Gelson’s Market

K so I love this place and I’m here allllllll the time! I don’t mind paying a bit more for fresh and good food BUT I’m giving gelsons 4 stars because their salad bar has welted lettuce at least once a week and it gets annoying. I go here 3 – 4 times a week and I’m noticing the salad bar needs to be maintained. If I’m paying 12 bucks for some lettuce and quinoa, I want the freshest of the fresh.
Besides that, they have amazing pizza, sandwiches, poke, customer service, and etc. Oh and their bakery is out of this world!!! I’ve tried just about everything here.

Located in the same plaza as TJ Maxx and Rite Aid.
My husband and I came by here last night just to browse since it has been awhile since we were last in a Gelson’s. When we first entered, we saw the bakery to our left. There were some beautiful looking macarons, pastries, cakes and other baked goods here (but not cheap).
We walked around the rest of this place. I liked seeing the seafood salad bar (which included offerings of poke, crab salad and seaweed salad), soup bar, butcher (the restrooms are near this area by the way), juice bar and hot food items behind a display case (all of which looked really good).
The store was clean, but being that this is a gourmet market, it is expected for prices to be higher than other markets. Employees we saw were not overly friendly.
I think I still prefer Whole Foods over Gelson’s though.
By the way, there is free WiFi here.

This was my first visit to a Gelson’s market, and I was of course impressed. I would call it Concierge Groceries. Very high end, with prices to match of course.
I felt like a bum, a slob coming straight from a landscape job in the area. Everyone else was dressed nicely.
Gelson’s deli section is the best. I picked up a Tri Tip Roast. It cost a hefty five dollars per pound more that the Tri Tip at Albertson’s, but Gelson’s was much leaner.
Even chicken wings were pricey at $ 9 a pound, mashed potatoes were more than six dollars a pound.
I asked them to weigh a Prime Rib Roast and it came out to $ 100! I thought the deli worker was kidding me, but then I realized he was serious. His coworker suggested I get the Tri Tip instead, and brought out two of those roasts to tempt me.
The service was infinitely better than the deli at Ralph’s on Atlantic in Monterey Park where I usually shop. As if we were on another planet!
The pastries in Gelson’s bakery were also dazzling.
I’ll still buy most of my staples at Food4Less, at the other end of the grocery store spectrum, but I will occasionally splurge at Albertson’s and Gelson’s.

I love this place. I drive well out of the way to do my shopping here. It is clean, perfectly stocked at all times. I have never had to ask if there was something more in the back. The food is fresh in the deli/​hot food area. The quality of food is exceptional as well. The store is so clean too!
Gelson’s online customer service is also top notch. I emailed and inquired as to whether one day nutritional information would be available and received an email from Gelson’s executive chef with the detailed information on the dish examples I gave in my email to them as well as offering to provide information on anything else I wanted until they had it publicly available. IMPRESSIVE!

Gelson’s had one of their periodic lobster sales over New Years: $ 9.99/lb. Lobsters were each 1 ½ lbs! Fantastic Sale. We really enjoyed New Years eve,

Love, love this market! I’ve never heard of it because there isn’t one close to home but this was a great market. It’s clean, and has a great variety! I came in the morning and the deli staff was so helpful. The salad variety is amazing! I found everything I needed or was looking for. A little pricey but worth it!

I wish we had something on the east coast as high quality as this little supermarket that has popped up here in La Canada since I have left. Gelson’s is situated where the old Vons used to be and sit comfortably next to Los Gringos Locos and in the same shopping center as La Canada Books and Toys. Of the various supermarkets that you can go to in the area, Gelson’s is probably the most high end, varied, quality place you can shop with a load of different fresh produce and a line of meats and fish that will rival a Whole Foods. There is no Whole Foods in La Canada and as such this is your alternative and honestly I would prefer this over a Whole Foods.
I have been looking for some fresh tuna and this was the only place in the city that had the quality that I was looking for. If I were looking for steak then this would my choice. All their meat appear fresh and are all nicely displayed. Nothing off color or wrapped with liquid pooled at the bottom. They really do do a great job keeping up appearances.
The shopping center’s parking lot is always busy which is a pain but there is high turnover so you should be able to find yourself a spot without any problems.

This place definitely meets my high standard. All the high quality ingredients I need for my gourmet cooking is available. They have a lot more stuff than sprouts. Besides, Gelsons has the best orange juice. They are fresh squeezed and so sweet to the taste. Absolutely delicious!

