I'm a Midwesterner living in NYC who shopped at Publix for the first time, and I see why Southerners are obsessed

On a recent trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, I visited the Southern grocery chain Publix for the first time.

Publix has 1,297 store locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

I grew up in Wisconsin, where I grocery shopped at local chains like Sendik's and the Roundy's brand Metro Market. I now live in New York City, where I've tried out grocery giants like Wegman's.

Upon walking into the store, I was greeted with a floral section at the entrance.

Like Trader Joe's and Wegman's, the flower section featured bouquets as well as potted orchids.

Venturing further in, I was struck by how many prepared food options Publix offered.

Publix's deli counter served an array of meats, cheeses, and sandwich fixings.

The fish counter offered grab-and-go sushi that looked delicious.

Prices per roll ranged from $7 to $10.

The bakery section contained tons of cakes, cupcakes, and even macarons.

There was also a freezer that stocked ice cream cakes.

A seating area near the deli allowed Publix patrons to sit and eat their purchases.

It was decorated with artwork in various shades of Publix green.

The giant cheese display made my Wisconsinite heart very happy.

The large refrigerated cheese section was on par with displays I've seen in Midwestern stores.

The produce section included pre-cut fruits and vegetables in addition to raw ones, all looking fresh and juicy.

Against the back wall of the produce section, a sign advertised that the fresh fruit was hand-cut daily.

I loved the packaging design of Publix's store-brand ice cream.

In addition to classic flavors like chocolate and chocolate chip cookie dough, Publix also offered flavors like moose tracks, cherry nut, and chocolate almond.

I was thrilled to find Dunkaroos, a favorite childhood snack.

A classic '90s snack that was discontinued in 2012, Dunkaroos are back and taste just as good as I remembered.

Publix had a well-stocked kosher section, something that I always look out for.

"Kosher" is a word derived from the Hebrew term meaning "fit for consumption." A kosher diet is made up of foods that observant Jewish people are allowed to eat, according to a set of religious dietary laws as detailed in the Torah and codes of Jewish law.

As someone who observes this practice, I was surprised and grateful to find a large kosher section at Publix in Knoxville, where the Jewish community is relatively small. According to the local Jewish communal organization Chabad of Knoxville, all three Publix locations in the area have kosher sections.

Even the Publix store-brand boxed macaroni and cheese was certified kosher, which is rare in my experience.

I brought a few boxes of Publix's mac and cheese back home with me. It was that good.

With a broad selection of kitchenware, Publix seemed to have everything covered.

The kitchenware section had enough pots, pans, utensils, and gadgets to fully stock a kitchen.

Publix highlighted local Tennessee food items in a special display.

The display consisted mostly of sauces and spice rubs for some classic Southern barbeque.

Another Southern item that I wasn't used to seeing in grocery stores was grits.

A Southern breakfast staple, grits were shelved alongside oatmeal and granola.

The selection of firearm magazines also reminded me that I was indeed in the South.

Tennessee passed a permitless carry law last year, allowing people over the age of 21 to carry firearms without a permit as long as they have no criminal history and follow posted signage.

It's not a predominantly Southern policy — other states with permitless carry are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming. But as a Wisconsinite who now lives in New York, I've never lived in a state with these gun laws, so I was surprised by the wide selection of firearm magazines at the Publix I visited.

In addition to a full grocery store, the Publix I visited also had a pharmacy section.

There was a counter with pharmacists on staff as well as shelves of items you'd find in a drugstore, like allergy medicine and cosmetics.

I've only ever seen this many travel-size toiletries at places like Target and Walgreens.

If I had forgotten any toiletries on my trip, I would have been able to find them here.

There was even an aisle for electronics, which I haven't seen in grocery stores in the Midwest or New York City.

I was able to buy a replacement dongle for my headphones after mine stopped working on the flight to Tennessee. Aside from Targets and Walmarts with grocery sections, that's not something I've seen in grocery stores before.

Publix had both cashiers and self checkout, which kept lines short.

While the Midwesterner in me loves chatting with grocery store cashiers, the New Yorker in me wants to get in and out as quickly as possible, so I opted for self check out.

As a one-stop shop for groceries, pharmacy items, and gadgets, I can see why Southerners love Publix so much.

If I lived near a Publix, I probably wouldn't need to shop anywhere else.