Lafayette Village

I am not a shopper.  In other words, I rreeaaaalllllyyyy have to be in the mood to go ‘shopping’.  However, a couple of months ago I started following (and don’t know how I got started) Savory Spice Shop on Facebook.  I have driven by the shopping center a few times, but never stopped in.  But Savvy was with me today and she commented on how cute the shopping center was, so I turned in.

First off, Lafayette Village is a place I could live.  Very Old World and it looks like there should be someone living over the stores.

  It doesn’t look like a shopping center at all.

There are fountains….. and colorful planters….. .

Essentially, it is one of those places you could wander around in for hours.    And the spiral staircase...I can imagine it leads up to my apartment, can’t I?

Savory Spice Shop is amazing.  You walk in and are instantly transfixed with the wonderful smells.  But they are not overpowering.  It is enough to make you start salivating and your stomach to growl even if you had just eaten.  They have all the different salts I had been reading about and all the different colored peppercorns.  Spices I have only read about in a recipe, but never seen on the shelf at the local grocery store.  Fresh spices, not something that has been in a bottle for who know how long.  Needless to say, I am pulling out some recipes with the uncommon spices and heading back with a shopping list.  We did walk out with some wonderful crystallized ginger.  Not only was it great, but maybe it will help Savvy’s tummy on the plane ride home.  However, it seems to have been placed in her purse and I have yet to see my share of the bag.

There is a tea shop and a crepe place, a couple of restaurants.  And a market which will make you drool….

The meats and seafood are all fresh and yummy and the lobster was moving!

The scooter is part of a giveaway they are holding (go register at www.LafayetteVillageRaleigh.com/scooter and give to Savvy if you win!)  But it fit in so well with the international feel of this center.    And there was The Chocolate Boutique.  Yes, it was like walking into a store in Paris.  So needless to say, all my extra money is going into a piggy bank for a day at Lafayette Village with Savvy so we can eat our way through the place.  So much nicer than a mall.