One of the biggest challenges that I’ve found about moving across the country has been learning the new grocery stores.

In Portland, I had it down. I knew the layout of all the stores that I frequented, I knew the best backroads between them, and knew the best times of day to hit up each to avoid the 5pm grocery store rush (and then also rush hour traffic).

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The Hills Market Downtown | Bloody Mary Brunch

The second time that we drove out this summer (I drove once with Jeff, flew back to Portland, then drove back out with our wine, art work, and pups) my mom came with me, to keep me company on the road, help with the driving, and (probably more so, if you ask her) so that she and I could spend concentrated us time together before she headed back to life on the West Coast, and we started really settling in here in Columbus.

The drive back from dropping her off at the airport was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I cried the entire way home. (probably should have pulled over, but hey, hindsight is 20/20).

[bctt tweet=”Bacon Bloody Mary Brunch #cookeatexplore #brunch #bacon” username=”cookeatexplore”]

The NEXT morning, after a liberal application of under eye concealer, I wrote out my grocery list. And this was the stock the pantry list, the big one, that you always have to do after moving, that totally sucks, because you always end up forgetting just how much it sucks. And after moving across country, we were starting from scratch.

So I did what any rational person would do. I went to the closest Starbucks (of course I knew where that was), got coffee, then got a manicure. “

I got in the car, pulled out of the parking garage of the apartment we were living in, and realized I had absolutely no idea where the grocery store was or even what the local grocery stores were called. (Winco, Safeway, H Mart, and New Seasons (oh man do I miss New Seasons) were my go to’s in Portland, and there are none of those in Ohio.)

It was in that moment that the enormity of what we’d done really sunk in.

So I did what any rational person would do. I went to the closest Starbucks (of course I knew where that was), got coffee, then got a manicure. (that days version of war paint).

As I got my nails done, I flipped though the various yelp reviews of grocery stores, and ended up at Giant Eagle. (I’m learning to love it.)

I’ll stop into Kroger as well, but again, just not quite what I’m looking for in a market.

Then one night in October, after we’d moved out of that first apartment and into our house, I stopped by The Hills Market  on a whim.

LOVE IT.

Kick ass quality, amazing array of local products, and their bakery case!!!!

They are a specialty market, who also offers catering, cooking classes, delivery (!!!), an event calendar that focus on food and drink pairings, and everyone I’ve met who works there has been genuine, friendly, and made me feel as though I’ve been shopping there for years.

So when I heard that they have a Bloody Mary Bacon Brunch with a build your own bloody Mary bar at their downtown location, which I had yet to explore, I was all in.   Besides, bloody Mary’s are the best way to start a weekend morning, or afternoon. Whatever.

We squeaked in just before noon and loaded up.  When you walk up to the bar, they hand you a sheet, you circle what you’d like, and they build it right there.

The cheddar drop biscuits are AMAZING, and I absolutely plan on figuring out the recipe (so definitely stay tuned for that)  The way that we loaded them, they were more than enough for a full meal.

Next Saturday, March 25th, is the next Bloody Mary Bacon Brunch, and if you’re out and about, make sure you swing by, and if you, I’ll be there, say hi!

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