FORBIDDEN FRUIT

Several weeks ago, a food store in north Naples, Florida, was all over the nightly news. Despite nearly two million COVID cases recorded in the Sunshine State, the owner of Seed to Table let it be known that customers didn’t need to wear masks. Nor did he require his 600 employees to wear masks. Then he posted a sign at the front door explaining why:

Seed to Table is less than four miles from our lovely rental condo here in Bonita Springs. Curiosity grabbed me. I had to check it out and see what the hoopla was all about. But I did not want to get harassed or stampeded by a mask-less MAGA mob either and I figured they might sniff out my Biden vote a mile away.

So I decided to go undercover and incognito. I donned an N95 face mask, covered that with a plastic face shield and plopped a large straw hat on my head which I then pulled low over my ears.  When Mr. Wonderful gave me a “Huh?” look, I knew I was safe.

It was 10 AM when I arrived at Seed to Table and the humongous parking lot was already full. Hardly a space left anywhere. A welcome sign painted  on the floor inside the entrance read: “There are no strangers here, only friends we have yet to meet.” Taking a quick gander, every employee I spotted had a friendly ear-to-ear grin — which, incidentally, is easy to see when they’re not wearing masks.

As I stood in the impressive produce section, I heard a serenading fiddler playing “The Irish Washerwoman” as he strolled past wooden counters piled high with ripe yellow peppers, lush heirloom tomatoes and crimson  strawberries picked, it appeared, less than an hour earlier. The decor is decidedly high class farmer’s market. The entire produce area looked like it’d been professionally staged for a “Fruit & Vegetable” magazine cover shoot.

While sneakily trying to snap photos, an officious looking manager-type woman approached me. Uh oh. She was mask-less but, noticing my full facial rig and perhaps sensing my membership in the Dr. Fauci fan club, she immediately pulled on her mask, then asked if I needed help. We chatted briefly and I continued my surreptitious snoop.

Scattered throughout this spotless store are Costco-like food stations.  “Come try our Cheese” featured a delightful brie. The crab dip station offered an irresistible BOGO — Garden of Eaten’ Corn Chips. I didn’t resist. And I’d say half the customers wore masks.

It’s apparent that people don’t pop into Seed to Table just to buy a dozen eggs. This 75,000-square-foot superstore is also a gigantic entertainment center with eateries galore, open seven days a week, 7 AM to 10 PM. 

You can order burgers, tacos, smoothies, pizzas, almost anything you’re craving, from the row of food outlets lining the back of the store. There are wooden tables and eating areas everywhere. And here’s the bonus: to wash down your meal, order a cold one or a vintage Josh sauvignon blanc which is delivered right to your table, via GPS, all the while listening to live musical entertainment every night. 

Back in my car, I splashed Purell over my entire body and thought: this place is amazing.  It’s like forbidden fruit. Tempting. Dangerous. And who can forget what happened to the first couple. Still….I’m glad I went.