Costco

[Eden]

I am so sad that they stopped carrying boucherondin, - favorite costco cheese find ever!

Word to the wise: I tried the "Natural Petit Fours" they had at the Seattle Costco recently, and they were just awful! And I am so not a snob re petit fours, I will even eat the mail order stuff if I have to I love them that much, but these were just vile...

[tirgoddess]

The Kirkland dog food is an exceptional buy. It has a very high quality rating and does not contain corn. The serving size on the bag can be too much for most dogs, so watch your dog's weight if you start on it. I had to cut mine back a cup a day and he is a very active Lab. It is made by Diamond brand. Many of the Costco products are also sold at Trader Joe's w/ the TJ name on them, like the artichoke spinach dip and the prfitorelles (cream puffs). The potstickers make a great "wanton" for a quick wanton soup, just add them frozen to the finished soup and let them heat through. I wish my store carried the Raspberry Chipotle marinade, great on pork. I also like the huge box of baking soda as I find it works just as well as OxyClean in my washing machine.

*edited for note on dog food.

Edited December 21, 2007 by tirgoddess (log)

[Marya]

The Citterio prosciutto, lamb, pine nuts, olive oil and fresh figs in season. Recent finds include duck leg confit, Muscovy duck breast, a black truffle butter (Tartufitalia), Langres (not as pungent, or delicious as an Epoisses, but also not $39.95lb.) and Giordano's Toscana Rosso, our now preferred table wine.

I'm still greatly missing the Garofalo bufallo mozzarella and the prepared duck half.

[llc45]

The Citterio prosciutto, lamb, pine nuts, olive oil and fresh figs in season.  Recent finds include duck leg confit, Muscovy duck breast, a black truffle butter (Tartufitalia), Langres (not as pungent, or delicious as an Epoisses, but also not $39.95lb.) and Giordano's Toscana Rosso, our now preferred table wine.

I'm still greatly missing the Garofalo bufallo mozzarella and the prepared duck half.

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OOOOhhhhh - black truffle butter? Please tell more - how have you used it?

The prosciutto is also a regular staple in our house.

[Batard]

Took a trip to Costco today. I bought a lot of the usual suspects, but there were a couple of nice finds:

- Nino San Marzano Tomatoes, 6lb can, $3.19

- Kirkland Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, 16oz: $5.99 (!!!)

- Delice d'Argental, 7oz: $5.89

I was lucky, my Costco still had the Garofalo bufallo mozzarella.

Someone mentioned the Kirkland Balsamic vinegar. It's aged only 28 months, but it has excellent flavor. It's my goto balsamic.

Three big disappointments:

1. No 100% pure blueberry juice.

2. No Kirkland Toscano olive oil. This is an excellent oil, not overly heavy but fragrant, perfect for vegetable sautes. This has always been my got oil, I don't even know what to buy now.

3. I could not find Carnitas!

I am getting over my disappointment by munching down some marcona almonds.

Edited December 21, 2007 by Batard (log)

[Marya]

The truffle buttter is getting quite a workout. I've used it with lightly scambled eggs, fried potatoes with duck confit, pasta, risotto, melted over flatiron steak and even on a delicious blonde levain. I'm concerned that this product will disappear, like some other favorites, so I bought a half dozen and froze them.

[carsanco]

The truffle buttter is getting quite a workout.  I've used it with lightly scambled eggs, fried potatoes with duck confit, pasta, risotto, melted over flatiron steak and even on a delicious blonde levain.  I'm concerned that this product will disappear, like some other favorites, so I bought a half dozen and froze them.

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Not food but it's our biggest expense at Costco: Gas.

Ditto much of the other stuff mentioned. That lump crab meat is sounding good.

I buy the huge cans of San Marzano tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes are considered by some to be tops for making sauce...something about being grown in volcanic ash soil. I think I taste a smoother, richer body to my sauce when I use them.

Yeast in double pound packets lasts ages or do I get that at Sam's? (I think they're clones. Their prices are usually pennies apart.)

Locatelli at a fair price.

Lately their grapes. The kids polish them off despite the huge amount you must buy.

Wine in magnums fits my budget.

My monthly bills get bigger and bigger...Costco must be a giant in the food industry?

[llc45]

- Nino San Marzano Tomatoes, 6lb can, $3.19

Wow - I can't believe I didn't know that they had these - I go way out of my way to stock up on these at a superrmarket that carries them at a reasonable price but this price blows that price out of the water.

- Delice d'Argental,  7oz: $5.89

What is this?

Carsanco - Ditto on the increasing bills.

[Tess]

I'm still greatly missing the Garofalo bufallo mozzarella and the prepared duck half.

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The baby duck half is available in the Chicago area Costcos right now. Things do seem to vary according to location. I was at the Honolulu Costco and they had way different stuff.

I just bought a large container of Manitou "Gourmet Mushroom Blend" which looks pretty good. Dried porcini, morels and other mushrooms.

I love Kirkland vanilla ice cream. Unfortunately I usually can't store that large an amount.

Nthing the canned crab. I've had good luck with the large scallops too. (Fish department, not freezer, although I think these are mostly previously frozen.)

[Icanmakeit]

I am so amazed at these Costco posts! I stopped being a 'member' nearly 8 years ago because of the rediculous lines and no 'express' checker. My paltry little (albeit) FULL basket of items was no competition for those other 'members' (AKA resturant/catering folks) with double pallet jacks full of stuff. I remember calculating a wait in line of at least 45 minutes. I didn't go back and I didn't renew my card. A few years later, I recieved letter asking me why I didn't renew my membership and I gave the long lines as my reason in a postage-paid envelope. I was sent a nice letter asking me to reconsider and a 30 day free membership pass which I promptly threw away, the memories of those endless lines still burned in my memory.

