The brand-new Fresh Market at 2617 W. Holcombe Blvd, which opened its doors to the public on Wednesday, bears little resemblance to the former tenant Rice Epicurean Market, except for maybe the roof decks, ceiling-to-floor poles and, if he is out on the sales floor, the landlord.

Nearby neighborhood residents were on hand to welcome the smaller, more intimate North Carolina-based specialty market into their community. It’s a nice change from the ever-larger super-duper supermarkets that have opened in recent years.

The Fresh Market celebrated its 135th store opening and its first of four Houston locations by “cracking the parmesan” with invited guests and delighted shoppers, which, after browsing the cheese selection, seemed a quite fitting substitution for the traditional ribbon-cutting.  This is the only Houston location open as of today, but expect stores to open soon in the Memorial, Tanglewood and River Oaks areas, all in former Rice Epicurean locations.

As is the case with its other markets, this first Houston location is committed to offering high-quality food choices along with a significant variety of organic and gluten-free products. The Fresh Market is also committed to becoming an active member of the Houston community and has already partnered with the Houston Food Bank.

What you can expect when shopping: Think Central Market mixed with Trader Joe’s, resulting in a market with Old-World charm and wide sight lines. The ability to see from store corner to corner is a major plus for those of us who dislike the claustrophobic feeling of row after row of towering grocery aisles.

The store is anchored around a large four-sided counter under a white-and-green striped awning. Stroll around the counter and you can find cheeses, fresh sushi, prepared foods, a deli, a sandwich bar and more. To the right of the counter is the produce section, which is beautifully assembled and organized, along with a salad bar and olive bar.

At the back of the store are the bakery and meat counter. Large and not-oversweet muffins, plenty of pound cake flavors, varieties of baked breads like herbed focaccia and large iced cupcakes will tempt you when you innocently wonder to the back of the store to select your weekly meat provisions.

On the left-hand side of the store, there are a few aisles with pantry staples such as oils and vinegars, pickles and olives, marinades, salad dressings, Mexican, Asian and Indian, rice and grains, baking and spices. This is also where you will find dairy products, frozen foods and a small selection of health, beauty and household products. Wine and beer are also on the left-hand side but closer to the front of the store, convenient for a quick dash in on your way home from work.

And at the front of the store before the checkout lines are nuts, candies and  coffees. After passing through this section with a bag-and-weigh candy station, a pour-your-own nuts, plenty of candy bars and dried fruit along with a station where peanut butter is made fresh, I was sold.

This is the ideal store for both fun leisurely browsing and quick-as-possible weekly grocery shopping. First-time shoppers: Come prepared to spend time looking through all of the store’s selections and don’t be surprised if your shopping cart is fuller than expected.