panam330 From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 2601 posts, RR: 10 Posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 7 hours ago) and read 1078 times:
Inspired by the 'TJ's Coming to Austin' thread, it's a topic that comes up now and again on here. Time for a revisit.
I live in an area that fortunately has decent stores around, but the cherry on top is Wegman's. One of their flagship stores is my local store, and it's absolutely incredible. Selection, price, cleanliness and all of that good stuff.
I liked Whole Foods enough when I was living elsewhere, but it seems sort of 'meh' compared to some other stores like Zupan's in PDX and the like.
So what about you guys? What's your favorite store?
Seabiscuit From United States of America, joined Jan 2007, 37 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 4 hours ago) and read 1053 times:
My favorite is whole foods and sprouts. On the other hand, I still like going to the walmart to pickup the gatoraid and large bulk items. I do not go very often to trader joes because no store exists around where i live. When I do get the chance to visit the store it feels like a home town store..
aznmadsci From United States of America, joined Dec 2007, 3542 posts, RR: 5 Reply 4, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 4 hours ago) and read 1052 times:
In the US that I have been to so far ...
Central Market (anyone in the US)
Metropolitan Market (Seattle)
Whole Foods (Austin 6th St Flagship and Houston-Montrose)
Internationally ...
Le Grande Epicerie in Le Bon Marche (Paris)
Borough Market (London)
ShoeMart (Metro Manila)
Eataly (Torino)
The journey of life is not based on the accomplishments, but the experience.
usflyer msp From United States of America, joined May 2000, 1791 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (1 year 1 month 1 week 4 hours ago) and read 1042 times:
I hate the traditional Twin Cities grocery stores because their prices are quite high and they still make you bag your own groceries. I usually shop at SuperTarget, Aldi, Lund's and Trader Joe's instead. I grew up in Western New York and will always have a special place in my heart for Wegman's...
Airontario From Canada, joined Aug 2001, 502 posts, RR: 1 Reply 8, posted (1 year 1 month 6 days 17 hours ago) and read 974 times:
In my town we have most of the major Toronto area chains: Metro, Loblaws, Longos, Wal-Mart, etc. If I had to choose a chain I'd go with Longos. It has a good selection with out being too big (*cough* Loblaws and Wal-Mart). However I prefer a local independent grocery called Foodport. The selection isn't as big, but it had what I typically need, it's closer to my house and I can get in and out in no time.
MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15748 posts, RR: 48 Reply 9, posted (1 year 1 month 6 days 16 hours ago) and read 959 times:
You have not lived until you have experienced Central Market. It is heaven on earth. Most other supermarkets could fit in their produce section.
DesertJets From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 7673 posts, RR: 18 Reply 10, posted (1 year 1 month 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 947 times:
In no particular order:
Sunflower Farmer's Market a small (35 stores) chain of stores in the southwest. I can walk to one in 5 minutes from my place. Really good produce department and meat/butcher case. A decent emphasis on organic produce and free-range/natural meats. They also make a ton of sausages in house.
Trader Joe's for reasons I already outlined in the other thread.
Places I don't like:
Walmart. No matter which store, no matter which part of town it is always a less than pleasant shopping experience. I've never found their grocery section to be all that great and before they aggressively rolled out their own house brand stuff wasn't all that cheap without generic alternatives.
Quoting MaverickM11 (Reply 9): You have not lived until you have experienced Central Market. It is heaven on earth. Most other supermarkets could fit in their produce section.
I looked them up and it looks interesting, I just can't wrap my mind around a big box grocery store. I would think its sheer size would work against them.
I never really got all the love for Wegman's. Maybe because the one I would occasionally go to was an older store (the one on Rt31 in Clay, NY for those playing at home). It was clean and had good selection, but it didn't blow my mind.
Stop drop and roll will not save you in hell. --- seen on a church marque in rural Virginia
aznmadsci From United States of America, joined Dec 2007, 3542 posts, RR: 5 Reply 11, posted (1 year 1 month 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 942 times:
Quoting DesertJets (Reply 10): I looked them up and it looks interesting, I just can't wrap my mind around a big box grocery store. I would think its sheer size would work against them.
Surprisingly no, however there's probably no plans to expand anywhere else in Texas. It's owned by parent company HEB and represents the upper scale market for foodies. As MaverickM11 points out, they have huge produce sections that rival Trader Joe's and Whole Foods where you can get both locally grown organic products as well as items imported from overseas. Another nice feature Central Market has is a large prepared foods sections done on site. The bakery is always active; the cooking kitchens are preparing items for the Chef's Case and for catering; the charcuterie, deli, and condiments are full of fresh stuff; and the Chef's case is rather appetizing.
Here in Houston, they did jump on the food truck bandwagon and one of the guys that I used to work with on another food truck is now working on it, despite I see it sitting often in front of the store not being used.
