T-Bones Market a Fresh Food Find

A couple of weeks ago, I got a Groupon offer in my email for T-Bones Marketplace in Wexford. I've noticed the sign for T-Bones over the years as I went back and forth to the freeway or Soergel's, but didn't realize it was a grocery store until this winter.

That's when I did an article on and its herb gardening operation. Then I learned that T-Bones employs some of the kids for various jobs.

When I saw the T-Bones Groupon, for $15 for $30 worth of food, I had a great incentive to check the place out.

If you don't know what a Groupon is, it's a coupon that comes via email and offers reduced prices on goods or services. Availability is based upon the number of people who actually purchase one. The idea is to get people to try a place or service they may not otherwise try, with the hope that they'll become regular customers.

My daughter uses a lot of Groupons. In fact, I don't think she's ever met a Groupon she didn't like. I've tried two so far -- one for a car wash I use anyway and one for a Japanese restaurant where the food was good but the hibachi chef was so obnoxious we probably will never go back. 

I have read merchant complaints about Groupon. Some research shows there is a high level of dissatisfaction from merchants who try offering Groupons, saying they lose money or that people try them once and never come back. More about that later.

T-Bones describes itself as a "Boutique Grocer," which to me implies fresh, interesting food. It doesn't disappoint. It has cases of both and ready-to-cook foods, as well as excellent selections of fresh and packaged vegetables and fruits and plenty of free-range and organic meats. The baked-goods section is particularly impressive -- especially for those with a sweet tooth or who like interesting breads. T-Bones also has the usual items one would find at a smaller market.

I've fallen in love with foods over the past few months. They're such a time-saver and often are something for which you can just add a vegetable or fruit to create a quick, healthy meal.

T-Bones has some of the best ready-to-cook foods I've encountered since I began exploring the great variety available in the local area. Most of the really good selections seem to be in the Wexford/Pine area. Lucky you.

On this visit, I bought groceries for a couple of days, including marinated beef kabobs to cook for that evening's dinner because I knew it would be late when my husband came in. I also got Portobello mushrooms to grill as a side dish. It was a very good meal, and there was an extra kabob for me for .

The employees were nice too, offering suggestions and waiting patiently as I decided what I wanted. The girl at the register greeted me warmly as well, but then I mentioned that I had a Groupon. The cashier's smile froze in place as if I'd said, "I have a gun," instead of "I have a Groupon."

She quickly and efficiently checked me out with the look of someone who had decided in that instant that she absolutely loathed me. It was kind of strange, but I didn't really want to know the reason for the change in attitude. I assumed that it was one of the supposedly 40 percent of merchants who report bad experiences with Groupons. I just checked out and went to wait for my friend near the doors.

As I was leaving, I noticed the woman coming in the "in" door had a Groupon clutched in her hand. I could tell it was going to be a long day for the cashier. But don't worry, T-Bones, I'll definitely be back.

Recipe:  Grilled Vegetables

Kabobs are good and if you buy them pre-made they're a fabulously fast meal, but they usually have just a few hunks of vegetables on them. A few days before I bought these kabobs, I made some steak kabobs at my son's request and served them with this grilled vegetable side dish, one of his favorites.  You'll need a  grill wok for this. They're inexpensive and can be purchased almost anywhere.

Ingredients:

This is what I use. You can use any of these vegetables alone as well, or in any combination. Also, zucchini, yellow squash and asparagus are good to grill using this technique.

• Olive oil to coat vegetables
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• Red, green and yellow peppers, cut into 1- or 2-inch chunks
• Button or Portobello mushrooms, sliced thickly
• 1 onion, sliced thickly or cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks

Directions:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Place cut up vegetables and garlic in a resealable bag. Pour in olive oil and toss bag to coat. You can let them sit for as long as you'd like from here.
3. Put wok on grill. Pour vegetables from bag into wok. Close and grill for 5 minutes. Toss with tongs. Repeat until vegetables are slightly charred and well-cooked.