Albertsons Avenu

[Ghoulish Delight]

Crap, I haven't been in a Von's in bloody ages. I have been in a Carrs, though.

[Gemini Cricket]

So, there's no love for Jon's I see...

[katiesue]

I love Vons. I miss Pavillions though, none in San Diego. I just found out we have a Bristol Farms though, yay!

[Gemini Cricket]

Will someone explain to me Pavillions and Whole Foods and places like that? I mean, it seems like the same stuff everyone else has but just more expensive... ???

[Alex]

Essentially it is (though this wasn't so much true a decade ago). However, by shopping at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods or one of those stores you get the onanistic pleasure of pretending you're somehow making the world a better place.

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

Essentially it is (though this wasn't so much true a decade ago). However, by shopping at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods or one of those stores you get the onanistic pleasure of pretending you're somehow making the world a better place.

In Petaluma, there's no comparison between Whole Foods, Safeway, etc. Our Safeway, where much Wonder Bread is purveyed and purchased, has horrible produce and no good bread. They used to feature a small organic section, but they've since dismantled it, presumably for lack of interest.

We do have a mini-chain called G & G Market. It's a pretty good store and has many of the same higher quality packaged items we find at Whole Foods and a better section of international ingredients. Again, however, produce and bread are sadly lacking; the small organic section just looks stepped on.

I still haven't figured out our local Trader Joe's. It's smaller than the one we used to go to in Long Beach. I'm no longer in the hunt for liquor and pate bargains. I'm also afraid that if I stay there too long, some clerk will wrap me in heavy plastic and throw me in the freezer case.

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by Alex Stroup

Essentially it is (though this wasn't so much true a decade ago). However, by shopping at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods or one of those stores you get the onanistic pleasure of pretending you're somehow making the world a better place.

I have to disagree with this. TJ's stuff just tastes better, I wouldn't call it a health food store, but they do have items you won't find all in one stop elsewhere. Whole foods has a huge variety of organic foods, plus vegetarian and vegan convenience foods that are hard to find elsewhere, plus organic grass fed meat (best tasting steak ever). It is expensive (which is why I shop at Sunflower, which has less of a selection of organic foods, but much better prices), but it isn't anywhere near the same as an Albertsons.

I have a very hard time shopping at regular stores. They just don't sell what I eat at competitive prices. And if you are buying organic, locally grown produce, you are making the world a better place.

Starting in November we're joining a farm co-op. A local organic farmer sells shares of veggies and you get them weekly throughout the growing season. I'm psyched. Local organic produce at low low prices.

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by tracilicious

Starting in November we're joining a farm co-op. A local organic farmer sells shares of veggies and you get them weekly throughout the growing season.

We belonged to one for a while in San Francisco. We'd go to a central dropoff to pick up our box. We stopped because it was heavy on watermelon and corn smut. (A delicacy? No thanks.) There are a couple of trucks around here that work for similar operations, so I'm thinking of exploring their offerings. I'll be interested in hearing how yours works out.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by tracilicious

And if you are buying organic, locally grown produce, you are making the world a better place.

I can't argue with this, though I think "organic" has been overly fetishized, local is definitely better.

That said, when you buy produce at Whole Foods, you generally aren't buying local nor small, though they work hard to give that impression.

[Gemini Cricket]

So, basically food with the dirt still on it...