G. Groppi Food Market

Groppi’s is the best local artisan and speciality food market in city. While they offer a strong selection of the staples, what makes this place unique is the more unique things - like the bakery, speciality items, prepared foods, and most of all - their butcher. When it comes to getting a fresh cut of meat or a just a classic homemade brat, you can’t go wrong. Recently I also got to experience one of their wine tastings which was an awesome experience, incredibly intimate, great wine and charcuterie pairing - insane value. Will forever be one of my Milwaukee staples.

Third strike today. First was about a year ago, when I purchased several containers of olive tapenade for a New Year's party, only to arrive home to find them completely rotten and expired. Second was maybe half a year ago, when a slovenly, larger, face-pierced younger woman behind the meat counter acted like my hot panini order was the greatest inconvenience she'd ever encountered. Third was about a minute ago, when I opened a package of Spanish ham that I had the same sweat-shirted employee slice for me today, only to find that she'd sliced it at at LEAST a size 3, when I specifically asked for size 1 slices. She did this because it was easy and quicker, no doubt, and I paid full price for thick, unappetizing ham for a dinner party tonight. Groppi's isn't a place I go often, because it's expensive. Now, they've proven to me that the price I pay isn't nearly worth it. I heard they just got a new owner. I hope that person fires some of those scowling, unenthusiastic teenagers ruining their business, and learns to loss some of their moldy product, though I'll never follow up to learn if they do so. Plenty of other places to buy your groceries, folks.