had Baby Awesome I’ve tried every delivery service under the sun. One I’ve been patiently waiting for is Instacart. If you haven’t heard of Instacart before, they are an online shopping delivery service. It costs $3.99 for delivery and there is a personal shopper who goes through the store and gets your groceries for you. The prices are the same as the store, too. The personal shoppers are trained to pick the best product and meats, too. So basically you will get better groceries than you could even get yourself. There are three Whole Foods locations that are currently Instacart hubs – Venice, Fairfax, and now Playa Vista. I really hope El Segundo is next! If your area does not have Instacart, you can sign up to be notified here. They are rolling out smartly and plan to move into the areas where there is the most demand.

Other fun things to note include a Paleo section of the produce department, an entire fridge section dedicated to gluten-free beer and cider, and the Astro Pub – the bar and restaurant on site that serves signature cocktails and all kinds of delicious food. I foresee many lunches, dinners, business meetings, and family outings at the Whole Foods Playa Vista in my future. Can’t wait!

What about you? What looks most exciting to you about the new Whole Foods Playa Vista? What special, fun features does your local Whole Foods have? Post in the comments and let us know!