Secrets of the City

We do the majority of our grocery shopping at the Fridley Super Target. Saint Anthony Cub for basic produce and weeknight dinner items. Quarry Rainbow for basic fish, chicken, turkey and produce. Roseville Byerly’s for sushi grade fish, extended cheese selection, odd vegetables. United Noodle for anything Asian.

I shop mostly at that god awful cub in knollwood (SLP) cause its closest.

Cub for most everything, unless a Rainbow is closer. They’re inexpensive and convenient for my location. Sometimes Byerly’s for their deli, which is also conveniently located within 3 miles of my house.

That’s about it. Nothing really exciting.

I live near a Lunds, Byerly’s, Target, Linden Hills Coop, Clancy’s, and Turtle Bread. Depending on what I need – I go to a different place. I also tend to order staples from amazon.com. I get most of my beef a couple of times a year from a farm in Wisconsin.

@DougieD
There is no such thing as “sushi grade” fish – its a meaningless designation.

I’ve been doing a lot of business travel over the past two months, so when I’m home I’ve been living off take-out (soups, bread, olives) from Turtle Bread on Chicago Ave and frozen food (tofu nuggets, frozen veggies, frozen fried rice) from Trader Joe’s in SLP.

Under normal circumstances, I split my time between United Noodle, the Kowalski’s on Chicago Ave, the new Lund’s in NE Mpls, and … umm … Surdyk’s.

That Knollwood Cub is god awful. So, we do most of our shopping at Byerly’s, Super Target, and if it’s som’n simple, Walgreens.

Ryanl, I go there too…it sucks, but don’t all the Cubs suck? Rainbow isn’t much better, IMO.

I try to shop pretty much exclusively at the co-ops, and Seward is the closest to me. The new Seward is actually supposed to have a decent meat section, rather than one tiny cooler of frozen stuff. I’ve been pretty impressed by Whole Foods meat section, and pretty annoyed by their giant yuppie supplement roommate does a lot of the cooking around our house and she combines co-ops with Cub for more staple-type items to get them cheaper.

I’ve tried to get in with friends on CSAs in the past, and I’d like to do them more in the future some time when I have a more stable schedule, but it’s a little tough for a grad student to find time to cook sunchokes.

Actually, I really have only one beef with co-ops in general other than the lack of a good meat counter: why do they all sell that nasty, runny, gloppy hippie yogurt? Can’t organic yogurt just be like the conventional stuff in taste and texture? Oh and one other: Seward has people bag your groceries. I think they’re just trying to provide jobs, but I find it awkward to stand and watch someone do a simple task I can do myself, while knowing it’s increasing their prices, which are already difficult to afford.

P.S. What I wouldn’t give for a Hy-Vee in the metro area.

We used to shop at rainbow off of lake st, but since that place is often out of produce, (or half of it is smeared on the floor), and the place is about as sanitary as a metrodome bathroom, we now tend to shop at super target in richfield. Of and trader joe’,s of course, for the unique stuff.

Sometimes when out running errands in the city we still stop at Cub.

by the way, anyone else seeing messed up formatting near the bottom of the page? Overlapping text and such?

“giant yuppie supplement roommate”
I used to have one of those. Thank god I moved out of that place.

Sentyrz.

Never heard of it, huh? That’s probably because Sentyrz is a small, independent, old time joint in a quiet neighborhood (16th and 2nd St. in NE Minneapolis).

The produce selection is a little lame, but there is a very good meat market and the cashiers are friendly and fast, so you usually won’t spend a lot of time in line. On the rare occasions when there’s a delay, the excellent people watching makes up for the inconvenience.

More important, thanks to the glorious legal tradition known as grandfathering, Sentyrz sells wine, beer and liquor. That’s right–it’s like a little slice of Wisconsin right here in Minnesota.

@jeffk
“one beef with co-ops in general”

Outside of the lack of a real meat counter – my other beef with coops is the service. Coops tend to have people who are rude and not hired for their customer service capability (or any other capability as far as I can tell).

re: grocery bagging

I grew up two blocks from a Byerly’s with people bagging my families groceries so I have no problem with it. Ironically – the one reason I go to the Byerly’s in St. Louis Park is that it has a self service checkout. I don’t have to deal with a person whatsoever!

My frugal stay-at-home mom-of-three sister-in-law lives right near that godawrful Cub, even closer than I do. A few years ago she compared the cost of her basic items at Cub and at Bylerly’s and they came out the same! That’s all the excuse I need to never go to that Cub.