I heard that Gelson’s is a «high end» supermarket w/​prices to match so I made a strategy of buying only things from Gelson’s which are not common in other chain supermarkets but are of superior quality & worth the premium price. For example:
1) I buy their organic lettuce, broccoli, & other vegetables that have a high surface area which may otherwise absorb insecticides & herbicides. Perhaps no amount of soaking in water will get rid of all the pollutants in non-​organic produce so I feel that buying more expensive organic produce is worthwhile. It may be my imagination, but I find the green lettuce at Gelson’s tastes better, & fresher w/​a slightly wilder, green bitterness.
However, I do not buy organic vegetables & fruits where I can peel the skin which gets rid of most of the insecticides. Hopefully, farmers are not using systemic poisons to kill insects in produce & fruits since the roots or leaves would pick up the poison & spread it throughout the plant including what we will eat. Such are the dark days of mega corporate owned agriculture that we live in.
2) The meats here are not injected w/​growth hormones nor antibiotics. They do cost more, but I would rather pay more for wholesome meat than animals injected w/​hormones or antibiotics that will sicken me in the long term. I find the beef here to be particularly flavourful w/​a beefy meaty flavour, & tenderness.
Yes, eating too much red meat almost everyday may cause colorectal cancer, but an occasional indulgence should not be too deleterious especially when eaten w/​a lot of colorful vegetables w/​plenty of antioxidants. Also the expensive meats here may lessen our consumption of meat so that we become healthier.
3) Certain specialty items not found in other major chain supermarkets are stocked at Gelson’s such as Olio di Tartufo Nero et Bianco/​Black & White Truffle flavoured oil; high premium European & American cheeses; Truffe de Bourgogne/​summer or Burgundy Truffles; high end salts such as Sel de Fleur de Guerande or de Camargue; Rotisserie Half Duck Partially Boned by Maple Leaf Farms; McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream, etc.
Fortunately in my local Glendale Newspress every Thursday that is good until Sunday, there is a coupon for $ 10 off a purchase of $ 50 which is theoretically 20% off. The staff generally is helpful & friendly. The manager w/​the moustache was especially helpful & kind on my first visit to Gelson’s La Canada in August. 4+ Unilocal stars for a grocery store that dares to stock truly superior items in taste, quality, purity, & specialization.

Jasmine is the friendliest cashier there! The management and all the staff in the various stations are also friendly and professional. I just love Gelson’s! The discount coupons in the mail really help the bottom line also. Carry-​On Gelson’s

This Gelsons market is always super clean and tidy. I truly enjoy shopping here because I quickly find whatever I need thanks to the friendly employees — like Ed, who works in the wine section and is its resident aficionado on the subject. Compared to other nearby markets, the wine section at Gelsons is quite impressive and Ed went out of his way to locate each of the brands I was looking for that day. Hats off to Gelsons management, staff and especially Ed!

Now I know that they carry the Aris Natural Yogurt. I was a happy kid.
Staff were super nice and helpful. They also have a wide variety of coffee and most of them are Peet’s Coffee brand.
I am thankful. :)

I love Gelson’s this place will never let you down. everything is fresh.
If you ever go there try the Envy apples.
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First off, I’ve shopped here a few months ago and felt it was worthy of a Unilocal review. Well, I found out I was not allowed to take pictures. The Manager was very nice about it though, and I got the message. I kinda feel like a spy though…
Anyway, this is the best Gelson’s I’ve been to because it is full service, and kind of reminds me of Whole Foods Market, in that they serve prepared foods and a nice wine collection. I feel everything in the store is fresh and kept stocked routinely, so nothing is on the shelves too long.
As for the produce, fruit are coming in season and are fresh and sweet. Samples are available for tasting and are usually delicious. I would recommend this Gelson’s for anyone wanting quality food at a somewhat reasonable price.

I like this place only because it’s like ‘whole foods’ but closer to where I live. Prices are a bit higher than other places, I’m assuming because it’s in la canada. Tuesdays they have a special for the salad bar, $ 7.99 for a pound. Overall they do have a lot of items that interest me. They have Peet’s coffee and tea inside the store with AMAZING freshly baked goodies, such as pastries, macaroons, cakes, cookies, etc. They also have a huge selection on alcoholic beverages.

You know I love the heck out of their Wolfgang Puck Express — killer pizza, calzones and salads! But the rest of the store is a bit too froofroo for me. Not sure what the big attraction is that justifies paying 20% more across for the same bloody goods?!
The store is for people who have more money than sense. Staff is very friendly… but hey Bounty towels are the same everywhere!!!

