After going to a Hy-Vee grocery store in the Twin Cities area this past weekend, I have now realized that I need one near me at all times.

The Des Moines based company puts an emphasis on the customer experience, which you can tell right away. The place was as clean as any grocery store I've been in. The company is known for taking care of their own also, which I can appreciate. Along with being employee owned, Hy-Vee recently announced that they are now offering health insurance to part-time employees.

If you've never been to a Hy-Vee and you get a chance, go for it. It feels like a premium experience when shopping. The Starbucks right next to the checkout was a smart move, as all of a sudden I was in the mood for a Teavana Shaken Strawberry Green Tea Infusion by them. Point one for Hy-Vee marketing.

So I got to venture over to the meat department as it was a nice mid-70's day in the area. I wanted to get a couple steaks for my buddy as a thank you for letting me stay at his place for the weekend. First off, I love steaks. If done right, there's nothing better than a medium-rare rib eye in my opinion. So I get over to the meat department and what do I see? For the first time in my life I see a legit tomahawk steak. If you don't know what that is, just take a look at the video below:

The mecca of steaks. First time I've ever seen one in the wild. Now unfortunately my wallet wouldn't let me take one of those babies back, but just the fact that a grocery store has them available makes me think that these guys know what they are talking about. There was even multiple styles of rib eyes for me to pick through. If I was feeling crazy, one option I could've went with the "dry aged" steak, which is more pricey. Again, I've never seen that available in a normal grocery store. I ended up with a couple of 8 oz normal rib eyes and they were great.

The rest of the store mimicked the meat department in quality. You want fresh sushi? They got you covered with a sushi bar. The deli section gives me more selections then I can mention. The whole store just felt like it was run really well.

According to the Hy-Vee website, there's over 20 Minnesota locations. Now the question is, can we please get one in Duluth soon?

 

More From MIX 108