Groceries & Markets in Harwich

Raymond and Clara Gerard came to Massachusetts in 1923 looking for a bit of land to call their own. They found a 13-acre property ideal for raising turkeys, and instantly made it into both their home and livelihood. For a while, bird-breeding business was good; by 1950, they were hatching over 190,000 birds. Ray even got to work with Cornell University to develop the standard Beltsville White turkey breed, now a staple of Thanksgiving tables around America. Slowly, though, business transitioned from raising turkeys to cooking them.

Today, the third ? and sometimes fourth ? generation of Gerards run the farm as a kitchen, preparing entire Thanksgiving meals for customers. They, of course, specialize in slow-roasted turkeys. They fill each bird with classic, bread-based stuffing, and even turn the leavings into a hearty gravy. They tend to get a lot of customers around the holidays, and recommend ordering in advance for special occasions.

Crocetti's guarantees its customers receive high-quality, fresh proteins with a dash of tradition and customer care. The meatery is decorated with carefully hung or stacked products, which include beef, pork, chicken, seafood, lamb, veal, and items that have been gently bathed in a marinade. Bourbon Street chicken tenders (1.5 lbs. package for $7.95), pork tenders (1.5 lbs. package for $7.95), and beef teriyaki tips (2 lbs. package for $15.95) can be used for finger-food-friendly recipes, while Chinese pork sausage (1 lb. package for $3.69) and Italian hot sausage (1 lb. package for $3.69) require buns or 6-foot-long sausage forks.

For more than 50 years, Lambert's Rainbow Fruit has filled pantries with the vibrant oranges, greens, and reds of fresh fruit and vegetables. Now owned by a third-generation of the Lambert family, the store sells New York-style deli sandwiches and soups along with its groceries. Their on-site garden center also offers flowers and plants as fresh as Lambert's produce to fill homes with cheerful blossoms and life-sustaining oxygen.

In the early mornings, Lobster Express feels almost like a ghost town. The chilled seafood bins that normally hold fresh fish, mussels, clams, and shrimp are vacant, exhibiting a display of only crushed ice. The scene rapidly changes, though, as local fishermen bring in the day?s catch, filling the bins with a rainbow comprising maroon slabs of yellowfin tuna, orange salmon, and blue-grey oysters sealed in jagged shells. This transformation is a daily ritual and proof that the supplies at Lobster Express are as fresh as they come.

In addition to fresh, raw seafood, the bustling shop recently installed a new faux kitchen that offers fresh fried clams and fish and chips and also sells a cornucopia of already prepared foods, both hot and cold. Topping the list of customer favorites are housemade clam chowder, crab cakes, and lobster rolls, which won a South Shore Living Reader?s Choice Award in 2011. The shop also assembles take-home lobster bakes with all of the necessary components, including local lobsters, mussels, and miniature DVD players to keep antsy crustaceans entertained on the trip home.

In more than 1,112 stores worldwide, Edible Arrangements' expert fruit florists arrange pieces of premium fruit in stunning displays for all occasions. Customers can customize their order to suit any occasion, receiving chocolate-dipped fruit such as pineapples, granny-smith apples, grapes, and juicy Albion strawberries that, unlike the sodas found in most mummies' crypts, don't contain any preservatives. Staffers can dip fruit in gourmet semisweet chocolate, white chocolate, or their own special peanut-butter-and-chocolate blend. For birthdays and anniversaries, chocolate wielders can personalize gift baskets with gifts such as plush teddy bears and mylar balloons.