A couple of things reminded me lately of benefits of big box chain stores. They're small benefits, and for most people they won't justify paying higher prices, but....

I got a note from a friend asking me to shop at Jewel on a particular day when the store would be donating a percentage of sales to his favorite charity.

For those who have trouble walking, the chain stores have electric carts.

LAZ wrote:A couple of things reminded me lately of benefits of big box chain stores. They're small benefits, and for most people they won't justify paying higher prices, but....

I got a note from a friend asking me to shop at Jewel on a particular day when the store would be donating a percentage of sales to his favorite charity.

For those who have trouble walking, the chain stores have electric carts.

Self Checkout is pretty kickass too.

LAZ wrote:For those who have trouble walking, the chain stores have electric carts.

That's actually a great point. A good friend of mine hurt her foot really badly and couldn't walk without crutches (and still pretty haphazardly with them). The security guard at the Jewel-Osco at Broadway and Berwyn saw us coming from across the parking lot and preemptively brought out the electric cart for her. He was super sweet and helped get her all set up.
-Dan

dansch wrote:

LAZ wrote:For those who have trouble walking, the chain stores have electric carts.

That's actually a great point. A good friend of mine hurt her foot really badly and couldn't walk without crutches (and still pretty haphazardly with them). The security guard at the Jewel-Osco at Broadway and Berwyn saw us coming from across the parking lot and preemptively brought out the electric cart for her. He was super sweet and helped get her all set up.
-Dan

For what it's worth, when we lived in Andersonville a couple years back, the Broadway/Berwyn Jewel was, by far, one of the best major chain grocery stores we'd ever been to. They had their act together; just everything about the store. We'd go out of our way and hike up to that one even though we had the Soviet Jewel just two blocks away at Bryn Mawr & Clark. I'm not surprised reading your anecdote about your injured friend.

Chicago Expat wrote:...the Soviet Jewel just two blocks away at Bryn Mawr & Clark.

When I first moved here to Andersonville this summer, I didn't know better and walked in to that Jewel. Oh my god; it's staggeringly bad. I made a comment to my coworker who has lived in the neighborhood for some time and she gave me a mildly condescending look and told me that I had simply gone to the wrong neighborhood Jewel.

How can they have two stores - barely 3 blocks away from each other - that are at complete opposite ends of the spectrum?

-Dan

dansch wrote:

Chicago Expat wrote:...the Soviet Jewel just two blocks away at Bryn Mawr & Clark.

When I first moved here to Andersonville this summer, I didn't know better and walked in to that Jewel. Oh my god; it's staggeringly bad. I made a comment to my coworker who has lived in the neighborhood for some time and she gave me a mildly condescending look and told me that I had simply gone to the wrong neighborhood Jewel.

How can they have two stores - barely 3 blocks away from each other - that are at complete opposite ends of the spectrum?

-Dan

When we lived in the neighborhood from '04-06, that store was a nagging source of aggravation. The combination of empty shelves, sale items not stocked or stocked in the wrong location, the store falling apart as I walked through it, rotting vegetables sitting out for sale, dairy products on the shelf a month after their sell-date, oh man, it's been years, but I'm already feeling a rage-induced stroke coming on. What a terrible terrible store. After we finally gave up hope on it, we avoided it as much as we could, but I worked very odd hours back then, and sometimes when there's no more cat litter or cat food at three in the morning, or your wife needs something for the next day that we forgot to get earlier or it's ten below out and you have no car, well, I'd find myself walking through the doors of that damn store I'd sworn off forever. There was once, as I found myself in there yet again, that I saw the GM giving a tour to what gave every impression of being a regional Jewel VP. I was so horrified by my intense need to grab that man by the suit and rage to him everything that was wrong with his damn-ass store and ask for the life of his GM as compensation for my misery that I had no choice but to begin laughing hysterically nearby amongst the rotting produce. My only consolation for saying nothing was that, at the very least, my demeanor gave them the heebie-jeebies for a few precious moments. On the other hand, that produce store across the street (I forget what it's called) was pretty good.

On the other hand, that produce store across the street (I forget what it's called) was pretty good.

That would be Edgewater Produce.

Edgewater Produce
5509 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60640-1213
(773) 275-3800‎

Edgewater Produce is one of the better produce stores in the city with good quality vegetables and produce, their meat department is also decent. It is kept very clean and the service is good, it is a better alternative to Jewels produce and meat department. Now that is a good neighborhood independent food store, Andersonville is lucky to have a store like that.
Another new Mexican supermarket is on Western north of Touhy called SuperMercado Morelia
which has an okay produce department and many cuts of meat, however their cooked hot food department and in store made salsas are very good. The store is spotless and the help very outgoing and helpful.
The Jewel on Clark in Andersonville must be the most compact Jewel anywhere serving a very high density area, it almost has feel of a local store until you realize it still is a Jewel, although they use to carry some meat items such as lamb skulls and such for the local ethnic clientel I think they stopped that... too bad, lamb skulls...yummy.