United Noodle for Asian. Wedge for a few dips and other food I can’t find anywhere else. Nicollet MALL Farmer’s Market in season.

Hey, does anyone remember the vitriolic thread about the Wedge from a couple years ago? That was fun.

but don’t all the Cubs suck?

Yes, the Cubs truly suck. Wait, the=is isn’t a baseball thread?

Never mind.

not all cubs suck the one in Minnetonka on 101 and the one in EP by the mall are decent. Rainbow in uptown is the worst grocery store I’ve ever been to..the cashiers are actually pissed that you shop there. I think its where they send union workers they want to fire but can’t.

Sentyrz rules! you are blowing my mind. A grocery store that sells booze IN MINNESOTA?!?!

the=is — this.

Dummy.

The quality of the fish is much fresher at Byerlys and they have a better selection of fish. Rainbow rarely has red snapper or decent tuna steaks that haven’t been sitting there for ages. I don’t usually take the time to drive down to Coastal Sea food for fish but will for a special occasion.

But Coastal Seafoods is across the street from United Noodle!

Lund’s in Nordeast one weekend and Whole Paycheck the other. Like the bags at WP for recyclables. I occasionally buy the sushi at Lund’s for lunch because I really like it, and the sushi chefs are nice.

My wife occasionally goes to the Eastside Co-op on Central Avenue, but I won’t.

“and pretty annoyed by their giant yuppie supplement”

What is that?

So what does United noodle have that isn’t available other places? obscure asian spices, etc?

Usually the Seward Co-Op, because I can walk to it. TheOften Rainbow or Cub on East Lake, because it’s cheaper. What I really would like is a Kowalski’s on East Lake instead of having to drive to St. Paul or Uptown. Hopefully, the new Seward will curb that desire a bit. Looking forward to them having a real meat counter.

@yoshi – There is indeed sushi grade fish. It has nothing to do with the cut of the fish, but everything to do with the freshness and ability to eat it raw. I wouldn’t ever buy sushi fish from anywhere but Costal Seafood.

ryanl, heh, I used to shop at that one too, when I lived in Stevens. As for people bagging your groceries…when I grew up those were the jobs all the 14 year olds and retirees got at Hy-Vee and Sunshine so they wouldn’t have to be greeters at Wal-Mart. I actually kind of hate bagging my own stuff and really miss the driveup pickup area in the winter (pushing a cart in the snow sucks). Sometimes I go to Byerly’s just for the nostalgia of a full service grocery experience.

Wife works over at the Pier 1 on Excelsior and Grand so most of prepared food/apps (miniquiches, frozen pizza, taquitos) comes from the TJ freezer section.

I generally only shop at the Quarry Rainbow, and that’s when I can get my damned roommate to drive me there.

Actually I am pretty sure that Sushi Grade is a completely bogus “marketing” designation.

technically instead of fresh it should be flash frozen at sea and quarantined from other fish products when thawed I believe.

When ever I ask for tuna at lunds/byerlys they ask me if its for sushi at which point they go “in back” and bring me a slightly frozen chunk of fish.

I end up going to the Rainbow in the Quarry a lot, but I really despise going there, it’s just really close. The prices on anything non-Roundy’s is jacked up to make the house brand look cheap, and their selection of Indian/Asian food is awful compared even to Cub. I like Trader Joe’s a lot, they have a lot of gluten-free products, which is something I need and appreciate, and their prices are usually comparable to Raibow or Cub.

@aliecat
Hy-Vee is the greatest grocery store ever, it’s employee owned, good prices, huge selection. I think there are some in Southern MN, hopefully they’ll open one up here soon.

Usually Richfield Cub or Super Target, sometimes downtown Mpls Target. In a pinch, Kowalski’s on Chicago Avenue. They are the closest, but not the cheapest so they are kind of like a convenience store for me.

wow, I majorly garbled that one sentence.

I was referring to seven aisles set aside in Whole Foods for homeopathic bullshit.

No one-stop shopping for me. Everett’s on 38th and Cedar for non-camel meats; City Market on Lake for camel; Cub on Lake for Mexican soft drinks and cheaper miscellania; Seward Co-op for more expensive miscellenia and awkwardly flirting with sexy vegan cashiers that would be horrified at my camel-eating habits; Farmer’s Markets for produce in the summer months. And I just don’t eat vegetables in the winter.

