European Imports

The other day I was perusing through the latest issue of Time Out Chicago and found an article about food wholesalers in the city who sold their products to the general public. One paragraph said that European Imports Ltd. was having a sale later this week (I believe the dates were November 17 to 19) to the public for their overstock items. I just did an Internet search on this topic and found nothing, however.

Was wondering if anybody has ever been to this establishment and has ever heard of such a sale taking place. If so, are there any testimonials out there for such an event? I'm curious if there will be anything there for purchase that is not in large quantities. I just tried putting in a call to their office, but unfortunately was a little late (it's only open till 4pm). I'll call again later in the week, but in the interim I was hoping to learn a little about this store/event.



European Imports Ltd
(773) 227-0600
2475 N Elston Ave
Chicago, IL 60647

European Imports has sales open to the public in which they unload things that are or are about to be past their "best by" dates and other items that they haven't been able to sell to restaurants, gourmet shops and gift-basket assemblers. The products tend to be the sort of thing you find at expensive gourmet food shops -- jellies, bottled sauces, flavored oils, vinegars, candy, etc. -- and a few cheeses. It's not wholesale quanitities. Sometimes you can find bargains, but much of it is stuff you can find elsewhere (Costco, Cost Plus World Market, etc.) at roughly the same prices, or not much more, for things that aren't outdated.

When the sale's on, they put a sign up outside their warehouse.

European Imports is a specialty distributor of, among other things, cheese. They distribute cheeses from Forever Cheese (the Mitica line of Spanish and Portuguese cheeses and spreads, as well as some popular Italian table cheeses and grana), the usual suspects in French (I think of it as lowest common denominator) etc as well as lots of dry goods. Having never been to one of their sales, I have no clue about quantity or selection.

I would be careful of "overstock" on cheese -- most cheese isn't handled particularly well in warehouses, and "overstock" is a cause for concern - we used to sell ours to a "junk" dealer for pennies on the dollar, just to move them. Too long in refrigeration without proper humidity can wreck delicate product -- but a lot of what they will carry has been aged in cryo, so those won't be as scary (but in much bigger quantities). Additionally, some of the fresh dairy may be short coded -- so read labels carefully, and touch and smell everything.

What are the times for the sale?

But dry goods shouldn't be as much a concern.

Hi,

European Imports had a significant presence at the Fancy Food Show. I picked up their catalog to not only read for ideas, but to identify whether or not they distributed any hard to find items. I reasoned if they had it in their catalog, they might identify who purchased it in the local area or would be willing to order it on my behalf.

I'm not sure I would make European Imports destination shopping, I sure would be interested in peaking if in the neighborhood.

Regards,

I once spent an entire evening having drinks and chatting up a delightful young woman who worked for European Imports. We talked for hours about food and wine, and when we were done exchanged phone numbers - with the promise that she'd sell anything they carried to me at their cost, as long as she wasn't breaking their own rules on minimum quantity. (I guess I made a good impression.)

In one of those moves that I've regretted for months, I completely forgot her name. It's in my phone among a few hundred other numbers, and I simply don't remember which one she might happen to be.

Man, did I blow it that time, or what?

Pete wrote:Man, did I blow it that time, or what?

I only want you to feel worse, yes, you blew it!

(I've done the same over the years. Yeah, stuff happens)

Queijo wrote:Having never been to one of their sales, I have no clue about quantity or selection.

The stock of cheese available at these sales is quite limited, mainly pre-packaged European cheeses in relatively small pieces. The quality is fine if you plan to eat it in a few days, but I wouldn't plan on stocking up.

The only cheese I ever bought there that I thought exceptional was an English cheddar spiked with Boddington beer and Branson's pickle.

IIRC, the sale typically runs till 3 p.m. As Cathy2 surmises, it may be worth stopping in if you're in the neighborhood, but not worth rearranging your life for.

Yes, Cathy2, they do have "a significant presence" -- actually, just a large booth. Their products are neither rare nor special. They are known to be a reliable distributor of OK product, but not market leaders. Who happen to be very large in the Midwest. They sell to Whole Foods, Wild Oats, small specialty stores, etc.

