The Foodies Travel to Foodie Land

Earlier today the Foodie Girls took

the Foodie Boyfriend on a trip to

Foodie Land, aka Jungle Jim's in Fairfield, Ohio.

Nearly there...

Just a small portion of Jungle Jim's.



And yes, that is a real monorail up there.



"Jungle" Jim Bonamino plans to have it running eventually.





Welcome to Foodie Land!

When we used to live nearby and

the Foodie Daughter was younger,

she loved the jungle "animals".

Look,

they are welcoming us!

Unfortunately,

photography is not allowed inside.

What I can tell you is that Jungle Jim's

is six and a half acres of foodie heaven.

One full acre of that is devoted to the produce department.

Oh, and in 2007 Jungle Jim's won an award

for best restrooms in America.

A map of the store is a necessary item for the casual shopper.

It is estimated that 50,000 shoppers

visit the store each week.

If you go, it is best to go during the week,

as perhaps half the shoppers will visit during the weekend.


On this particular trip

we marvelled over the hunk of provolone cheese

weighing over 400 pounds

that was hanging in the cheese shop,

the $5,000 bottle of wine stored under lock and key,

a $200 bottle of balsamic vinegar (also under lock and key),

and the over 1,000 varieties of hot sauce displayed beneath

a 1920's firetruck.

Beyond that, it was a pleasure just wandering around

and seeing food items that are difficult to find anywhere else.

Need a sheep's head? They have it.

Want a calf's head? Check.

A package of duck heads? Got it.

What's that? You wanted a whole rattlesnake?

Sure thing.

How about antelope, elk or boar meat?

Just look over there.

Hard to believe that Jungle Jim's

started out as a roadside produce stand in 1974.

After spending at least two hours exploring the store

and its many departments,

it was time to head home.

But first we had to stop for gas and milk shakes.

And in Cincinnati there is no better place to stop than at UDF,

or United Dairy Farmers.

My chocolate malt was oh so very good.

Why aren't they in B-town?

If you are ever in Cincinnati,

you have to check out Jungle Jim's.