In the meat area, the Appleton ham is quite nice, the thick sliced bacon is tasty, and I love the jumbo bisquits.

Go check it out.

Geo wrote: Plus, if you like any sort of chocolate, they're the best grocery in existence. Austrian, Swiss, German...

I'm digging the 75% CACAO Ecuadorian chocolate. I haven't tried the other single origins they have available simply because this one is so good.

I personally don't care for any of their meats or breads. I regularly buy the eggs, milk, cheese, chicken stock, cookies, and pantry items for baking (flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, etc.). I'm always looking for the specialty items (they had Amy's organic frozen products recently) or imports, which at least makes shopping there a little more interesting. They had some delicious "deluxe cashew lover's mix" over the holidays (50% cashews, macadamias and pecans), but alas, like with Costco, things are there one day, gone the next.

Actually, while I avoid most of their frozen meats, their italian and breakfast sausages are a pantry staple in our house, they're very good quality if you keep meat in a freezer anyway. They now also carry fresh meat, fairly good quality, if a limited selection - but I like the meats better at Fresh Farms (or from Bossy III, or Peoria Packing.) Last time I was in Skokie, they had some Tyson-version of organic chicken (which I didn't try.)

I guess my point is that there's plenty of reasons to go to the Aldi even though I don't buy all my groceries there - but in a pinch, I could do one-stop shopping there and not be unhappy with the result.

One thing I forgot to mention: *sometimes* I've been able to get German products there (in addition to the coffee). For example, you can buy a 12-pack of pork schnitzel which are really quite good: very typically German homestyle. And in the deli section I've more than once been able to buy pkgs of sliced Black Forest ham which tastes just about right. I would imagine that these sorts of things would show up more in Chicago than in KC. But keep your eyes open if you're interested in that sort of thing.

There's a brand-new, HUGE Aldi in Plattsburgh NY about an hour south of Montreal, which I visit about once a month to stock up on various things when I'm in town. It's well worth it.

Geo

I like Aldi for what it is, but they have some shortcomings that they should address. I can understand how the meat and produce departments are not going to be competitive with Tony's or Caputo's, given Aldi's minimalist philosophy. But why does the bread/bakery department have to suck so hard? They have one of the worst selections of breads that I have seen in any store. I complained to the manager at one of their stores last week about the complete absence of any rye bread whatsoever, and all he could say was "We get what corporate sends us." I said why don't you tell them your customers want rye bread, and he said it wouldn't matter, and shuffled off.

They have a way of stocking items and then not stocking them. Last month, I was able to buy flaked coconut, vegetable juice, and knackwurst sausage. This month, none of those products were available. The manager's explanation? They were all considered "temporarily available items," whatever that means.

And did you know that cole slaw, potato salad, and macaroni salad, are seasonal items? Apparently we are only expected to eat them during the warm months.

Cogito wrote:I like Aldi for what it is, but they have some shortcomings that they should address.

I think you are missing the whole point of ALDI...low prices. It is not designed to meet all your shopping needs.

They call themselves "The Stock Up Store", as in, if you see something you like, and the price is right, and you think you might want it more than once, you'd better stock up while we've got it in the store.

That said, they do have great consistency in carrying everyday staple items; milk, eggs, bread (okay, maybe not as many varieties as everyone would like, but they've got a good whole wheat bread and that suits me just fine) at excellent prices. In addition to the basics, they also have a good, not great selection of excellent cheeses (try their Havarti sometime!), Bavarian chocolate (unbelievably good and dirt cheap), and other non essentials.

Those items that they have on limited availability, usually come back several times a year. They have a group of German items that pops up around Oktoberfest and at least one or two other times. Same with their Italian, Mexican, and Asian lines.

It's true you won't find everything you want on every trip to Aldi, but that's not the point. I'm fortunate enough to live within a mile of an Aldi and the Des Plaines locations of Shop and Save, and Caputo's. Between the three of them I have not had to set foot in my neighborhood's Jewel or Dominick's stores in years unless there was a really great sale of which I wanted to take advantage.

