The bad news here is that people still confuse natural foods with organic foods--and there can be a considerable difference. The good news is that natural foods, organic or not, are making big inroads into the mainstream, and Sunflower is a significant new player in the game. Begun by the same folks who initially launched the Wild Oats chain, Tucson's two Sunflower locations--with two more on the way, at First Avenue and Limberlost Road, and at Orange Grove and Thornydale roads--offer numerous natural-food and organic-food product lines, and offer plenty of sale items and specials. These stores are big, bright and clean, and are helping to dispel the myth that you need to be a radical-socialist, tree-hugging dirt worshipper to enjoy wholesome, organic food (although that certainly doesn't hurt).
Runners up:
2. Trader Joe's, Various locations, traderjoes.com
3. TIE
Food Conspiracy Co-op, 412 N. Fourth Ave., 624-4821, foodconspiracy.org
Whole Foods Market (formerly Wild Oats), 7133 N. Oracle Road, 297-5394; 3360 E. Speedway Blvd., 795-9844; wholefoodsmarket.com