Kyle, preaching to the choir about Hy-Vee. I worked there for 3 years in college. Only thing about the “employee owned” is that you must be full time (manager discretion). But, yes, they are awesome, especially the meat selection.

Andy, we just went to City Market for the first time Thanksgiving Day. We were in need of potatoes, which they had, but I was in awe of that store. Really great.

I shop at Kowalski’s on Hennnepin, Lund’s in Uptown, Whole Foods on Grand, Rainbow in Midtown (the best one), Midtown Market, Sullivan’s SuperValu, Valerie’s on Nicollet for Mexican goods, and a variety of other places depending on where I am, what I need, and what the traffic is like.

@Andy,

The Cub on Lake sells cane sugar soda? Man, how have I missed out on that.

I used to shop at Lunds, but when West Soy bought White Wave (makers of Silk and other veggie products), they stopped carrying them. So now I shop at Kowalski’s and The Wedge.

Usually I shop at the Cub in Sun Ray, or SuperTarget in Lakeville, depending on where I am. There’s also now a Kowalski’s in Eagan a little over a mile from my house. I stop there if I want to get some pre-made deli food for dinner. But I’m not thrilled with the place. It’s so small and cramped.

That’s what she said.

I’ll jump on the Hy-Vee bandwagon. Decent prices and a real meat counter makes it a winner. I sometimes stop at the Faribault or Mankato stores when swinging through those towns and keep hearing that they are looking to move into the Twin Cities beginning with Lakeville but I am not holding my breath.

I like the meat counter at the quarry Rainbow, and it’s always got plenty of college co-eds shopping, but the check out lines are always 5-6 full shopping cart deep.

I also miss Hy-Vee and buying booze in the grocery store. The Hy-Vee by my house in KC had a whole hippie section stocked with all my veggie staples, like a mini-coop in the middle of the store. It was awesome.

I end up splitting my shopping between Mississippi Market, the Cub/Rainbow on University, and i like getting my meat and eggs at the St. Paul farmer’s market which is open year round.

The Cub on University also has cane sugar soda.

“homeopathic bullshit.”

Some of that stuff works pretty well if you’re diagnosed with a gnome or troll living in your stomach.

mnblrmkr- I find the college co-eds sort of annoying in the grocery store circumstance because they seem to NOT KNOW WHAT THE HELL THEY ARE DOING!!! They place their carts in bad places, they stare for hours at products blocking the way for others, they are often stoned and stupid. Gah. Target at the quarry is just as bad.

And that Rainbow, even at 2:00 in the morning it would be a 10 minute wait to get checked out.

Ahh. Hy-Vee. I love Hy-Vee threads.
*bows head in silence*

Oh, mamu, there are aisles and aisles stacked high with sugar cane-filled sodas at the Lake Street Cub, from Coca-Cola to Sidral Mundet. Plus it’s open 24 hours, so you can stumble in at 4am, stock up, hit the White Castle down the block, then go to sleep until Monday and have the greatest weekend of your life.

And three cheers for the City Market! It was the only grocery store open on Thanksgiving. They didn’t have cream cheese, but they had halva!

Costco for milk, boxed stuff, and some snacks. Byerlys for produce, deli and bakery stuffs. SuperTarget for frozen entrees and meat.

We end up at Byerlys more often because it is right behind our condo. We have certainly cut back on what we buy there in the last year due to rising costs. In the summer I try to supplement my produce from the St.Paul farmers market.

A new Cub just opened within biking distance of home near Lake Phalen. It’s wonderful, IMHO, for all my usual staples and the produce section is nicely stocked and fresh.

I’ve also discovered some Asian markets along or near University Ave. for other pantry items. One in particular, Dragon Star (Dale & Minnehaha, St. Paul), has unbelievably priced seafood and beef. Shell-on shrimp are $4.99-$5.99 per lb. and they’ve got every other kind of seafood you can imagine. Fresh (not frozen) ground beef last week was priced at $1.29 per lb. A 10# chunk of beef tenderloin was priced at $5.99 per lb.

I don’t live Hy-Vee. Maybe because it’s so over populated in Sioux Falls.

Also, I don’t mind people bagging my stuff. I just wish they could do it better. A bag can hold more than 2 items!

Target first, for the better price on some frozen meals and soy products. Then to Rainbow for the rest.

Will occationally shop Cub for a good deal on a Moffitt Manor staple. Also occationally: Lunds, Mississippi Market, Kowaski’s.

