My mum was in town two weeks ago, and she took me (in her car) to all the stores where I buy staples so I'm set for the next few months. I saved $5 a week in an envelope since the last time she was in town so I'd be able to lay down, like, $100 in one day.

My town is VANCOUVER.

I have two stores I go to for staples (I'm a vegetarian, but I usually stay away from natural food stores - too expensive).

**

??? (Main between 50th and 51st on the west side of the street in the Punjabi market)
I don't know the name because I used to go to this cute little store on the corner of 50th and Main run by an old couple, but the last time I went it was closed, so now I go to their competitors two doors south, but I don't know the name.

What I buy:

Basmati rice
Bulk beans
Bulk nuts
Bulk spices
Jarred sauces
Coconut milk (in blocks)
Specialty items like Chana flour, Paneer, Samosa wrappers, etc
Cooking utensils

Why I shop there: Everything there is cheaper than a typical grocery store, but particularly the Basmati rice and bulk spices are phenomenally cheap compared to other places.

**

SUNRISE MARKET (Powell and Gore in Chinatown)

What I buy:

Brown rice (long, short and basmati)
Fragrant rice
Thai Red and Black rice
Other grains and cereals like bulgur, old-fashioned oatmeal, cous-cous, etc
Jarred sauces
Specialty foods (tempeh, miso, some tofu products, the 'bean curd skin twists' I use to make my kick-a** vegetarian sweet-and-sour pork)
Vegetarian Specialty foods (I usually stay away from them, but things like packaged chili, falafel mix etc is cheaper there than at the health food store)
Extra-large bottles of sesame oil
Some of my weird tastes like jarred fermented tofu

Why I shop there: The cheap grains are the primary reason, but I also go to get all the Asian specialty foods I can't get at my local grocery store.

**

So what are your secret (or not so secret) grocery shopping locations in your town? What do you buy there? What's the draw? And more importantly, WHAT'S THE ADDRESS?

FYI when I was checking online to figure out whether the Sunrise Market was at Gore or Dunlevy, I found the following cool website for Vancouver-region shoppers:

VanEats - 'Barb and Roland's guide to dining and cooking in Vancouver'

Edited to add:

I guess I should also put in a plug for my neighbourhood grocery store. The produce isn't the best, but I only shop there because the owners are so great and I like to be loyal.

COMO MARKET (Hastings at Nanaimo, North side of the street)

Their gems:

They have a wide selection of Yves vegetarian products if that's your thing
They carry Avalon milk (some organic), Olympic yogourt (some organic), and organic eggs
They carry several *delicious* (not fair trade but truly superior) coffees at about $13 a kilo (yes that's right, $13 a kilo)
Their selection of other 'healthy' staples is pretty good for a store that size - including weird things like soy yogourt and odd nut butters
They carry a lot of the stuff I dig, like Pataks curry sauces, Tahini, Dolmades in a can, etc etc
If you're a regular customer, they'll order *anything* you want

[ 16 May 2004: Message edited by: Anchoress ]

[ 16 May 2004: Message edited by: Anchoress ]

Please though, no asterisks in the place of such mild swear words! Use them or not. You know as well as I do, if not more so. (Blue pencil... I know). (Edited because it sounded rude in print. Anchoress writes beautifully - I HATE euphemisms.)

Do you know Montréal at all? Alas though I've been to Vancouver it was on business and far too speedy. Confess I'd eat fresh fish at Asian restaurants ... but a lot of vegetables as well. I live right by the Jean-Talon market in the "old north end". No grocery day - my work schedule is too erratic and I like to buy the freshest vegetables I can. I have places I go in and around the market for various things, many Maghrebian (North African) shops on Jean-Talon, a little strip of Vietnamese and Sino-Vietnamese shops on St-Denis between Jean-Talon and Bélanger. A bit west, through a viaduct, there is Parc-Extension, that used to be predominantly Greek and still has many Greek shops, but also a lot of Pakistani and Indian shops.

I do go to the health food shop at the market, for wholegrain organic flour. Have made a crêpe mix - will let it ferment at least until tomorrow (in the fridge) to make enough gluten, as I make my crêpes from buckwheat and whole wheat, goat's milk and eggs.

I can go on for hours, but I'll let someone else weigh in.

Edited to add: Bravo for the "crap". I knew you had it in you!!!

[ 16 May 2004: Message edited by: lagatta ]

[ 16 May 2004: Message edited by: lagatta ]

Toronto's Yugoslavian community is getting much larger, which makes it much easier to shop for staples from the homeland which make my parents nostalgic. I really like NINA Delicatessen at Pape and O'Connor in East York.

