Wishes do come true. Several years ago I wished that Fairway market would come to Stamford, Connecticut where I live. I even emailed them, asking when they’d open here, suggesting that there would be enough of us in town to do justice to the store.

So, here they are, opening up in Stamford, Connecticut on November 3rd! The largest Fairway of all!

When I first read about the possibility that Fairway might open here I almost couldn’t believe my eyes. No, really, it wasn’t because of that email, I know.

I am not a witch ….

But I confess, I am addicted to the place. I usually go to the one in Manhattan on 133rd street, on my way home up the west side. But they also just opened one in Pelham Manor, and that’s only 30 minutes away, so that’s next best. And I occasionally find myself on Long Island to see my eye doctor, who just happens to have his office in Plainview, where there just happens to be an enormous Fairway, not to mention the one I go to in Brooklyn, when I visit my daughter.

Yeah, it’s a grocery store. So why do I find that exciting? Well, I am a food writer, so I look for good food and sometimes ingredients can get a bit boring, so it sort of lifts the boredom factor when you can shop in a place that doesn’t look like every other place and also has so many different high quality varieties and brands that you can’t help but be charmed by a can of beans or a bottle of olive oil. And also fresh fish and meat. And good bagels and some of the best fresh popped popcorn ever. I know that I can go to Fairway and get quail without even calling first to see if they have it.

But they also have plain hamburger and the usual groceries that most of us keep, like breakfast cereal and laundry detergent and soda. I can get kosher stuff. Good vanilla extract. Organic oats and quinoa. Even the milk varieties are interesting. Fairway is like a dozen specialty stores all rolled into one in a place large enough that you don’t have to go anywhere else to get what you need. And it’s not some prissy, too-pretty store either, that makes you feel either that you really don’t belong there or that you do and you’re among the elite.

It’s just a store, a really really good one. And I am lucky enough to get a sneak preview of the place, all 85,000 square feet filled with food and other stuff, next week.

So I’ll let you know what I find.