Let's discuss our favorite food markets. I'll start:

My fave is Trader Joe's. All the food and drink they sell under their own or near-exclusive brands are unbeatable values. Coffee, olive oil, mustard, jams--and especially, wines. Their TJ Coastal, Trellis, Napa River and Black Mountain California wines are unequaled bargains (but skip Two Buck Chuck). Their Tuscan, Piemonte and Rioja wines are stupendous values. Always courteous service.

Cost Plus World Market is a chain that sells a bizarre combination of nonperishable foods, furniture, rugs--and wine and beer. Their house brand wines and near-exclusives are competitive with TJ in value. They also sell wonderful Italian sodas, some of them low-calorie.

Costco always has low prices on high-quality merchandise. Their whole bean coffees are unbeatable. They're the largest wine retailer in the country, and their occasional specials are worth stocking up on. But they are probably most famous for their meats. Their USDA Choice cuts are head-and-shoulders above the supermarkets' fare. And, our Costco here always has two or three USDA Prime steak cuts. Believe me, those Primes are well worth the premium--incredibly flavorful.

Your faves?

I love Trader Joe's, TB. But my options are limited because there aren't any in my neighborhood. I have to drive out to Hewlett or up to Scarsdale, unless I feel like taking the car into Manhattan (which I am loathe to do ).

As far as "chain stores" go, I guess in New York the A&P's used to be a pretty good bet, but since they started having financial problems they've REALLY gone downhill.

I love the Fairway Market on the Upper West Side, and they recently opened a store on the Bronx-Pelham border, so that's a great option of me now. But Fairway couldn't be considered a "chain store," there aren't enough of them. Same goes for Balducci's. Great stores, but not enough of them.

In Florida I'll only shop at Publix. Those stores are absolutely immaculate, and they have wonderful fish, meat, deli and produce departments. It's probably my favorite "chain store."

I like Cost Plus World Market as well. I haven't tried Trader Joe's yet. I do a lot of shopping at Whole Wallet (Whole Foods).

The Ann Arbor's Farmer's Market is always nice to visit as is Zingerman's

Love Costco! They're merchandise is always high-quality. Plus, they're customer service is excellent, and they're return policy excellent. They also are a very good employer. We see the same workers there for years.

Like PB, I wish I lived closer to a Trader Joe's. I love all their merchandise, but I'd probably weigh 600 lbs. if I was able to get there more often - I'm too addicted to their chocolate, forget about their cakes and cookies.

As for Fairway, meh. When they have a bargain, they're very good, but otherwise I find them a bit overpriced. Their workers are also quite rude.

My only real everyday options around me are Pathmark (the closest, part of the A&P family -- the best sale prices, decent meat, but the worst produce), Foodtown (meh, great fried chicken and prepared dinners, but otherwise not exciting), and ShopRite (worst take-out dinners, but best take-out soups I've ever had, including from any restaurants, and probably the best store of the three).

Even farther is a Stop & Shop, but I haven't bothered trying it. And a real road trip will get me to Wegmans, which has more exotic stuff, but it takes me hours to find everything I need in that maze of a store. And it's like 30 minutes away, so just for special stuff.

There's a BJ's really close by, and a Costco about 20 mins away, but I don't really buy in bulk much to be worth it. I do like Sam's Club, too -- at least the one in Annapolis, which is the best club store I've ever seen.

I went to a Publix in Florida, but on the island my folks live on, it was a tiny one, and I wasn't all that impressed at all. Didn't have squat. But I'm sure a full-sized store does.

The best usually comes from the Mom & Pop stores, but sadly they've been closing their doors more and more.

That's funny about Pathmark and ShopRite, JG. I find my local Pathmark has better fish and meat, and ShopRite better deli and produce. Also, on every day items, ShopRite has far better prices.

Shop Rite is great on canned goods, Geoff.

My wife has been dragging me to their "can-can" sales forever. When they put the Tuttorosso tomatoes on sale, we'll go three of four times that particular week and try to pick up as many as twenty cases at a time (which involves a lot of scheming because there are limits on those sales).
Sounds like a lot of tomatoes, but they go real fast in our house.