I worked for another company (a competitor of European's) which actually was amazing - the best cheese in the US (and some lovely dry goods, most notably from Italy) with an equally large presence at the NASFT. And never a single sale to the public. Ever -- hence I am struck by the novelty of this sale.

And Pete, I would have NEVER made that offer when I was working for them -- I used to hook people up with 15% over cost goods (and still get that deal now), but never "at cost" as it would have been red flagged on an invoice -- and we never sold anything at our cost - how could we stay in business? So you lost out - or she was feeding you a line. I have to guess that she wasn't selling it at cost but at their wholesale pricing. But really, would it have been cases of pasta, wheels of Cahill's Porter? An 80 pound wheel of Parm (now that would have been a good value)? Now if you had met someone from Zuercher, that would have been good.

Queijo wrote:I worked for another company (a competitor of European's) which actually was amazing - the best cheese in the US (and some lovely dry goods, most notably from Italy) with an equally large presence at the NASFT.

Just curious ... would that be a certain cheese distributor in Skokie?

nope. Not Zuercher. I have mentioned east coast in previous posts, and we will leave it at that.

what others have said about European Imports selling you their expired stuff is mostly true... be very careful that you are "OK" with something you buy being expired. I bought a few things that I thought would be "OK" if slightly expired, but turned out to be a complete waste of $.

Also, just because they advertise selling you their crap at wholesale, doesn't mean it really is. I found some things to be priced too high, especially considering the products are either damaged or expired.

BTW, the best deal I found: they have cases of bottled water for $5 each... I got three cases of Hildon (glass bottled) water... the same water they had in my room at the Ritz for $16/bottle... And it wasn't even expired water. THey have various other brands, too. not sure if it was that sale only (this was back in may or so...) or if they always have it.

Also for those curious, the sale dates this month are Nov 17 18 and 19th. They are only open 9am to 3PM.

The December sale is December 15, 16, 17 with the same hours.

And it wasn't even expired water.

What, I wonder, is the justification for expiration dates on water? Does the plastic leach into the water after a certain point?

sometimes water is carbonated. carbonation gets flat after time...

other times it has minerals added.

in either case, these cases are all glass bottled water, so plastic isn't the issue.

other times, maybe its ust good policy not to drink something that hasn't moved in 8 years? :O

sometimes water is carbonated. carbonation gets flat after time...

Yes, but they're also on non-carbonated water. So why?

other times it has minerals added.

And are these minerals degrading in some fashion? Does the water lose that freshly-dissolved calcium taste over time? I'm not just mocking the idea, I'm genuinely asking.

in either case, these cases are all glass bottled water, so plastic isn't the issue.

But plastic bottles have dates too. Why? Or if plastic bottles do for some reason related to plastic, why does non-carbonated water in glass have expiration dates?

other times, maybe its ust good policy not to drink something that hasn't moved in 8 years?

Why? We not only drink but prize many forms of alcohol that old, many of them sealed much less securely (with corks) than these bottles of water.

I am having a hard time here seeing any real reason for this as opposed to an irrational sense that EVERYTHING you eat or drink must expire or go bad, somehow, someday. (Abetted, no doubt, by lawyers covering the butts of companies against something that MIGHT happen to the water after 40 years, since we haven't tested 40-year-old water and can therefore say with certainty that it's safe.) I can't help but feel that it's about as logical as saying not to build a building with granite's that gone bad.

Based on this, it seems to be mostly an issue of taste.

kl5 wrote:Based on this, it seems to be mostly an issue of taste.

probably true.

also, as to the argument "we drink and prize alcohol as it gets older" ... alcohol can fight off bacteria, can it not? also, alcohol generally has flavor, which might hide any fowl tastes that might arise out of the packaging infusing itself in...

not all alcohol has flavor... vodka...when is the last time you saw someone pay more because vodka was really really old?

...then of course there's the whole argument that the water bottler is running a business... and they naturally want you to drink their product before it supposedly expires, so you can buy more... maybe its also quality control... if you have bad water that's 15 years old, should you complain to them? what about if its 1?