The journey of life is not based on the accomplishments, but the experience.
tugger From United States of America, joined Apr 2006, 4633 posts, RR: 7 Reply 12, posted (1 year 1 month 6 days 14 hours ago) and read 937 times:
Favorite Grocery Stores:
Vons
Trader Joe's
Costco
Quoting DesertJets (Reply 10): Walmart. No matter which store, no matter which part of town it is always a less than pleasant shopping experience. I've never found their grocery section to be all that great and before they aggressively rolled out their own house brand stuff wasn't all that cheap without generic alternatives.
Many people here seem to love WalMart but I just don't get that. The times I have been there, there selection is limited, the quality is not there, and the pricing is just not that good compared to where I normally shop (which always surprised me the most).
Tugg
I don’t know that I am unafraid to be myself, but it is hard to be somebody else. -W. Shatner
ALTF4 From United States of America, joined Jul 2010, 1143 posts, RR: 4 Reply 13, posted (1 year 1 month 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 928 times:
An excellent place in Florida, Georgia and a few other states: Publix. Prices are average, but the selection is good, quality is good, and most of all, the stores are big, bright, and open. Not dark, low ceilings, and depressing.
The above post is my opinion. Don't like it? Don't read it.
MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15748 posts, RR: 48 Reply 14, posted (1 year 1 month 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 899 times:
Quoting ALTF4 (Reply 13): Not dark, low ceilings, and depressing.
The one I grew up next to was all that and more. Unfortunately that was the closest market but I did see other Publix stores that were much nicer--plus it's supposed to be an excellent place to work
Quoting ALTF4 (Reply 13): An excellent place in Florida, Georgia and a few other states: Publix. Prices are average, but the selection is good, quality is good, and most of all, the stores are big, bright, and open. Not dark, low ceilings, and depressing.
Right here. Great store.
"It was just four of us on the flight deck, trying to do our job" (Captain Al Haynes)
I went to the one on Queen Anne one time and it was awful! The people were rude and everything was way over priced. Even the bakery was meh. I can't remember the name of the market at the bottom of the hill on Queen Anne Ave and Mercer but it is much better.
QFC is great. There are none here in the Bay Area. The one chain I like around here is Olivers. They always have 8 type of soup and salad bar and hot food. The people are great too.
panam330 From United States of America, joined Mar 2004, 2601 posts, RR: 10 Reply 17, posted (1 year 1 month 5 days 13 hours ago) and read 802 times:
Quoting DesertJets (Reply 10): I never really got all the love for Wegman's. Maybe because the one I would occasionally go to was an older store (the one on Rt31 in Clay, NY for those playing at home). It was clean and had good selection, but it didn't blow my mind.
The Clay store is a little bit older, and shows its age even now after some renovations. My local one is the behemoth DeWitt store - crazy large, but relatively new.
Quoting ALTF4 (Reply 13): An excellent place in Florida, Georgia and a few other states: Publix.
Had a great one near my apartment in Port Orange when I lived in FL for college. Great store, but expensive (as are most stores in Florida) compared to upstate NY.
zippyjet From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 4724 posts, RR: 13 Reply 19, posted (1 year 1 month 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 769 times:
Quoting jcs17 (Reply 18): Least Favorite:
Waldbaum's
King Kullen
Tom Thumb
The nasty supermarkets in So-Cal.
Interesting things about Waldbaums. First it's under the Super Fresh (formerly A&P) company. However at least in the NYC area back in the 90's it had a lot of good ethnic food (Jewish and other nationalities). Otherwise I'd have rated it average.
2707200X From United States of America, joined Mar 2009, 6945 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (1 year 1 month 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 755 times:
My favorite grocery store Pavilions, the store is organized and clean and the prices are not bad. My non regular grocery stores also include Target and Costco.
"And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by." John Masefield Sea-Fever
B777LRF From Luxembourg, joined Nov 2008, 1010 posts, RR: 3 Reply 22, posted (1 year 1 month 4 days 22 hours ago) and read 732 times:
If we're talking chains:
In Belgium and France: Carrefour
In Germany: Edeka
In Denmark: Irma
But on the whole I prefer doing my shopping in smaller shops, going to the local butchers for meat, getting the veggies from the market, fish from the fishmonger, wine from the wineries and so forth. The boring stuff I leave to the wife to sort out
From receips and radials over straight pipes to big fans - been there, done that, got the hearing defects to prove
Ick! They are trying to be like Whole "Paycheck" type store.
A Safe Flight Begins With Quality Maintenance On The Ground.
25 homer71: In Texas, H-E-B and its Central Market spin-off (great store, plus they gave me a scholarship for college while working for them)
26 KGRB: Why? Their prices are not that good, the selection is poor, and since they've been closing stores left-and-right, it's hard to find one. In Arizona,
27 CompensateMe: The quality of Walmart's fresh foods is questionable. I once bought a package of strawberries and nearly six weeks later it still looked great to eat
28 AirframeAS: Your opinion, but I like their customer service and their milk rewards program. Their deli is decent, IMO. Fry's is expensive. They are similar to Sa
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