Don't dis the Aldi. They're doin' the best they can and filling an essential need in the community.

Buddy

While I'm a wholehearted supporter of the Aldi, I'd have to agree with Cogito that their bakery stuff is generally godawful across the spectrum (Buddy, I will take a second look at the WW bread; I long ago decided that all their bread products were basically different shapes and forms of SWB) I will say, though, that I get a large percentage of my baking supplies there - their AP flour is really, really cheap and works just fine for 90% of what I do (I add gluten for bread, I add cornstarch for cake/pastry flour, I add WW, rye, or other flours when I'm trying to do that kind of baking - all of which I have to get elsewhere)

Their website does have a customer comment form here: http://www.everesthosted.com/aldifeedback/Concern.asp While the store manager may well have no control over corporate, maybe customers complaining directly will get some action. One-stop shopping it's not, but for what I do get there, my grocery dollar goes a lot farther. I'm really grateful for the bright shiny new Aldi in Evanston.

I agree with the recent posts. But I also think that carrying at least 1 type of rye bread would be a good thing for the store's bottom line, and make a lot of customers happy.

Cogito wrote:I agree with the recent posts. But I also think that carrying at least 1 type of rye bread would be a good thing for the store's bottom line, and make a lot of customers happy.

In a lot of locations, they are carrying the Bavarian dark rye bread imported from Germany.

The only decent bakery product that they ever carried was the angel food cake.

I was happy to see German egg noodles return this week!

gleam wrote:Matt's isn't even under a house brand, is it? It's the same package you'd buy at jewel but for like, $1.50 a bag instead of $3.50.

Those are some good cookies.

They certainly are! Having gone to Aldi's since a little girl, I always thought Matt's was an exclusive Aldi brand. I'm learning so much...

jlawrence01 wrote:

Cogito wrote:I agree with the recent posts. But I also think that carrying at least 1 type of rye bread would be a good thing for the store's bottom line, and make a lot of customers happy.

In a lot of locations, they are carrying the Bavarian dark rye bread imported from Germany.

Is that a hard, thinnly cut bread?

Cogito wrote:I agree with the recent posts. But I also think that carrying at least 1 type of rye bread would be a good thing for the store's bottom line, and make a lot of customers happy.

I presume they know what is good for their own bottom line.

Cogito wrote:

jlawrence01 wrote:In a lot of locations, they are carrying the Bavarian dark rye bread imported from Germany.

Is that a hard, thinnly cut bread?

It's like those Rubschlager Cocktail Breads
http://www.rubschlagerbaking.com/

Artie wrote:

Cogito wrote:

jlawrence01 wrote:In a lot of locations, they are carrying the Bavarian dark rye bread imported from Germany.

Is that a hard, thinnly cut bread?

It's like those Rubschlager Cocktail Breads
http://www.rubschlagerbaking.com/

It is NOT a cocktail bread. It is a 4x6" dark rye bread sliced 1/2" thick and about 8 slices in a 16oz loaf. It is a harder, shelf stable bread.

It is not my favorite bread but I have found painfully little rye bread in this area that I have liked.

jlawrence01 wrote:
It is NOT a cocktail bread. It is a 4x6" dark rye bread sliced 1/2" thick and about 8 slices in a 16oz loaf. It is a harder, shelf stable bread.

It is not my favorite bread but I have found painfully little rye bread in this area that I have liked.

That sounds like a dark rye that we buy at Meijers in the ethnic section. It's a little smaller than a small sandwich sized bread loaf. We used to buy it a lot for my German MIL to spread liverwurst on.

jlawrence01 wrote:It is not my favorite bread but I have found painfully little rye bread in this area that I have liked.

How about Racine Bakery's Lithuanian rye?

Cogito wrote:

jlawrence01 wrote:It is not my favorite bread but I have found painfully little rye bread in this area that I have liked.

How about Racine Bakery's Lithuanian rye?