I think we're in agreement on all that. Pathmark deli here is pretty disgusting, and the produce sucks, but the meat and fish are great.


I remember those can-can commercials from when I was a kid.

You like Tuttorosso better than Cento? I'll give it a shot...

They're comparable, Geoffy.

The Tuttorosso crushed tomatoes are nice and smooth and ready to go. I find the Cento crushed tomatoes to be a little chunky. No big deal, really, because you could always blend them.

When I want to use whole tomatoes and crush them by hand for, say, a marinara sauce, then it doesn't really matter, as long as they're good San Marzano tomatoes (like Cento) .

Years ago, Consumer Reports said Pathmark had the best pasta.

Out here, the chains are Fry's, Safeway and Albertson's. Supermarkets out here tend to be a lot bigger than NJ supers (except for Wegmann's). They do ok. Often have good wine sales. Routinely knock off 10% if you buy 6 or more (mixed) bottles. But: deception today: Fry's advertised 40% off all wines that cost more than $20. So, I saw a bottle of Veuve Cliquot Champagne for $34.95, "regular price $57.95." BS!! No one ever paid $57.95 for Veuve Cliquot. You can get it for $34.95 here at Costco and Cost Plus World Market. Some sale!

When I was growing up the two big supermarkets were Finast and A&P. Finast was eventually swallowed up by the Stop and Shop corporation, and the A&P is still hanging around (although they just closed around 40 stores in the tri-state area).

My mother used to shop at the Finast on White Plains Road. I want to guess that it was maybe on the corner of 237th?? She also used to shop at Quaker's, also on White Plains Road but a few blocks south. I want to say there was also a Grand Union across from Quaker's.

I'm very surprised at the price of wines in supermarkets (not here in NY, but other areas that I've visited). They're not competitive at all. I would imagine that because they buy in such bulk they would be less expensive, but I can get better prices from my local liquor store.

It'd be nice if I could even buy wine anywhere other than a liquor store around here. Even freakin' Costco doesn't carry anything cuz of the local owner of Spirits Unlimited whose dogs and cats and grandkids own liquor licenses here that no one else can get (besides Buy-Rite, somehow -- which are usually the cheapest around, somehow).

I somehow just ran across this Q&A with Terry Sharkey, vice pres... (ShopRite)...

First off, as I said, their Chef's Express soups are great -- their New England Clam Chowder IS the best I've ever had, and I've had'm all over New England! HOWEVER, their prepared "Italian" offerings are pretty damn weak. Not to mention their Black Bear brand at the deli is horrific (I'm talking potato salad, etc). I don't get it.

Interesting (and short, corporate-speak) Q&A, but my experience speaks otherwise for most of it....

Actually, supermarket wine prices here can be very competitive--when they want them to be. Wednesday's local paper has inserts from the supers, and they usually have several attractive buys--for example, Mirassou, usually $7.99, at $6.99 or less. 10% off for six or more bottles (mixed). But when you get there, you find others jacked up way high--for example, Clos du Bois Chardonnay at $13.99. You just have to pick and choose carefully.

There were no supermarkets when I was growing up in East New York and Brownsville. There was a small A&P on Livonia Avenue near Cleveland Street--with those huge coffee grinders. A superette opened up on the site of a rundown movie theater on Saratoga and Livonia in '55. Then Waldbaum opened on Church Avenue west of Rockaway Parkway. Supermarkets started springing up in the early Twenties because cars made it possible for people to buy and take away larger quantities of food. But they need big parking lots--not always possible in NYC.

My favorite food market is Wegmans. While I've always been a person that would only buy meat from the neighborhood butcher, I have to admit that Wegmans has excellent poultry and meat. Their steaks are top quality. And while I will always remain a 'name brand' shopper when it comes to certain things like Heinz Ketchup and Hellman's Mayonnaise for example, a large amount of Wegmans brands like many of their cereals, dressings, snacks, etc. are really top quality and taste great!

