Parmigiano-Reggiano sale at Whole Foods

My local Whole Foods (Sauganash) is currently offering their normal Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese at $14.99/lb. This is 25% cheaper than normal. I believe they normally stock a 2-year aged wheel, but I don't know for sure.

Whole Foods
6020 N Cicero Ave
Chicago
773.205.1100

thats double Restaurant Depot $7.70/lb. find someone with a membership and save the coin.

jimswside wrote:thats double Restaurant Depot $7.70/lb. find someone with a membership and save the coin.

Is that for a 2-year age Parmigiano-Reggiano? Also, all Parmigiano-Reggiano is not the same, handling comes in to play and there are variations even within the designation.

Of all the Whole Foods in the city I would trust for cheese it's the Sauganash branch as the cheese manager there is Mat Parker, formerly of Cheese Stands Alone.

I am no cheese monger, but they have whole wheels(like I used to buy for Hyatt) @ like $6.60/lb, and the smaller chunks for the price listed.

find someone with a membership

So wait, this isn't even a retail price/place? Not to mention, is it the same quality of cheese or does it come in a big green can?

Mike G wrote:
So wait, this isn't even a retail price/place? Not to mention, is it the same quality of cheese or does it come in a big green can?

nope, just for folks with a tax ID number and a restaurant/business. If folks are nice to me I bring them with me to shop. Think Costco/Sams but even better and cheaper.

its real Regginao, same whole wheels(84 lbs.) I bought when I did food purchasing for Hyatt. And smaller chunks as well(10 lbs.).

Not sure about the aging beyond what it takes to be allowed to be labeled reggiano parmesan.

So it's not a place that you can just walk in and get something when you need it, like Whole Foods. I mean, caterers can, or procurement officers for the armed forces, but not 99% of the people who post here.

Mike G wrote:So it's not a place that you can just walk in and get something when you need it, like Whole Foods. I mean, caterers can, or procurement directors for the armed forces, but not 99% of the people who post here.

just trying to give some info & another option Mike,

Perhaps there are more people in the food business on here that have access to places like this than you may think.

sorry I even posted.

I have found that Caputo's market have pretty good prices on Parmesan-Reggiano. They have a couple locations around Chicago and I believe that it is the real stuff (or they have fooled me pretty good). I don't remember the price the last time I bought it but know it is less than Whole Foods.

JohnH wrote:I have found that Caputo's market have pretty good prices on Parmesan-Reggiano. They have a couple locations around Chicago and I believe that it is the real stuff (or they have fooled me pretty good). I don't remember the price the last time I bought it but know it is less than Whole Foods.

If anyone is selling it at $14.99/lb retail regularly, I'd like to know about it. Been a long time since I've seen that price anywhere (retail).

Not sure what price they are quoting now as I haven't purchased it in a while but I would say the $14 ish is about right. Additionally, I know they sell alot of it so the cut blocks are not sitting out getting oxidized as I have found that at other places.

Not sure what price they are quoting now as I haven't purchased it in a while but I would say the $14 ish is about right.

I was at the Caputo's in Lake Forest (not sure which Caputo's chain this is part of) a few weeks ago and this is in the ballpark of the regular price they were charging - it might even have been lower.

$13-14/lb sounds right for Caputo Cheese Market, too.

I think costco's cryovac'd 2lb chunks of parmigiano reggiano are in the $12-14/lb range, too.

My word Jim!

I took a quick look around at the flyer, from Restaurant Depot and some of the prices were pretty nice! Do they sell Iberico Bellota? Oh the beef briskets, the corned beef...

It was hard to tell what cheeses they carry from the flyer. The only Italian cheeses that they mentioned were Belgioioso brand. But I'm sure they carry a good number of wheels other than Belgioioso.

Thanks for the link...I'll have to check their flyer from time to time


Hi all,

There certainly is a discernible difference in various parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses. If the one at Costco is comparable to the Parmigiano-Reggiano at Sam's or many of the local grocery stores...it's mediocre (imo). The Parmigiano-Reggiano at Whole Foods and Fox & Obel are certainly a step up from the other Reggiano's at regular grocery stores. I'm really not impressed at all with the quality of the cheeses at Angelo Caputo's, though I've never been to the Caputo's Cheese Market. For better Parmigiano-Reggiano you may have to start scouring the cheese shops near you.

I'd also look for some of the cheese shops around the Chicago area. Try a piece and it should be a bit hard, salty, nice crystal formation and a deep deep nutty complex flavor. So many of the mediocre Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses seem so young and buttery smooth in comparison to a truly good Reggiano. I don't know how they get away with stamping it Parmigiano-Reggiano? But they most certainly are stamped this way.


just my $0.03
dan

I'm pretty sure Graziano's has parm for about $14-15 per pound. They have outstanding cheeses and I generally find the prices to be $3-4 less than WF.

thaiobsessed wrote:I'm pretty sure Graziano's has parm for about $14-15 per pound. They have outstanding cheeses and I generally find the prices to be $3-4 less than WF.

I love Graziano's but the last piece of P-R I bought there was too young and soft. Can't say that I much more enjoy Whole Foods' selection either. While we're on the subject, does anyone have a Chicago source of truly excellent P-R, regardless of price?

Graziano's parmigiano reggiano is 13.99 a pound. I picked some up this week. It definitely wasn't soft (actually I compared it to a small piece from Whole Foods I bought to tide me over last weekend--Graziano's was closed last Sat--and the textures were identical).

The thieves came in the thick of darkness. They used a blowtorch to pry open steel bars and sneaked through a narrow window before making off with their loot. Less than 24 hours later, they came back for more. In all, they made off with almost 25,000 pounds of Parmesan cheese.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/who-stole- ... 1529682856