Never seen it before in all my travels.

Well, Aldi must be doing something right...

In the W S Journal today, they mentioned that Aldi (whose U.S. headquarters are located in Batavia, Ill.) added 83 U.S. stores in the last 12 months for a total of 1,084 in 13 states, and plans 72 more by year end.

Hi,

I have noticed Aldi moving into more expensive locations. Across the street from Franks and Dawgs are both an Aldi and a Trader Joe's. A higher rent district than Montrose Avenue across from Lutz's Bakery.

Regards,

As my husband drinks 3/4 a gallon of of milk a day, we go there every week. My staples are Kosher dill slices, artichoke heart salad in a jar, Clancy's Regular Potato Chips and 3 gallons of milk. I do buy the Butterballs at 99 cents a pound because that is what my mom always cooked, good memories and the only turkey my sisters will eat.

I very much enjoy the German "Choceur" brand chocolates at Aldi, especially the big bars with the almonds. I also bought all of my Easter chocolates at Aldi, they were all from Germany and the same kind that I used to buy from Wikstrom's (RIP) wrapped like lady bugs and chicks and whatnot and they were 1/8th the price. Shoot, they were cheaper than crap candy at Jewel. And the kids and adults adored them.

I did notice that when the Aldi opened in Lincoln Park on Clybourn not only were the shopping carts free for the taking (meaning, you didn't have to give a quarter "deposit" which you later get back) but they also had shopping baskets. I really like that Aldi has gone into neighborhoods when no other retailer would, but it ticked me off that they offered these nicer amenities in the "better" neighborhood. But maybe I am premature in judgement and we will see shopping baskets in other stores. I hope so.

bjt

The one on Belmont at Kimball offers baskets.

bjt wrote:I did notice that when the Aldi opened in Lincoln Park on Clybourn not only were the shopping carts free for the taking (meaning, you didn't have to give a quarter "deposit" which you later get back) but they also had shopping baskets. I really like that Aldi has gone into neighborhoods when no other retailer would, but it ticked me off that they offered these nicer amenities in the "better" neighborhood. But maybe I am premature in judgement and we will see shopping baskets in other stores. I hope so.

bjt

I've never seen a homeless person pushing an Aldi cart. Maybe now we will.

jlawrence01 -- If you like traditional Jewish Rye w/seeds, Kaufman's offers a "Corn Rye" that might tickle your fancy.

Kaufman's Bagel & Delicatessen
www.kaufmansdeli.com
4905 West Dempster Street
Skokie, IL 60077-2256
(847) 677-9880

What puzzles me on the customer satisfaction front is why the plastic half and half bottles are always of the dribble sort. Friendly Farms is the only one that doesn't make a mess. I say having just bought a bottle at whole foods (they have underground parking .

German week starts at Aldi on September 22, quite a few of their good, seasonal products will be available http://www.aldifoods.com/us/html/offers/offers_09_22_2010_ENU_HTML.htm

When I was in college I shopped at Aldi all the time because I could spend $30 bux for food that lasts 3 weeks.. And by food I mean cookies, soda, crackers and crap like that. I remember absolutely hating it because the lemon lime soda tasted like gas and the cookies like cardboard. What we loved about Aldi back in the day were their recurring deals on electronics. Their medion brand computers are absolutely awesome and I do miss those days. I found their produce to be generally good quality, frozen meats were fine. I'm not exactly sure why people loathe the place so much, probably because it's stigmatized as the place where the poor shop?

I think many people react negatively because of all the "packaged crap" of which there is a lot. However, if you look past the faux-re-os, they have very high quality pantry staples: flour, sugar, brown sugar, the best price on whole pecans anywhere, a decent house brand of EVOO, etc. Their regular prices are comparable to Food For Less's sale prices (Oatmeal is always 30 servings for $1.99; IIRC dried beans were 5lbs (or 50 servings) for less than $2)

If you were strategic, you could easily buy a week's worth of groceries there and stay within the SNAP challenge budget parameters.