Mariano’s Grand Opening in Elmhurst!

Mariano’s is the best thing to happen to Chicagoland. Well, as far as shopping goes. I’m obviously a huge fan of the stores and was so excited to attend the Grand Opening of Mariano’s in Elmhurst on June 25. The people of Elmhurst are so lucky to have a bright and shiny new Mariano’s in the neighborhood!

The store opened up at 6:00am on June 25. And even though I have been counting down the days to the grand opening… even I couldn’t bring myself to show up at the crack of dawn. My guy and I did manage to arrive, fully caffeinated, around 8:30am. Rest assured, if you miss your morning cup of Joe, you can always get some at Vero Coffee & Gelato located in the store.

I’m glad we were able to get there so early, because the swarms of people didn’t start to arrive until around 10:00am. Yes, there were swarms. Cars not only packed the  parking lot but also lined the side streets for blocks on end. Hard to image that kind of response for a new grocery store, right? Well, Mariano’s isn’t just a grocery store. Every trip to Mariano’s is an experience unlike any other.

In addition to the freshest of fresh produce, Mariano’s also offers a variety of beautiful cuts of meat and seafood (which they will gladly grill up for you on the spot). They have a vast array of cheeses and wines, enough to satisfy any connoisseur.  This Elmhurst location is now the closest one to our home and I cannot wait to visit it often.

Something I’ve never seen at any other location is this cool bar area where they have specials throughout the day. As we were there in the morning, they had a yummy looking greek omelette with fresh fruit and a parfait bar set up. The chefs cook it up for you fresh on the spot and you can sit at the bar and enjoy your very reasonably priced breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

In addition to all of the amazing things that Mariano’s has to offer… they offer great prices. You don’t have to worry about paying extra high prices for your extra amazing experience. And for added benefits be sure to sign up for a Mariano’s Rewards Card.

If you’ve been on my blog before, you know that I have an unhealthy obsession with the bakery at Mariano’s but with pastries that look this freaking good… how can you resist? This fresh fruit tart looks like it was made for a photoshoot for Bon Appétite Magazine. It’s the amazing quality and care that the bakers put into their goods that makes Mariano’s stand out above the rest.

You know I had to take more than one picture of the bakery, if you’d like to see more from my tour of the new Elmhurst Mariano’s check out my Google+ album for lots more pictures.

Mariano’s is the first chain grocery store that I have ever been to that actually makes beautiful tiered cakes. I fancy myself somewhat of a baker and I can be a bit of a snob when it comes to cakes but Mariano’s definitely gets my nod of approval. They also offer Nutphree’s Cupcakes which are, of course, totally nut-free. And they carry Sweet Ali’s gluten free cupcakes. These things are TO. DIE. FOR. Omg. They taste like a sweet sugary heaven.

I didn’t want to bombard you with bakery shots… but c’mon. Look at the elegance of this red velvet cheesecake. Simply amazing.

It’s really the care and love that Mariano’s pours into their products and atmosphere that makes it so special. Even through all of the mayhem of opening day, every single employee that I crossed by that day had a smile on their face and seemed totally happy to help. It’s hard not to be happy when you see so many people enjoying themselves.

I mentioned the vast array of wines above, but seriously it’s insane. This is just a tiny fraction of what Mariano’s has to offer. One of my favorite things about Mariano’s is the way that every special area of the store has it’s own matching atmosphere. When I shop for wine, I’m suddenly transported from a grocery store to a fine winery with dimmer lighting and a more relaxed setting.

The cheese area transports me to a little shop in Italy where the cheese lines the walls and I’m surrounded by imported and domestic cheese and salty Italian meats. Okay, so I’ve never been to Italy but I’ve watched enough Travel Channel to know what it’s supposed to feel like. 😉

And then comes the floral department. I’m not much of a flower girl. I don’t know what any flowers are called and I don’t particularly enjoy the smell of them. But, the floral department at Mariano’s can really make you appreciate the beauty that is has to offer. During our trip some of the friendly ladies in the floral department were ‘dressing’ The Flower Lady (name is TBD, be sure to stop in and help them name her before she turns into a pumpkin, so to speak).

She wasn’t quite done when we left but the Mariano’s Facebook Page was updated with this gorgeous lady after she was fully dressed for display. Be sure to follow them on Facebook and Twitter to be in the know for events, new locations, and specials. You can also follow the hashtag #MyMarianos on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to see tons of new content about Mariano’s on a regular basis.

While perusing the floral department we saw this very cool looking bowl of succulents. What’s a succulent you ask? I have no idea, haha. But they looked gorgeous and the grand opening happened to also be my step-dads birthday, and he is a big plant lover so we picked up one of these gorgeous bowls as his gift.

Needless to say, he was totally in love with it. And he loved his birthday carrot cake which I bought from Mariano’s as well. Oh and I loaded up on fresh and spicy olives and antipasti from the bar at Mariano’s, because he loves that stinky stuff! 🙂

Hands down the coolest part of this new Mariano’s of Elmhurst is the “In The Kitchen with Mariano’s” area. This room has a full kitchen, a television, and a bar lined with chairs. Mariano’s will be offering a variety of cooking classes for it’s customers. How freaking cool is that? I could use some tips on cooking and already knowing how talented the employees at Mariano’s are I know we will all be in for a treat!

I hardly touched on all of the awesomeness that this new Mariano’s in Elmhurst has to offer. If you get a chance to visit, you won’t be disappointed. In the meantime, you can see some cool new ideas on their Community Page. And again, for tons more pictures visit my Google+ album or just visit the new Mariano’s and experience it for yourself. 🙂