How to Foxtrot

I don’t know exactly why, boredom and defiance I suppose, but in early October I decided to stage a boycott. Since early March I’d been feeling like a doomsday prepper, meal planning for at least a week at a time, then making one, long agonizing shopping trip. Prior to COVID-19 and the great pasta, bean, and yeast shortage, I hadn’t been much of a meal planner, rather my meals were driven by spontaneity and hankerings.

So, earlier this month I boycotted meal planning and arduous trips to the supermarket and lived, instead, by eating at Foxtrot Market for three meals a day for four days. Why Foxtrot? I considered it an experiment and a need to change my routine. I visited both local Foxtrot Market locations: Snider Plaza and McKinney Avenue.  There, I found everything I needed except for fresh produce.

To be honest, I’m typically not a grab-and-go gal. I’m always a little suspicious of food that’s premade, prewrapped up, and sitting in a cooler with a “best by” sticker plastered on it, but decided to use my boycott to boycott boycotting grab and go.

Many of Foxtrot’s salads, sandwiches, soups, bowls, and other grab and go meals are inspired by international cuisine.  Flavors from Korea, India, Asia, the Mediterranean, Mexico, and Spain are alongside traditional American standards. Nothing I tasted was boring, except maybe the Chicken Noodle Soup which I improved by serving cheese and chive biscuits from Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits which I found in the freezer section.

Two standouts I recommend are the Aloo Gobi salad with roasted potatoes, pickled cauliflower, kale, lentils, bell peppers, and serrano peppers with a sweet-ish fig masala vinaigrette and the Carnitas Bowl with Mojo braised pork, brown rice, black beans, and vegetables with a poblano crema. The carnitas bowl was dinner one night, which I served with chips and Sarah Jane’s Finest Gourmet Queso.

Foxtrot has an abundance of snacky foods. This is a merchandising strategy that speaks to my heart. One night, my husband and I enjoyed a charcuterie spread with Calabrese, Proscuitto, and Iberico Ham from Creminelli, La Quercia, and Fermin and cheeses from Kindred Creamery and other brands. The selection at Foxtrot is all premium, but I didn’t consider the prices to be out of line as I have found in other “luxury convenience stores.” 

There was also a Dill Pickle Dip that I tried on a lark, which was so good (if you like pickles), an addictive BLT dip and the Fresno Chili Hummus which was great – creamy, little-to-no garlic and a nice punch from the Fresno chilis.  Foxtrot has plenty of chips and crackers, including several gluten free options.

From Foxtrot’s extensive wine collection, which includes big red cabs such as Silver Oak, light wines such as Chablis and everything in between, I picked a Rickshaw Pinot Noir only because it rhymes with Kickshaw, which is part of the name of my food blog, The Kickshaw Papers.  It was a great pinot with black cherry notes and only $15 per bottle.

Foxtrot also carries some grocery staples, including Allen Brothers steaks, which we grilled one night and ate with Foxtrot’s Kale Caesar Salad.  For dessert, we devoured Haute Sweets Patisserie’s chocolate cookie cream sandwiches which are in the refrigerator section near the dips.

The refrigerator section has staples such as milk, eggs, butter, and bacon, and the freezer section is loaded with pizza and other frozen dinners. What’s most impressive about this section is the amount of beer and ice cream Foxtrot has. Forget Baskin Robbins, just come here and pick up a pint or two of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams.

There are a few fresh-made items to choose from here.  The Avocado Toast is a must-try – avocado, orange slices, feta cheese, radishes, and microgreens beautifully arranged on a slice of thick toast.  Breakfast tacos and sandwiches, including a beef tenderloin with Korean Gochujang sauce and cucumbers are also high quality and tasty.  

Foxtrot partners with local companies such as Bisous Bisous Pâtisserie and Haute Sweets Patisserie for croissants, macarons, and other desserts and pastries.

Prior to this experiment, I did not consider using Foxtrot as anything other than a place to grab a quick iced tea or coffee.  Honestly, I just didn’t know how to Foxtrot. My husband and I ate 12 consecutive meals from one, small market that also serves as a specialty wine and beer shop, social hub, study hall, meeting place, and gift shop.  We picked up the food and we used Foxtrot’s one-hour guaranteed delivery service. We never ate the same thing twice (except the cookie sandwiches) and spent less on groceries during that four-day period.

Both locations have large, pet-friendly patios for outdoor Foxtrotting. There are plenty of seats inside with some folks wearing masks and some not.  All employees are masked, and, per the state mandate, guests are required to wear them inside while not eating or drinking. Snider Plaza’s adjacent parking garage is very convenient with loads of open spots.  The McKinney Avenue location is a little tricky on the parking, but there are two spots up front for grab and go, or for delivery.

For more information and hours of operation, visit the website.