Hola Chicos,

Mercado Todo Frutas (mercado) located on Benito Blanco 973, telephone number 707-8036. In the neighborhood of Pocitos-Montevideo, Uruguay.

Envios sin cargo (no charge for home delivery). During early 2007, my other half and I lived in between the neighborhood Pocitos and Buceos. My personal chef business was so busy that on occasion, I’d order my fresh vegetables from mercado.

Before I employed an Uruguayan personal assistant, I had a bit of trouble with the home delivery part, no one at the mercado really spoke a lick of English. But I got by just fine with my Pacific Islander style Spanish.

The mercado offers a wide selection of local fruits and vegetable (i.e.: bell peppers, oranges, apples, and basics). As well as imported fruits and vegetables (i.e.: papayas, pineapples, kiwis, and non-basics ).

The basics are within a reasonable price range, but the non-basics are pretty much North American style prices. I’d say, like Whole Foods or Andrawnnicos. Or for those that don’t have such supermarkets in your area, a Safeway that offers organics at an unreasonable price.

Before you’d order for delivery, I suggest to pay a visit at the mercado. Take a tally of the produce they offer and introduce yourself to the clerks and or owner. Sorry but I forgot the dude’s names. Otherwise I would mention them here.

The mercado, takes pride in presentation of their produce. So their basics and non-basics are lined up really pretty. However, I’d suggest that you do not just pick up a particular produce just cause it looks pretty on their stands.

I have experienced with them, that they’d line up the “bruised” and “old” on the top, hiding the ugly part. So all you’d see from first glance is the “pretty” part.

If you are anything like me when it comes to selecting the top quality produce, I’d smell, touch, examine, knock, find out where such produce came from, and if it was in season or imported first before I fork up any dough.

So I’d suggest you let them see you are doing “inspecting”. Its okay, in doing so, it shows them you don’t settle. And in the future if you order for delivery, once they realize your expectations, you won’t get jacked. And if you do get jacked (which I had once with them) don’t accept the delivery and let them know you are not a fool. But in a nice way of course.

I say this only because, such “jackness” happened to me. And because I am a “visitor” in Uruguay, I did not want any trouble. But I learned, that if you speak with an assertive tone and you show that you don’t get played for a fool, you won’t. Or dare I say should not?

Customer satisfaction is not necessarily practiced through out businesses here. I’ll incorporate more of my professional and personal experiences about that in other post. I really don’t want that to be such a big deal as it’s not for me. But when one has a artesian business, one does not want to waste resources on crap.

I totally digress sorry.

Overall, Mercado Todo Frutas is a pretty good market for non-organic produce. * I don’t get any sort of kick back by talking about these food sources.* I just talk about them cause, well I get bored and having a hobby such as talking about myself helps me keep busy during my off hours.

Ciao Ciao

O