After these posts, I am rethingking my descision. I swear at the time I used to go, I don't remember all this great stuff being there. Things must have changed a lot in the sheer quality, magnitude and variety of what Costco carries! Another reason I may re-join is that I now realize that since I quit going, about 3 or 4 other Costcos have sprouted in several neighboring towns probably trimming down some of the constant volume of the one Costco I am closest to - literally behind the company where I work.

I remember the great wine, some good tomato products, cheap ibuprofen, flowers and cat litter but that's about it. Reading some of the Bay Area/Central Valley posters run down of items like The Marin French Cheese Companies Rouge en Noir is making me drool. You can't get it anywhere even though the place is less than 200 miles from here!

My birthday is coming up - maybe a new membership card will be a present to myself.

[SuzySushi]

The baby duck half is available in the Chicago area Costcos right now. Things do seem to vary according to location. I was at the Honolulu Costco and they had way different stuff.

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Absolutely, the merchandise selection varies by location. NO duck halves in Hawaii (sob!!) but we were there yesterday about 5 pm and they were sampling Australian boneless leg of lamb ($3.99/lb).

[jvalentino]

- Nino San Marzano Tomatoes, 6lb can, $3.19

I bought a can of these, and used them yesterday. I believe they say packed in the "San Marzano Region", so I'm not sure they were true SM's. They were ok-lots of smaller tomatoes which means more seeds, and they were a little gritty feeling. That being said I made a long cooked gravy with them, and it was pretty good. That price is fantastic, but I can't say for sure if I'll buy them again.

Jeff

[Batard]

- Nino San Marzano Tomatoes, 6lb can, $3.19

I bought a can of these, and used them yesterday. I believe they say packed in the "San Marzano Region", so I'm not sure they were true SM's.

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[Tess]

My birthday is coming up - maybe a new membership card will be a present to myself.

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If your local Costco is mine, they will give you a tour or a one-day pass. Worth doing before you buy the membership IMO. It really does vary from place to place; some Costcos are much nicer than others. I have never had issues with waiting in line but I know at some places you may.

[Marya]

You killed my buzz, but I think you are right. I did some research, and found out that "real" San Marzanos have a special government seal on the label, D.O.P. (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) on the label.

A couple of years ago Costco was liquidating it's 28oz cans of Gia Russa San Marzano because the price was too high compared to domestic tomatoes and it was not selling well. I bought all the cans they had (under $1 each), and it's a good thing I did since that was the last time they carried DOP San Marzanos.

Edited December 23, 2007 by Marya (log)

[dockhl]

I just tried the Campari Tomatoes on the Vine that have been recommended here. Wow, I am really impressed. Normally I simply won't eat fresh tomatoes when they are not locally available, but this is a great alternative. Fairly sweet but with lots of good tomatoey flavor !

[tsquare]

Has the saffron showed up yet? They bought everything from one of the authetic hand picked saffron small towns of La Mancha.

"By mid-April, or perhaps early May, he said, certified saffron from La Mancha will be in the stores."

Saffron + Costco

[dockhl]

Wow. No idea. I just did a quick run through, but thanks for the heads up !

[potsticker]

I bought those tomatoes on a whim just because they looked delicious. Really brightened up my otherwise boring salad.

Saffron, eh? Looks like I'll be making regular pilgrimages...again.

[BekkiM]

The saffron is in--I just bought a jar yesterday.

[ghostrider]

The Costco in my neck of the woods routinely has a 20-30 minute wait just to get into the parking lot. The cars are backed up out the parking lot drive, 2 blocks up the street through an intersection, then down the exit ramp and a good 1/4 mile out onto the local highway.

Granted, it's not like this all day, but late afternoons/early evenings & weekends, fuggidaboudit.

Are Costcos like this everywhere? Are they really worth that much aggravation?

I can't speak for how many folks are in those lines solely for the cheap gas & how many for the merchandise or both. It just boggles my mind that people will put up with that kind of drain on their time for anything even once a week. Of course sitting in your motionless car amid thousands of other motionless cars is something of a ritual in this region.

Edited April 20, 2008 by ghostrider (log)

[onrushpam]

We went to our new Costco for the first time yesterday. It's been open a little over a week. We went in the morning, not too long after they opened. Parked very near the door, got our membership sign-up handled quickly and didn't have to wait in line at the checkout. (Well, we had to wait a couple of minutes while the young man ahead of us flirted with the very attractive checker)!

MUCH better than our experiences at Sam's Club, where we always had to wait in long lines.

They may have extra help on board right now. It will be interesting to see if the services maintains at the excellent level we saw yesterday.

[Tess]

The Costco I visit most never has parking issues. Maybe if you want to park very close to the store, but the lot never seems completely full. It's hard to predict when checkout will be most congested, but the wait is not usually bad-- it's worse at the Jewel nearby. However, I have heard rumors that they're concerned about that Costco not doing enough business.

[SuzySushi]

The saffron is in--I just bought a jar yesterday. 

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Not in Hawaii yet... Was it featured on an endcap, or was it in the regular spice aisle? I keep checking!

[BekkiM]

The saffron is in--I just bought a jar yesterday.  

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Not in Hawaii yet... Was it featured on an endcap, or was it in the regular spice aisle? I keep checking!

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It was in the regular spice aisle, on the very bottom of the shelf--not really being showcased or promoted at all. I paid $25 for a 5g jar. Is that good or bad? Anyway, I haven't broken the seal yet, but it looks lovely and red-gold.