Items tagged with 'supermarkets'
Where to get whole sardines?
Apparently there's a bit of a neo-sardine movement because the fish are considered both healthy and sustainable.
Shadi and Jason:
"Where can we find fresh, whole sardines?"
Our first thought was to check with The Original Two Cousins fish market. So we called up the Newton Plaza location in Latham this morning. The helpful people there said they don't have fresh sardines -- but they do have frozen. A two pound bag is $7.95.
Anyone have other suggestions for Shadi and Jason? Maybe you've seen whole sardines in one of the supermarket seafood sections. Please share!
photo: Flickr user FotoosVonRobin
Price Chopper to sell "sustainable 'locally grown' seafood"
Price Chopper announced today that it will be selling fish raised by Local Ocean, the indoor aquaculture company near Hudson. It's touting the fish -- sea bream -- as locally-raised and sustainable.
Local Ocean is an interesting operation. It's a huge warehouse space filled with tanks for raising fish. The setup is a mostly closed system that recycles its water supply with a filtration system that uses bacteria. The plant/farm/fish bowls reportedly cost more than $10 million to build. The company says the system should be flexible enough to raise a range of fish, both saltwater and fresh water. (There's a short video clip of Local Ocean officials talking about the concept embedded after the jump.)
Seafood stocks all around the world are under pressure from overfishing. Traditional fish farms have stepped up production to meet demand, but they've come under criticism for their environmental impact. That has some people hoping that indoor fish farms will provide a viable -- and more sustainable -- alternative.
Price Chopper says the Local Ocean fish will be available in six stores Hudson, Shoppers World in Clifton Park, Loudon Plaza in Latham, Bethlehem, Niskayuna and Saratoga Springs (Route 50). It'll be $9.99 a pound.
Earlier on AOA: Hannaford to sell only sustainably-sourced seafood
photo: Price Chopper
Public preview at new Troy food co-op
The Pioneer Food Market co-op reports that it's nearing completion on construction and is aiming for a soft opening in late September.
If you want to check out how things are coming along at the new market in downtown Troy, there's a public preview Friday at 10 am, and then later on during Troy Night Out from 5-9 pm.
The co-op reports that 760 people have invested in the project -- and it's continuing to look for more loans from individuals.
Hannaford to sell only sustainably-sourced seafood
Hannaford's parent company announced today that all of the seafood carried in its supermarkets will be "coming from sources managed for sustainability" by the end of next March.
The chain has worked with a nonprofit org, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, to develop the guidelines for the program, which also cover farmed seafood. It'll be interesting to see if the switch to sustainable sources has an effect on price.
Fish stocks around the world failing due in large part to the fact that people are catching the fish faster than they can reproduce. Climate change also seems to be putting pressure on the stocks. By one estimate, cited in the recent book Four Fish, we would need "four or five oceans" to keep up with the current demand from the world's population.
Hannaford's parent company isn't the only one to take to notice. The corporations behind McDonald's, Long John Silver's and Red Lobster recently announced they're looking to buy more sustainable seafood (it seems the Filet of Fish had quite the impact on cod stocks).
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a well established "pocket guide" for buying "ocean-friendly seafood" -- it's even broken down by region.
[via @greenwatchdogNY and TU]
Supermarket Showdown III
Three-peat?
AOA's annual comparison of local supermarket chain prices is back. Walmart is the two-time defending champ -- and it hasn't even been close.
Can Hannaford or Price Chopper close the gap this year?
Kosher for Passover Coke sightings
First, outdoor ice cream stand openings -- now kosher for Passover Coke? It really must be spring.
We've gotten reports of sightings of the HFCS-free soda at the both the Slingerlands and Madison Ave (Albany) Price Choppers. Chances are it'll be in a store near you soon, if it isn't already (Hannaford usually carries it, too). Look in the special Passover section. Check for the tell-tale yellow cap.
So, what's the big deal? Well, normal Coke is made with high fructose corn syrup, which makes it not kosher for Passover (among other things). It also, according to soda snobs, makes Coke taste not quite right. Kosher for Passover Coke, on the other hand, is made with cane sugar (like Mexican Coke, which goes for about $1.80/bottle on Amazon) and is said to be smoother and have a cleaner finish. (Pepsi has been trying to capitalize on this with its "throwback" line.)
(Thanks, Fred and Amanda)
Troy co-op slated to open this summer
A sketch of what the Troy Food Cooperative could look like by this summer.
So, you know that proposed Troy food co-op there's been so much buzz about?
Well if everything goes according to plan, it looks like you'll be able to shop there by this summer.
Here's the scoop.
Cartwheeling over prices
We noticed this sign and cart when we walked into Hannaford on Central Ave in Albany the other day. It touts how much you could have saved if you bought the cart of items at Hannaford instead of Price Chopper. The items in the cart included stuff like macaroni and cheese, Nutrigrain bars and peanut butter.
