10 Things A West Coaster Learned On A First Visit To Stew Leonard's Slideshow

Stew Leonard's initially started as a dairy farm back in the 1920s. Stew Leonard Sr. had to relocate his Norwalk-based Clover Farms Dairy when the new Route 7 highway was built. He promised the owner of the land he wanted to buy that he'd build a farm there for her sheep — and even added goats, ducks, and chickens for her, too. Since then the animal farm has become an iconic part of the Stew Leonard's experience.

Forget lining up for hours in New York City. Stew Leonard's has come up with its own range of cookie dough treats that have been equally popular. With flavors like Caramel Sea Salt and Birthday Cake, they're indulgently sweet and addictively satisfying. You'll know you shouldn't really be eating as much as you will, but that won't stop you.

I have an unhealthy obsession with lobster rolls, which is normally kept in check by the fact that I can't financially afford to eat too many of them. So you can understand my incredible joy when discovering large, meaty, fresh lobster rolls for less than $10. Filled with large chunks of freshly seasoned lobster from Maine, on soft pillows of bread – these bad boys are done perfectly, and you'll never get this much lobster for that price. They sell more than $10,000 worth of them each week in one store alone, and it's a Stew Leonard's secret buy that I would return just to feast on.

You won't be blamed for thinking that you've entered some food-based Disneyland attraction, with all the talking cows, dancing bananas, and a milk carton bluegrass band all entertaining kids throughout the aisles. "It costs a lot of money to build them and put them in," admits Leonard. But he's definitely got no regrets, and he enjoys watching kids transfixed by the regular performances. "There's no financial return on investment. You just have to do it and say, 'We're going to try to make a nice experience for the customers.' The kids love it!"

And when you meet Stew, you understand why. These guys are one big happy family, and apart from knowing most of the customers by name, the staff makes it a priority to ensure that everyone is having a good time. They've got two rules that are proudly displayed at the front of the store as you walk in: 1) The customer is always right. 2) If the customer is ever wrong, reread Rule 1. "When the customers come through and interact with everyone that works here, we want to be a pleasant experience — no attitudes, and we really want to make you happy," say Leonard. "We're in the fresh food business, and we don't sell everything perfect every day. Something might not be as ripe as it should be, or not have the right flavor."

I'm talking humongous, bigger-than-your-head steaks that you'll need two hands to hold. Looking like something straight out of The Flintstones, these are a huge hit on Father's Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and most Tuesdays. They're guaranteed to more than satisfy all the carnivores at your family grill.

Each year, Stew Leonard's sells more than 2 million half gallons of milk, but it's the chocolate milk that the locals really go crazy over. They drink it every day, and they rave about it. Fearing a sickly sweet and artificially flavored drink, I was skeptical at first, but honestly, after drinking it, I can understand how people get hooked. It's beautifully smooth and creamy with just the right amount of rich, chocolatey flavor. It's way too easy to drink, and reminds me of the perfect after-school drink as a kid.

The first smell that hits you when you walk into the store is the insane (and I'm not exaggerating) smell of fresh baked goods. It's a smack to the nostrils of warm bread, beautiful cakes, and piping hot muffins. They've got a plethora of different varieties of loaves straight out of the oven, being bagged right in front of you, as well as countless pastries and cookies. I watched them fry apple cider donuts, pop rice cakes, and even roll out tortillas — all in the store. Before my eyes they were bagged and made ready for me to take to the register. They've got rainbow bagels, protein bread, and a ton of different cakes. But Stew's favorite? He's slightly obsessed with the Incredible Chewy Chocolate Pecan Cookies. They're crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with a beautifully rich chocolate center — and you won't just be able to eat one, let me tell you now.

Buffets aren't uncommon in this part of the world, but it's unusual to find such quality and variety at them. Freshly prepared seafood, a dim sum bar, a wings bar — yes, a separate bar for the different varieties of wings — and a selection of carved roast meats look after people's lunch and dinner needs. "The chefs are always trying to make new things because everybody doesn't want the same things, we're changing up about 10-20 percent of it every day," says Leonard. They also feature a different specialty every day. "We started a chef's station, put a giant paella pan there, and it took off — people loved it. And then we started doing a different theme every day, we have an Italian day, a Mexican day. Customers like the change."

Call me basic, but I'm all about free samples. I may have spent most of my time at Stew Leonard's moving from one sample station to the other. There are so many opportunities to try new foods in store — from chips that have literally come straight out of the fryer, to new protein breads that have just been baked. And don't go thinking that the staff will give you weird looks for diving into the food on offer. "When I go to a food store, I get hungry," Leonard explained. "I always see the soup, and think, 'I'd love to taste that,' and one of the things we try to do is make the experience nicer, when you're able to nibble a little bit, and taste all the things throughout the store." The bottom line is that you're not going to go hungry while doing your groceries, which is a win for everyone.