I have to confess that the hoity-toity atmosphere of the Carrot Common on the Danforth drives me away from there, but they have a really decent selection of organic etc. food. I shop there only when I can pretend to be as uppity as they expect. This is rare.

I don't mind you writing anything down. I've been translating all day, picking at words. That is why what I wrote sounded harsh. *** are one of my bêtes noires. Use it or don't.

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I live a block from both Food Country and Oxford Foods in Victoria

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Yuck! I hope you don't buy your produce at either of those dumps. Both stores are completely filthy with stale mouldy air, and they both sell, with unshakeable confidence, the shocking dregs of produce. It's like their buyers specifically ask for the very worst there is. I think they both hate Nature and carry fruits and vegetables that aren't fit for consumption to mock her and spoil her good name. On the up side, if you make you're own booze at home, by shopping there you can drastically shorten the time required for a drinkable final product.

I had an apartment up the road at Oscar and Chester for quite a time, and after a short time refused to buy anything at either of those dumps. But it was always a pleasant stroll through the park to the Thrifty's on Menzies, and fortunately their produce is fresh, if it's found to be a bit pricey. The Market on Yates has a good selection. It's about time there's something right downtown. Other than Wellburn's, I mean. You might remember back in the mid-nineties it was Wellburn's that got caught raising their prices on things like diapers and baby formulae, on the days that "Mother's allowance" cheques were recieved.

[ 17 May 2004: Message edited by: flotsom ]

quote:

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As for the reason, I suspect it's not so much a hatred of Nature as a general lack of pride in their work or desire to be there.

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quote:

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The Market on Yates

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I am sooooo jealous. Having moved from Victoria, I miss FUN shopping. You'da thunk that grocery shopping would be defined as fun. In this little ole hole in the wall there's an IGA (YUCK) and a Shop Easy (DOUBLE YUCK). The most exciting thing is feta cheese in the deli. Everything I ask for draws blank stares. Like, "Do you sel falafal mix?" I thought we were going to have to put the clerk on life support.

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Yes yes, not only am I surrounded by rednecks of the worst kind..... I can't even buy a jar of anitpasto to drown my sorrows in

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That's no good at all. I hope you've got sunglasses to wear. They're good redneck protection, I think.

And unfortunately good antipasto is difficult to make. If I were you I'd start thinking about coconut mararoons.

[ 17 May 2004: Message edited by: flotsom ]

There is a little shop in Lethbridge that has smoked eel and salted herrings, its only 45 minutes away.

quote:

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Originally posted by kuba:
Yes yes, not only am I surrounded by rednecks of the worst kind..... I can't even buy a jar of anitpasto to drown my sorrows in.

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KEA foods at main and 10th.

quote:

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Originally posted by flotsom:
And unfortunately good antipasto is difficult to make.

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Tonight I made blini! Alas, I haven't got any smoked salmon. Re alas, my crêpe pan is a bit "bombé" - raised a bit in the centre - so my blini aren't perfectly round, they are a bit ovoid or teardrop shape, but I won't throw them away. Crêpe pans never seem to last more than a couple of years.

INGREDIENTS

Two carrots, cut into rounds
Two cups cauliflower florets
One diced green pepper
One cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup black pitted olives, chopped
½ cup green stuffed olives, chopped
½ cup pickled onions, chopped
½ cup green peas (frozen is just fine)
¾ cup ketchup
¼ cup chili garlic sauce (available in oriental food section of most food stores)
¾ cup water
Two tomatoes, peeled & chopped
Two tins tuna, drained
Three Tbsp. vegetable oil (for sautéing)

METHOD

In an oiled wok (or non-aluminum pan) sauté carrots, cauliflower, green pepper, mushrooms, & peas for 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add olives, onions, tomatoes, ketchup, chili sauce, water, & tuna. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly until mixture thickens slightly. Let cool, chill, and ENJOY (preferably with a lovely glass of wine).
Makes about seven cups.

Notes: You may want to juggle the chili sauce/ketchup ratio. Some brands of chili sauce are MUCH hotter than others. Use your judgment. When my mom used to make her antipasto, she would preserve it in jars—I’ve never canned, so I just freeze any excess.

Now, would you be able to bring me some of those crackers, and some really really nice cheese.

Another thing that sucks..... the cheese selection. For some Albertans great cheese comes in a can.

[ 21 May 2004: Message edited by: kuba ]