Chicago Expat wrote:I was so horrified by my intense need to grab that man by the suit and rage to him everything that was wrong with his damn-ass store and ask for the life of his GM as compensation for my misery that I had no choice but to begin laughing hysterically nearby amongst the rotting produce. My only consolation for saying nothing was that, at the very least, my demeanor gave them the heebie-jeebies for a few precious moments.

My guess is that you're not the only crazy guy cackling in the produce department there.

Chicago Expat wrote:On the other hand, that produce store across the street (I forget what it's called) was pretty good.

It's ok. I'm fairly certain it's owned by the same folks as HarvesTime on Lawrence, which I think is a much better store (though not near as convenient to where I live).

Recently I've been shopping there, Viet Hoa on Argyle, and Old World Market on Broadway. The latter is new to me and I really like it. Nice folks, good mix of staples plus Caribbean and African ingredients to explore, and only about two blocks from my house. Between those and the farmers' markets, I've been able to basically avoid big box grocery store shopping almost entirely.

Old World Market
5129 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60640-3018
(773) 728-2197

-Dan

Yes, Edgewater Produce and HarvesTime are owned by the same company. HarvesTime is a little larger, but they are very similar stores. HarvesTime is my go-to place for vegetables when the farmer's markets are closed/out of vegetables for the winter. It is also my go-to place for lemons and limes, and for most Mexican ingredients, all year. Great store.

The campaign is over, and now Dominick's is quietly selling more genuinely local produce without the fanfare. Problem is that the local produce they're selling is horrific. On sale today were "Michigan Home Grown" tomatoes, each of which could get you through a season of slow-pitch softball games.

Kennyz wrote:The campaign is over, and now Dominick's is quietly selling more genuinely local produce without the fanfare.

Some less genuinely local than others. The "Michigan peaches" at the Clybourn Dom's today bore little stickers that said "grown in California." Hrmph.
--Rich

Kennyz wrote:The campaign is over, and now Dominick's is quietly selling more genuinely local produce without the fanfare. Problem is that the local produce they're selling is horrific. On sale today were "Michigan Home Grown" tomatoes, each of which could get you through a season of slow-pitch softball games.

Are you sure those were local tomatoes. Not to mindless defend local food (which I'll do anyways!), but this week's Dominick's ad does not mention local tomatoes. Rather, to feed a LAZ BLT addiction, they have hot house tomatoes. I mean at least that's what they advertise. That IS ridiculous right. Hot house tomatoes now. But, you say, they're always bright red and they have those cute green "vines". Also, quite illustrative, as I point out on the Local Beet, those hot house tomatoes are $1.99/lb, pretty much the same price I've seen real tomatoes at, at those evil farmer's markets. Supermarkets are bullsh$$!

Anyways, my wrap up of local food at the grocery stores, as based on weekly flyers, can be found here. Hint: much local this week.

Vital Information wrote:

Kennyz wrote:The campaign is over, and now Dominick's is quietly selling more genuinely local produce without the fanfare. Problem is that the local produce they're selling is horrific. On sale today were "Michigan Home Grown" tomatoes, each of which could get you through a season of slow-pitch softball games.

Are you sure those were local tomatoes.

Absolutely not, how can anyone be sure what they're getting at Dominick's? I can say for sure that they had a little sticker on them which read "Michigan Home Grown". MIght as well have said "Spalding"

Saw this at Caputo's today. Gave me a whole new outlook on locally grown.

Wow.

the wimperoo wrote:Saw this at Caputo's today. Gave me a whole new outlook on locally grown.

Good grief! Which Caputo's? Angelo or Joseph?

LAZ wrote:

the wimperoo wrote:Saw this at Caputo's today. Gave me a whole new outlook on locally grown.

Good grief! Which Caputo's? Angelo or Joseph?

Angelo Caputo's in South Elgin

the wimperoo wrote:

LAZ wrote:

the wimperoo wrote:Saw this at Caputo's today. Gave me a whole new outlook on locally grown.

Good grief! Which Caputo's? Angelo or Joseph?

Angelo Caputo's in South Elgin

Well, it was locally grown...then shipped here in a big container ship.

I'm assuming Safeway info would apply to Dominicks. But corporate Safeway says they'll let you bring back shitty produce/fruits and get your money back and then give you free product in place of it:

http://www.safeway.com/ifl/Grocery/Summ ... #iframetop