Stew Leonard's is called the 'Disneyland of dairy stores' - and after one visit, I totally get the hype

Even if you forget Whole Foods admitting to overcharging customers and Amazon elbowing in on the grocery market, shopping for food can be quite a stressful experience.

And while everyone has their favorite supermarket, a few stand above the rest - and I'd heard Stew Leonard's was one of those.

The grocery store has locations in Connecticut and New York, but having grown up in New Hampshire - land of Market Basket - I had never set foot in one.

But with all the hype from Connecticuters, I was pretty curious. The supermarket's reputation for customer service and quality precedes it, and I had heard rumors of animatronic singing produce. I had to check it out.

With the moniker "the Disneyland of Dairy Stores" - given by the New York Times back in 1983 - I knew I was in for an experience. But I had no idea just how delightful it is to grocery-shop at a Stew Leonard's store.