Will stop at Costal Seafoods and Surdyks Cheese Shop for specialty items.

I can walk to Cub (on University), so that is where I go. They have a pretty good produce section, and a pretty good exotic food section as well. Also, they have collard greens — for the lizard. What more could you ask for? A friendly smile in every aisle?

“Seward Co-op for … sexy vegan cashiers”

I must be going at the wrong times.

jg_38, my mom says the same thing, but more on a slant that they’re not as great as they used to be. The one on Sycamore is pretty crappy, but the 2 new ones are pretty nice. I’m partial to the one by the Mall on Louise, but that’s because I worked there.

OH MEMORIES! Booze in grocery stores! Growing up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, I have fond memories of going to the Jewel with my mom, and first buying food, then heading to the liquor section and buying booze for the week. Oh yes, for the week.

We shop at Rainbow in Uptown only because it’s close to us. Kowalski’s in Uptown when we just need a few things. Trader Joe’s in Maple Grove too.

“What more could you ask for? A friendly smile in every aisle?”

I believe it’s “helpful smile,” Dougnuts.

Dude, I’m getting flashbacks of the Hy-Vee training videos now.

Truth be told. I’m not loyal to any one grocery store.

I like variety.

Cat, me neither, I am only loyal to my unwillingness to make multiple trips and not driving way out of my way.

You’re the reason America has lost its way.

I have said this before, but the former chairman of Hy-Vee (Ron Pearson) went to High School with my dad. They were pretty good friends, but my dad never did work for Hy-Vee.

???

Whatevs, Rat.

Maybe Alie and I are the reason that the small stores that charge 4x the amount are still alive.

America has lost it’s way because people don’t want to drive 5+ miles out of their way for meat? WTF?

I also agree that people’s grocery shopping habits are the reason for the current subprime mortgage crisis and two disasterous wars abroad.

I am more than the grocery store that I shop at!!!

I’m still a big fan of the Simon (cough) CobornsDelivers.

I don’t use them all the time, but especially when they run a coupon like they did last week $50 off $200 (2 orders of $100) is nothing to sneeze at when talking groceries.

Besides, the hell of actually going to a grocery store is something I’d rather avoid entirely.

I am more than the grocery store that I shop at!!!

I wish I could say the same thing, Alie. My fickleness with grocery stores spills over into most areas of my life.

I would think that my love of variety would make the world happy.

You people are never satisfied.

Just to clarify a bit, Hy-Vee may have a great meat department from the customer side, but from the other side, it is a lot more work. (Although this may be different now, but that is why my father never worked for them.)

Douglas, when I worked there, they had full butchering services at the stores, but recieved fully trimmed sides of beef from the main butchering warehouse out their HQ in Cherokee, IA. They also use their own, in-house inspectors that have tougher standards than the USDA. Although, I’m not sure how it is now.

Also, quite a few butcher shops do it this way (the one I worked at before Hy-Vee), i.e. getting sides of beef partially processed at lockers or wholesalers, because they either don’t have the refrigeration capacity or personel.

I do a monthly trip to Costco with the roommate for nonperishable staples and do the rest of my shopping at the SLP Byerly’s.

Alie, that is actually the problem. Most grocers get their meat in more cut up fashion. The meat was closer to being fully cut. Thus, the meat cutter does not have to deal with the large hunks of animal.

Baker: Yes, United Noodles is pretty large, and the majority of shoppers are Asian. They have more than just some obscure spices, they have… seems like everything. Besides regular-ish Asian food (canned goods, frozen foods, etc.) they have aisles of crazy (no offense) snack foods and candies and teas and beverages and ice cream flavors.

Lunds in Uptown because I can walk there.

Not to mention you can get the exact thickness rice noodle you want. They have an entire aisle of rice noodles along with another aisle of ramen style noodles. And the prices are much better on sushi rice and Soy Sauce.

Doug, I think it’s also a matter of not having to employ an actual butcher. *coughWalmartcough*

My dad is appalled at what they call meat at Walmart and Super Target, but it all depends on who is managing the meat department. A good manager makes a big difference. The produce manager at the Cub on University is excellent. The meat manager there is not so good, but the meat manager at the Rainbow on University is pretty good. I buy so little meat, that it does not make sense to travel to Rainbow for it.

Jane, thanks for the clarification–I was confused in that every asian ingredient I have ever looked for I can find at most large grocery stores. But of all the cooking I do, Asian is probably done the least, so I am probably not using really obscrue specialty items.