While I was away in SD, not one, but TWO specialty/​fine foods markets opened up in town. Gelson’s took the spot of Vons on Foothill and Sprouts opened up… up two blocks on Foothill. I’ll pause for an eye roll.
Yes, it’s excessive. Yes, prices are outrageous. But this city is the prime market for these types of grocery stores. People here come in flocks to enjoy the brand experience created by these «gourmet», «organic» stores. I dropped in to see what all the fuss was about.
First of all, the interior of Gelson’s is beautiful. On the scale of supermarket beauty, it ranks ¹⁰⁄₁₀. It makes other lowly supermarket chains feel bad about themselves, what with their scuffed linoleum floors and partially stocked aisles. Gelson’s is the cleanest, brightest, most impeccably organized market I’ve ever been in. Each aisle was fully stocked – no empty pockets on any of the shelved displays. I felt like I had walked into a Stepford Wives movie, where nothing is out of place, EVER. Side displays were lined with Voss waters, imported chocolates, and artisan everything.
The quality doesn’t stop with the interior decoration and Stepford-​style organization. I really have to commend Gelson’s on their customer service. When you’re willing to pay this much for groceries, you’re paying just as much for the shopping experience as you are the food, and Gelson’s understands that. I was casually perusing the gourmet cheese section, minding my own business, when an employee approached me and started giving me an extremely insightful breakdown of the specific cheeses I was looking at– background, flavor profiles, pairings, you name it. She even went behind the bar to cut me samples of the cheeses without me even asking! I was really impressed with her knowledge, initiative, and attentiveness.
Service over at the Wolfgang Puck express-​serve station was similarly awesome. I felt way more like a valued customer than I’ve ever felt at a market before. This is the experience Gelson’s aims to provide through its high standards of quality, and I must say, they’re doing it right. They serve a niche market for sure, but I can see why they’ve amassed such a loyal customer base.
Don’t come here if you’re ballin’ on a budget! Otherwise, enjoy. (RIP Vons)

I really wanted to give Gelsons 5 stars because I love the Renauds patisserie & bistro section and one of their employees, Sara who is definitely the nicest employee I’ve encountered there. The pastries are delicious… I’ve tried their pan aux raisin (my fav breakfast item), chocolate brownie, plum tart, apricot tart, pumpkin tart, caramel & hazelnut macarons, & chocolate éclair… all amazing!
I deducted a star because I wanted to grab pizza from the hot food section on my way out and noticed a black hair on one of the pizzas through the glass (yes I have great vision) and I informed the employee so she threw out that section of the pizza… but still… It grossed me out! I definitely did someone a favor because if I hadn’t said anything someone was going to buy & eat it… Yuck!!!

You’d think people never saw groceries before the way Gelson’s was mobbed opening day, and the opening weekend. Wow! Is this a harbinger of more cha ching cha ching? Free samples, bright clean aisles, and the promise of fresh produce — it’s enough to move large carts and crowds.
It was a madhouse, esp since are other stores who share that parking lot. Be careful, walking and driving. Staff was friendly. Produce glistened. Large wine selection. Nice selection of cheeses.
Bought a couple pounds of English peas, and they were all starchy. Completely.
The sale prices were decent, as were a few other items, but as another Unilocal reviewer pointed out, many of their normal «everyday» prices are in the stratosphere. You could hear the gasps of the crowd as we all explored and reacted to the price tags. Some people are just naturally louder and more effusive about what they find, but they are not alone in imagining what life would be like if money were no object. Oh, the things we could devour! «I’ll take aisle 5, please.»

This new Gelson’s just opened on March 27^th!
Details:
— This space, formerly known as Von’s, was totally gutted and remodeled.
— Wolfgang Puck Express
— Extensive Floral Department. They do weddings too as a friend found out.
— Hot foods/​Self service bar.
— Custom & Ready-​Made Gift Baskets
— Hours: 7 am — 10 pm daily
— Inside/​Ouside Dining Area
— Carving Cart
— Free Gift Wrapping
— Free Wi-​Fi
Deals:
— Great deals on wine! I got $ 11.00 off a nice 2010 St. Francis Cabernet Sauvignon and paid $ 16.99.
— See current flyer for all the current specials through April 1^st. There are lots of things on sale.
— Coupons in the paper for $ 5 off $ 25. I found one in the La Canada Outlook and another in the Valley Sun.
Tips:
— Park in the huge lot behind TJ Maxx if you can’t find parking in front of the store.
— Take advantage of all the samples.
— Practice your deep yoga breathing, so the crowd doesn’t stress you out.