Of course, Hannaford is going to set this up so it can come out on top. It proclaimed that the Chopper's "cart" was 14 percent more expensive. Price Chopper could probably pick its own cart and come out cheaper than Hannaford.
When we did our annual price check of 40 items last year, we found that Price Chopper was about three percent more expensive than Hannaford. They were both more expensive than Walmart.
Also: Here's another bit to stoke the rumors about Wegmans and the Capital Region.
India Bazaar
For all your jackfruit chip needs.
This week my continuing tour of the area's ethnic markets has brought me to India Bazaar in Colonie. Think curries and chutneys galore. Think at least a dozen of varieties of naan bread. Think fun snacks. Think "gripe water."
Seriously, the selection here is pretty impressive.
Paterson threatens state Senate, landfill expansion needs another permit, Troy dog park controversy, another pizza person mugged, gourmet market coming to Latham
The state Senate was in session for all of five minutes yesterday -- and the Republicans weren't even there. [Daily Politics]
David Paterson has called another "extraordinary" session for today. If senators don't show, he says he'll move to withhold their pay. He's also threatening to send the State Police after missing senators. A Brooklyn senator responded to Paterson's threats by calling him a "coward" who "will not be returning as governor." Leaders of both caucuses say their memberships will be at the Capitol today. [TU] [Daily Politics] [NYT] [Buffalo News]
A business run by Pedro Espada, one of the senators who set this whole circus in motion, owes almost $350k in back taxes. In 2007, Espada made almost $460k at the org, which gets funding from the state. [TU]
Even if the DEC approves the Albany landfill expansion, the project will still have to get the OK from the Army Corps of Engineers (though it won't stop the landfill from being piled higher). [TU]
Save money on gas... at Price Chopper?
Price Chopper announced a gasoline discount deal with Sunoco today. Here's how the "Fuel AdvantEdge" deal works:
- Every time you spend $50 at the Chopper, you become eligible for a 10 cent/gallon discount at Sunoco
- Those 10 cent discounts build on each other -- so if you spend $150 at the Chopper, you get a 30 cent/gallon discount on gas.
- The grocery totals add up over the course of 90 days -- tracked by your AdvantEdge account.
- You can "spend" your accumulated discount on a single gas purchase of up to 20 gallons.
- Go back to step 1.
At least, that's how we think this works.
It's pretty easy to spend $200 at the Chopper over the course of a month. That would lead to a 40 cent/gallon gas discount. Depending on the size of your car, that could mean a discount of $4 or more on a fill-up.
So this could be a good deal with you're already a Chopper regular. But if you're not, you'd probably save more money overall by shopping at Hannaford or Walmart.
Checking out the new "green" Price Chopper
That's green as in eco-friendly. The outside is actually sort of a tan color.
The new "green" Price Chopper officially opened today in Colonie. The Golub Corporation is touting the location as "the most advanced Green Store in the entire Capital Region."
OK, consider us interested. So we checked it out.
This isn't going to help your supermarket envy
Consumer Reports has released supermarket rankings based on a survey of thousands of its readers (you need to be a CR subscriber to see the whole list). And the results are going to cause people in the Capital Region with already-established supermarket envy turn even a few more shades green.
(Paging Bruce Roter!)
Kosher for Passover Coke
The price is the same as last year.
Soda snobs rejoice! Kosher for Passover Coke has started arriving in local supermarkets.
What's the big deal? Well, normal Coke is made with high fructose corn syrup, which makes it not kosher for Passover. It also, according to soda snobs, makes Coke taste not quite right. Kosher for Passover Coke, on the other hand, is made with cane sugar (like Mexican Coke) and is said to be smoother and have a cleaner finish. (Pepsi is reportedly trying to capitalize on the soda snob market by launching a product made with cane sugar.)
Here's where we've found Kosher for Passover Coke so far...
Supermarket Showdown II
Walmart was the champ last time.
A year ago we price-checked a "basket" of 40 items in an attempt to figure out which local supermarket chain has the lowest prices. Walmart came out on top -- it wasn't even close -- followed by Hannaford and then Price Chopper.
But, things change: prices go up, prices go down, economies go into recession.
So, this past weekend we checked the same basket again. Here's what we found...
Interesting in 2008: Bruce Roter
One of the best things about working on AOA this past year is that we've had the chance to meet a lot of interesting people. We'll be highlighting a handful of them between now and the start of 2009.
People in the Capital Region are passionate about their supermarkets. And maybe none more so than Bruce Roter.
Who has the best egg nog?
The nog lineup.
We got an email from Meagan last week:
Every holiday season, I find myself in an egg nog debate with a friend/coworker/stranger about who makes the best egg nog. My family and I are loyal fans of Stewart's egg nog (the premium one, not that "light" crap). I've always immediately dismissed anyone else's rebuttal. I have given a couple other egg nogs a try, and in my opinion, they were nowheres near as delish as Stewart's.