Did I mention I am confused? Mb21, it seems as if you spend a whole weekend gathering your groceries for the week. Isn’t convenience an important attribute? I can find nearly everything at Super Target, at good prices, including a pretty decent selection of organic stuff. Why shop at 5 different places for stuff you can probably get cheaper at one place? Unless of course it is a morality thing, big box=devil, etc.

I just moved out of St. Paul, but I shopped mostly at Super Target and Kowalski’s. I know they were building a Trader Joe’s, and I would’ve probably shifted my efforts in that direction. Now that I’m in SW Minneapolis/Edina, I’m on the hunt for a Kowalski’s on that side of town. Any other recommendations?

Douglas, that’s a big reason I rarely, if ever, buy ground beef from stores without a butcher. It’s pretty horrifying to get it home and realize that only the outer part of the meat is red and the inside is as brown as a catcher’s mit.

Doniree, there’s a Kowalski’s in Richfield on Lyndale and the Kowalski’s in Uptown.

We live walking distance from the Uptown Kowalski’s and the Wedge, so much of the shopping tends to happen there for the sake of convenience (and because even when I try to make lists of what I need to cook, I’m always forgetting something and making my husband run out to buy it at the last minute). We buy a lot of our breakfast cereal, bread, cheese, beans, and tomato products (sauce, etc.) at Trader Joe’s in SLP, and make occasional trips to Costco, Rainbow, or Cub.

I don’t care where my food comes from, just as long my personal chef makes it the way I like. losers.

Baker, I shop like mb, and speaking only for myself, I really like grocery shopping, and end up at a grocery store at least twice a week. It is often tacked on to another errand, so I’m not just driving all over town for groceries.

I really like grocery shopping too. I find myself in a grocery store at least 4-5 times a week. Sometimes more than once a day. And many stores don’t have one brand/item I like, but have another. Like Rainbow doesn’t have mixed dried exotic mushrooms, but they have an excellent bulk section, so I’ll go to both Rainbow and Lunds to pick stuff up.

Do you work full time every day, KC?
Not that it’s bad if you don’t, but it could possibly explain the willingness and/or energy required to go shopping 4-5 times a week!

because I have no energy to go battle the crowds at the store after work, but I guess I am pretty lazy, too.

I loathe grocery shopping. I would rather do 10 loads of laundry and fold and put everything away then go grocery shopping.

I pick up most of my meats, breads, and vegtables at the St. Paul Farmer’s Market year round. When it gets cold the vendors go into Golden’s Cafe. They only accept farmer’s from a 50 mile radius, non of that supervalue crap. A woderful farmer named Shelby
grows tomatoes, English cucumbers, and peppers in his cold frame.http://www.doityourself.com/stry/oldwindowuses The prices are much better than the grocery store and the food tastes better.
For a quick trip and dry goods I go to Everettes on 38th and Ceder. They’ve got a little of everything.

I work full time. 4 days in the office and 1 day at home. If I drive to work it is guarenteed I’ll go to the store on the way home. If I bus it I sometimes stop on the way home, sometimes go after I get home. I go every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

We probably grocery shop 4-5 times a week also. It’s only 12 block to Rainbow and 8 blocks to Cub so it is nice to go and get a few things to cook for dinner every day than to try and plan the whole week out. We waste less groceries that way also.

wow! well good for you.

baker – I have to disagree on SuperTarget. I’ve been really disappointed in their grocery selection. At first glance, it seems like they have the same items as a full grocery store. But they just don’t have the shelf space to carry the variety of Byerly’s or even Cub. And their produce and meat sections are awful.

I like Target. But they do not do groceries well.

Well, I buy mostly basics there. Monday-Friday foods. We cook a lot. which means we can turn ground turkey into something wonderful. If I were looking for good fresh seafood, or good aged steaks, or shopping for a dinner party, I certianly wouldn’t go to Target.

But organic ground beef/turkey is organic ground beef/turkey, whether it is purchased at kowalski’s or Target.

I guess I don’t know what you mean by variety? There may have been a few times since it opened that we couldn’t find something specific, but most often we find everything we are looking for, as long as it is poretty standard.

Their produce section is sort of weak, I’ll give you that. But they have green onion, lettuce, peppers, onions, tomatoes, lemons, limes, potatoes, asparagus etc. They may not have curly endive, but the basics seem to be covered. I was very skeptical when I first went there, but after a few trips I realized that most of the stuff we cook with on a regular basis, they carry.