It's basically a throwback one stop shopping market that includes a butcher, fresh bakery, fresh seafood, fresh produce, a deli, regular groceries etc.

They also have a 'food court' section where you can eat freshly made cooked foods from the Sushi Bar, a Pizzeria, a Hero Shop, a Chinese food bar, an Appetizers bar, a Salad Bar and more. Sometimes my wife and I will go around lunch time, sit down and have lunch and then go food shopping. (Never go food shopping on an empty stomach )

I really like Wegman's quality, etc -- but as I said before, going there is an hours-long adventure. Not only because it's a half hour away, but because the layout is so godawful, it takes me hours to find everything on my list! But, Wegman's is where I go to find things I can't find in the local supermarkets. Haven't tried Whole Foods yet, so can't compare -- cuz Whole Foods is even farther.

In August I'll drive up to Pgh. Before I leave I'll visit the Italian groceria in Bloomfield on Liberty Ave. I'll load up on everything from Italian bread to Ravioli, put it in my cooler and feast on it when I get back to Texas. God, I can't wait.

I first became acquainted with Wegman's around 35 years ago when I was living in the Syracuse area. It was also the first time I became aware of 24-hour supermarkets. Unfortunately, there are no Wegman's here in the wilds of Brooklyn.

As a matter of fact, there are no supermarkets at all in my immediate neighborhood. The local Waldbaum's (a filthy, unsanitary place) closed down more than ten years ago. Then, around three years ago, a new supermarket (Met Fresh) briefly opened four blocks from where I live. It lasted less than a year (the prices were higher than the local stores), then reopened as a kosher supermarket. The prices were (of course) way too high - even for the same canned and packaged goods sold by the previous supermarket - so that place closed up within a few months. Then it became a Russian market (my neighborhood is nearly all Russian immigrants). They didn't even carry enough stock to fill the shelves! It closed in less than six months.

Now, it's a T.J. Maxx clothing store. Just what we need.

So, I'm back to hopscotching around from store to store, trying to save a few dollars wherever I can. The nearest supermarket (Stop 'n' Shop) is a bus ride away, and their prices are generally higher than what I can find locally in my neighborhood. I seldom go there anymore, except if there is an unusually good sale.

And remember, this is Brooklyn. Unbelievable.

Signor V.

My most favorite one is actually in Monterrigioni, a small little place in Italy with a population that's barely over 1,100 people. There would be this food market that sold the best wine, gnocchi, and risotto I have ever tasted. The produce is very fresh, and though it is costly, it is worth it. The market name was just called Gugliotta's.
God, I can never forget what it feels like to actually, REALLY, taste a tomato for the first time.

Back to America.
Honestly, I would go with Plaza Market, Galleria Market, and Assi Market, which are all in Koreatown, Los Angeles.

What part of the Syracuse area did you live in? I was west of Syracuse, in Camillus, at about the same time.

Did you know CamillusDon?

In 1973-74, I was living on Onondaga Hill (in a pet cemetary!) while attending Onondaga Community College. Then, early in 1976, I briefly lived in Liverpool. From 1977-1980, I was visiting Syracuse fairly regularly because I was involved with someone who was going to my old college (and then later SUNY Oswego).

I think (from what I remember) that while I was at OCC most of my diet consisted of pizza [never from Frank's Pizza (ewg!) - it was Cosmo's or nothing!], Carroll's club-burgers, and too much beer (Genesee, Matt's Premium or Maximus Super - take your pick).



Ah, memories...

Signor V.

I miss Whole Foods so much I could cry. I moved to Wyoming and the closest thing is Wild Oats, 5 hours away, and it's not nearly as good. I used to shop in Princeton which was 45 mins from my home in Bucks County. It was totally worth the drive. Their meat department is fabulous and their olive bar. I dream about the olive bar. There is no where in this entire state to get olives that aren't in a jar or can. You people are so lucky; I'm so jealous.