So you know what this means? Yeah, that's right: egg nog taste test!
Wine coming to a supermarket near you?
Land of the Two Buck Chuck.
Updated Tuesday at 2:45
Jess gave us the heads-up this afternoon that David Paterson's proposed budget would also open the way for supermarkets in New York State to sell wine. From a story in the Poughkeepsie Journal:
"We will create a spike in the sale of wine," especially New York wine, Patrick Hooker, the state's agriculture commissioner, said in an interview with Gannett News Service.
Wegmans, a leading upstate supermarket chain, applauded Paterson's plan Monday, saying the law is long overdue.
"We love the idea of supermarkets being allowed to sell wine," said spokeswoman Jeanne Colleluori. "We have supported this idea for decades because we believe it's a great service to the customers."
But liquor stores were quick to criticize the proposal, saying it would lead stores to close and therefore damage the local economy.
And as Jess points out, this could also open the way for more Trader Joe's in New York because the chain does a lot of business selling its discount wines.
But there's a bit of a catch, too: the budget would also more than double the tax on wine.
(details throughout this document)
One more thing: in a little bit of an odd twist, the Paterson admin is sort of now telling people to stop drinking soda and start drinking wine. Sort of.
(Thanks, Jess!)
photo: Flickr user woolennium
Paterson proposes $1 billion in cuts, more flooding, track season all wet, principal arrested, permits for off-leash dogs, Giants coming back
David Paterson has proposed a plan to cut $1 billion in spending from the state budget. Half of that would come from Medicaid funding, $250 million from aid to local governments, and $100 million from legislative pork projects. As you might expect, legislators and lobbyists are already protesting. Local governments are also worried -- for example, Schenectady figures Paterson's plan could cut $700,000 in funding for the city. [TU] [Daily Gazette]
North Greenbush and Rensselaer were the latest parts of the Capital Region to get swamped by rain. The Amtrak line between Hudson and Rensselaer had to be closed for a while because the tracks were underwater. The 74-year-old mayor of Rensselaer said yesterday's flooding was the worst he'd ever seen in the city. A Rensselaer County legislator says the drainage systems there just haven't been able to keep up with the pace of development. [TU] [Troy Record]
Both attendance and the amount bet at the Track are down from last year at the season's midpoint. Attendance is down more than 16 percent and the "handle" is down 8 percent. [Saratogian]
The EPCOT of supermarket aisles
The only thing missing is a monorail.
The almost-finished makeover of the Price Chopper on Central in Albany includes a new international aisle -- or to be more exact, two aisles that form a whole section. And it's fun! Really, it is. It's like the EPCOT of supermarket aisles. Here are a few things that caught our eye as we were browsing recently...
Trader Joe's update
The TU has a report from a gathering this past weekend of the We Want Trader Joe's in the Capital District group. It seems the Legion of Bruce's persistence could be paying off. Maybe.
Bruce Roter tells the TU that a local TJ's store is now "no longer a question of if, but when." The evidence? An email from the Trader Joe's vice president of real estate, in which the VP states, "Albany does seem to have a lot of potential for Trader Joe's."
Hmm.
Earlier AOA coverage of the Trader Joe's campaign.
photo: CelinaBean
Which supermarket has the best deals?
Our last supermarket price check was so popular, we decided to give it another go. But to shake things up a bit this time around, we decided to find out which store has the best bargains.
So we picked a "basket" of 20 items that come in both name brand and store brand so we could find out how much we could save by going generic. And to make things a little more interesting, we tossed discount market Aldi into the mix. Here are the results...
How "likely" is a local Trader Joe's?
It seems there will be many chapters in the Capital Region Trader Joe's story. And in the latest installment, Rensselaer County legislator Brian Zweig (or someone claiming to be him) reports in a comment on the TU's business blog that he's been in touch with the somewhat secretive supermarket -- and an Albany TJ's is "likely." Eventually. Maybe.
Zweig also reports that "other high-end food retailers are also exploring entry into the Albany region." Hmm. Anyone want to venture a guess?
Earlier AOA items about Trader Joe's.
The Trader Joe's campaign rolls on
Is it possible WWTJ is better organized than the McCain campaign?
We'd heard about these yard signs, but almost didn't believe it until we saw this one planted in the grassy median at the corner of Manning and New Scotland in Albany.
If the mysterious Trader Joe's ever does land in the Capital Region, Bruce Roter is gonna have to turn that campaign infrastructure toward something else. Like the Senate. Or maybe the White House. We hear the Democrats are having some trouble settling on a candidate.
Trader Joe's -- the saga continues
Shh. Don't tell anyone.
What do Trader Joe's and the National Security Agency have in common? On the surface not much, but try asking them a few questions. With all the buzz about getting Trader Joe's to come to A-Town, we thought we'd just give them a call and ask, once and for all: are they coming or not?
... said Kaitlin about Viva Kaitlin!