Not to mention, if you’re shopping organic, there’s a huge debate over whether Target’s organic offerings truly are.

Rainbow and Cub depress the hell out of me so I avoid madly.

Organic meat and dairy are cheaper at the co-ops so I go to Mississippi Market, Whole Foods, the Wedge or Seward Market for that stuff, plus if I want to find a decent tomato.

Then I gotta go to Lund’s for stuff my husband eats that is not sold in a co-op. Like Hungry Man Sirloin Burger soup and Swanson’s chicken pot pies. (shudder)

I love the man, but damn he’s a lot of trouble.

I guess I don’t know what you mean by variety? There may have been a few times since it opened that we couldn’t find something specific, but most often we find everything we are looking for, as long as it is poretty standard.

They might have 10 kinds of Progresso soup, but not Manhattan Clam Chowder (which is awesome). They might have 3 varieties of whole wheat pasta, but not vermicelli. They might have whole green olives and sliced black olives, but not sliced green olives. Variety.

It seems like there are always one or two items on my list that I can’t find at SupraTarget. Things that make an extra trip to Byerly’s worthwhile. 

Where are my goddamn itallics?

@miller

Did the button go away, or did your italics get stripped out? Let me know, and I’ll see what I can do.

Mb21, it seems as if you spend a whole weekend gathering your groceries for the week. Isn’t convenience an important attribute?

We don’t do weekly trips.  We buy enough to get through 2-3 weeks at a time.  The only exception is produce which we buy on an as need basis.  So no, I don’t spend my weekends gathering groceries.  I spend them drunk in a circle bed.

We’re at Jason’s this weekend.

Jason got a circle bed? I’ll bring the whip cream this time. You bring the jalepenos.

I thought we might try the Orange Habanero this time.

Max, I found your Christmas present…

True story: My daughters and I saw a cock roach at Byerly’s in Edina last Saturday. It walked right across the Big Bowl counter in front of the plexiglass, on our (customer)side. Ish. After that, everywhere we looked we noticed uncovered food. We lost our appetites. Intellectually, I know that it must be pretty common everywhere food is preparedand sold, and I never thought it would bother me so much just to see a roach, but, pshychologically, it was so disgusting that I’ll maybe never go back.

A mix of Cub, Super Target, and Mississippi Market. And the farmer’s market in the summer/fall, of course.

I still haven’t bothered to join the co-op, though. I think it’s because my membership wouldn’t really help me when I buy $20 worth of nuts.

I’m still mad that they waited until after I left the neighborhood to replace that awful Supervalu at 54th & Lyndale with a Kowalski’s.

While I love Target, I’m not impressed by their grocery. And some of those Archer Farms items (’gourmet’ frozen pizzas, etc.) are pretty terrible.

I like grocery shopping, too. It’s the foreplay of cooking! Organic (and inexpensive) fruit and veg at the Produce Exchange, incredible pastries at Salty Tart, yum! Pocky and frozen gyoza in the Asian market, all in the Midtown Global Market on Chicago and Lake. A new farm vendor is selling meat and poultry there again. Wine and beer Henn/Lake Liquors, For stocking up, whatever is on sale at the Wedge where I’m a member, and they have good meat and fish. Lunds in Uptown when I want to walk and just need a few things, like emergency ice cream. I don’t clip coupons, but I am super frugal, so I know how to cherry-pick the deals. If it weren’t so far to drive, I’d go to the St Paul Farmer’s market more often, just to take pictures. I just made a big pot of lentil soup, another of chili, so I could freeze stuff to have on hand.

Oh, and good deals on nuts can be had at Fleet Farm.

@mamu:

a little of both. Earlier on my work machine (mac/safari), I had the rich text editor. Previewed fine, but itallics didn’t appear.

Now at home (mac/safari), rich text editor does not appear, although it seems to be working in firefox.

@esquared: if you belong to a co-op, once a year, seemingly randomly, they mail you a check for $22 or $37 or something. It is sort of worth it even if it isn’t your primary grocery store.

Cub most, Target second.

Did anyone else read the story in the Tribune about shrinking food packaging? Gotta go by the unit price.

In some states, such as New Jersey, they have a state law that everything needs to have the unit price on the package. For places like Walmart or Target it makes for some fun in the non-food areas where they are required to post the unit price for one sock or the per ounce of shampoo.

When I lived in south Minneapolis I would actually drive to Faribault to shop at Hy-Vee. They rule!