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Grocery shopping

fresco

By fresco
in Food Traditions & Culture

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fresco

fresco

Posted
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Excursions to farmer's markets, green markets and foreign food shops can be a real adventure. But what about the regular, week-in-and-week-out task of filling the fridge and the cupboards?

Is it a highlight of your week, or something you dread, and if so, why?

Arthur Johnson, aka "fresco"
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SobaAddict70

SobaAddict70

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The day I dread going food shopping is the day I'll stop posting on eGullet.

In a few words -- not likely to happen any time soon. :biggrin:

Now, if I were living in a land of characterless shopping centers and substandard grocery stores (which probably describes some place somewhere in America), I might dread it....but I love food and cooking too much to even view it that way.

Just the other day I picked up some duck and Armangac pate that's sitting in my fridge, ready for consumption. Can't wait. :smile:

Soba

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lamb

lamb

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If it's my weekly excursion to my local Shop-Rite, I HATE IT!

The shopping carts are shit, and I am usually disgusted at the selections/store in general. Over the past few weeks, either the cashier has not scanned all my coupons, or I've left a bag of groceries in what is a sea of yellow plastic bags that accumulated at the bottom of the belt. :angry:

Wegmans, however, has just opened within a 15 minute drive (via a highway). I have been there several times over the past month. That store is a pleasure. Wish I could get there more often.

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melkor

melkor

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My trips to the grocery store are rarely anything other than a quick pass through all the isles (except frozen) to see if there is anything I absolutely need. Otherwise all food comes from farmers markets/produce stands/butcher/etc. I don't look forward to going, but I'm always happy to go.

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JPW

JPW

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My love of shopping for food stands in stark contrast to my distaste for other types of shopping (just ask my wife)

My weekly shopping trip IS to a variety of places. I am lucky enough to be able to avoid safeway/Giant/Giant Eagle/et. al. on a weekly basis. I hit the chains only for paper goods and when they have huge sales on certain staples. I go to Trader Joe's and a local market for "filling the fridge". I stop off at other places as needed.

I recently posted on the DC forum a request for people's favorite local places and have received a huge number of responses as to where to best buy certain things.

Granted I am lucky to be in a big diverse city. When I was in grad school in upstate NY, I was lucky enough to have a Wegman's in town, which was a joy to shop in.

If someone writes a book about restaurants and nobody reads it, will it produce a 10 page thread?

Joe W

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Squeat Mungry

Squeat Mungry

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Another lucky one here. I eagerly look forward to my weekly trips to the Farmer's Market, where I thoroughly enjoy myself, assuming I've gotten there early enough to make it out before the serious crowds show up.

And my "fill-in" shopping at my local produce store is always a pleasure as well, as they are extremely friendly and helpful and make a point to stock only fresh, quality stuff and at the same time keep prices as low as possible.

I pretty much despise any other kind of shopping, though.

Cheers,

Squeat

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laurenmilan

laurenmilan

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If it's my weekly excursion to my local Shop-Rite, I HATE IT!

The shopping carts are shit, and I am usually disgusted at the selections/store in general. Over the past few weeks, either the cashier has not scanned all my coupons, or I've left a bag of groceries in what is a sea of yellow plastic bags that accumulated at the bottom of the belt. :angry:

Wegmans, however, has just opened within a 15 minute drive (via a highway). I have been there several times over the past month. That store is a pleasure. Wish I could get there more often.

Same for me!

Shoprite in Piscataway makes me wanna scream, but since Wegmans opened in Woodbridge, it's a weekly pleasure (normally only my specialty-shop excusions are a pleasure.) After a snowbound weekend, I'm going there tonight...

"Give me 8 hours, 3 people, wine, conversation and natural ingredients and I'll give you one of the best nights in your life. Outside of this forum - there would be no takers."- Wine_Dad, egullet.org

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birder53

birder53

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I agree with Lauren. I look forward to food shopping since Wegman's opened in Bridgewater. There is always something special to try. The variety and quality of their produce, seafood and meat inspires me to cook. We eat out far less often these days because cooking has become so much fun.

KathyM

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laurenmilan

laurenmilan

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We eat out far less often these days because cooking has become so much fun.

It's that E-Gullet Effect again!

"Give me 8 hours, 3 people, wine, conversation and natural ingredients and I'll give you one of the best nights in your life. Outside of this forum - there would be no takers."- Wine_Dad, egullet.org

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tryska

tryska

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i hate when it's amateur night at the grocery store, and it's filled with people who don't know how to negotiate aisles and carts.

happenned last night, as a matter of fact. i was stuck behind a sunday driver and his girlfriend. in the tight corners he's periodically stop his cart right there to amble off and look at food.

finally i politely said excuse me, and maneuvered around him. then i heard him say "GOD. some people are in such a rush..."

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redarmy

redarmy

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My wife and I differ on how often we should go grocery shopping. If it were up to me, I'd be going every couple of days to a bunch of different places (ethnic/organic/etc stores).

On the other hand, she hates grocery shopping--in her ideal world, she would go shopping for food AT MOST once a week to one store and be done with it.

We're pretty lucky in Edmonton--there's quite a few really good ethnic groceries and some pretty well-stocked "good earth" type stores. Hell, even Save-On-Foods (a "regular" grocery store) has a really good selection of staples and more esoteric goods.

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tryska

tryska

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For the uninitiated amongst us, Gentle Readers, elyse is referring to a certain (in)famous Safeway in San Francisco, located on Market Street near Church and 18th. :blink:

Soba

this sounds like our "kruisy kroger".....

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Squeat Mungry

Squeat Mungry

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Hey Squeat, is your Safeway still a freakshow and dating spot after midnight?

elyse,

I assume it is. I try never to go there because it is only a matter of minutes before I become completely filled with intense rage. Everything about Safeway galls me -- don't get me started, I could go on for a long time!

(And Soba, not to pick nits, but in case any visiting eGulleters want to check out the show for themselves, the intersection is actually Church and 14th and Market.)

Cheers,

Squeat

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megc

megc

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(And Soba, not to pick nits, but in case any visiting eGulleters want to check out the show for themselves, the intersection is actually Church and 14th and Market.)

I thought it was the Marina Safeway?

Behind the Church Street Safeway is a wonderful mural, produced by an ex-boyfriend of mine. You can see it coming up out of the MUNI subway there, or on your bike. Definitely worth checking out. I've not seen the mural behind the Marina Safeway, which is mentioned in the link above.

I really miss San Francisco.

Adventures in Astoria, Queens.

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lamb

lamb

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Food shopping, itself, is pleasure.

Putting it all away is drudgery.

How true!!

It's even worse when my husband thinks he is *helping* by throwing food stuff willy-nilly in the fridge, freezer and pantry.

I organize in each according to food group. Kinda like a filing system for food. :raz:

It takes me a long time to put away after shopping. But at least I know where everything is.

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MichaelB

MichaelB

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I try to visit the "big" groccery store about every 3 to 4 weeks. I can't say that I enjoy going there.

Going to the city market and visiting each of the vendors I use -- those are some of my favorite times each week. I go at least twice; sometimes three times a week.

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