417 replies to this topic

[reverand]

runawayjim, on Mar 30 2007, 09:07 AM, said:

you have osco in shaw's. i'll be moving to the area soon and will be glad to have a pharmacy within walking distance.

Shaw's is kind of scary. Atleast the one at Eagle square is.

Edited by reverand, 30 March 2007 - 08:08 AM.

[runawayjim]

reverand, on Mar 30 2007, 10:07 AM, said:

Shaw's is kind of scary. Atleast the one at Eagle square is.

are you kidding me? that one is so much nicer than the one on admiral (or maybe smithfield rd at that point) in north providence. i can't wait until i live closer to the eagle square one.

[basachs]

runawayjim, on Mar 30 2007, 10:13 AM, said:

are you kidding me? that one is so much nicer than the one on admiral (or maybe smithfield rd at that point) in north providence. i can't wait until i live closer to the eagle square one.

Well, once you live in the area for a while and go there consistently you will see it is not all that great. I used to go there when i first moved here too, and I still go occasionaly. But that Shaws has really gone downhill. It is not all that old, but it looks old in there. Dirty, messy and just not maintained.

I am not scared of it at all though.

Edited by basachs, 30 March 2007 - 08:28 AM.

[runawayjim]

basachs, on Mar 30 2007, 10:28 AM, said:

Well, once you live in the area for a while and go there consistently you will see it is not all that great. I used to go there when i first moved here too, and I still go occasionaly. But that Shaws has really gone downhill. It is not all that old, but it looks old in there. Dirty, messy and just not maintained.

I am not scared of it at all though.

oh, then you should see the one in NP. not only is it smaller, they have a smaller selection of products, the produce isn't as good, and they do a terrible job at re-stocking. i've never had these issues in the eagle square one.

where do you go shopping if not there?

[basachs]

runawayjim, on Mar 30 2007, 10:39 AM, said:

oh, then you should see the one in NP. not only is it smaller, they have a smaller selection of products, the produce isn't as good, and they do a terrible job at re-stocking. i've never had these issues in the eagle square one.

where do you go shopping if not there?

Depends on where I am at the time. Whole Foods, Eastside, or the Shaws in Chapel View (that is a great Shaws) I would love to have a supermarket that is reasonable, consistent in its quality and within walking distance.

[matt]

Could we convince East Side Market to make a West Side Market?

[Liamlunchtray]

reverand, on Mar 30 2007, 10:07 AM, said:

Shaw's is kind of scary. Atleast the one at Eagle square is.

Ha! I think that shaws is downright swanky! Of course I shop at pricerite.....

[Cotuit]

Liamlunchtray, on Mar 30 2007, 01:59 PM, said:

Ha! I think that shaws is downright swanky! Of course I shop at pricerite.....

Yes, after years of patronizing Queens grocery stores, the Eagle Square Shaw's is immaculate. Or how about, did anyone live in Allston around 1992? Remember 'Poverty Supreme' on Harvard Ave.?

[quente]

basachs, on Mar 30 2007, 09:28 AM, said:

Well, once you live in the area for a while and go there consistently you will see it is not all that great. I used to go there when i first moved here too, and I still go occasionaly. But that Shaws has really gone downhill. It is not all that old, but it looks old in there. Dirty, messy and just not maintained.

I am not scared of it at all though.

Hmm. I popped in there for the first time 2 weeks ago (we usually go to Super Stop & Shop on Branch) and came away with a very positive first impression (and I usually avoid Shaws). I didn't scrutinize the product selection but it seemed good and the store appeared clean and well-maintained.

[basachs]

quente, on Mar 30 2007, 03:45 PM, said:

Hmm. I popped in there for the first time 2 weeks ago (we usually go to Super Stop & Shop on Branch) and came away with a very positive first impression (and I usually avoid Shaws). I didn't scrutinize the product selection but it seemed good and the store appeared clean and well-maintained.

Glad you liked it. I will readily admit to being extremely hard to please when it comes to grocery stores. Nothing around here has really made me swoon. I think the WF at both University Heights and Waterman are probably the two worst WF's I have ever been in. Eastide is just okay, and most Shaws and SS are well worth avoiding. I am a brat when it comes to grocery stores.

Cannot wait until the farmer's markets open up.

I thought I was really a snob in this area until I spoke to transplants from Portland OR and Seattle.

[jencoleslaw]

the eagle square shaws is disgusting. I prefer the Route 6 Shaws in Johnston, although the one at the haunted boys school is also nice enough.

but you people have not seen awesome grocery store until you've been to a Wegmans.

[Liamlunchtray]

basachs, on Mar 30 2007, 03:53 PM, said:

Glad you liked it. I will readily admit to being extremely hard to please when it comes to grocery stores. Nothing around here has really made me swoon. I think the WF at both University Heights and Waterman are probably the two worst WF's I have ever been in. Eastide is just okay, and most Shaws and SS are well worth avoiding. I am a brat when it comes to grocery stores.

Cannot wait until the farmer's markets open up.

I thought I was really a snob in this area until I spoke to transplants from Portland OR and Seattle.

Spending too much money on groceries is one of those things that just drives me insane. We were up to $160 a week shopping at Stop and Shop, and now we hover around $85 shopping mainly at pricerite with just the stuff you cant get there being purchased at Shaws (tofu, coffee, some produce...) Spending $5 for a box of cereal I can pay $1.50 for just makes me want to pull my hair out. The whole foods just about gives me hives its so expensive and Stop & Shop isnt that far behind.

[basachs]

Liamlunchtray, on Mar 30 2007, 08:00 PM, said:

Spending too much money on groceries is one of those things that just drives me insane. We were up to $160 a week shopping at Stop and Shop, and now we hover around $85 shopping mainly at pricerite with just the stuff you cant get there being purchased at Shaws (tofu, coffee, some produce...) Spending $5 for a box of cereal I can pay $1.50 for just makes me want to pull my hair out. The whole foods just about gives me hives its so expensive and Stop & Shop isnt that far behind.

I have two words for you. Celiac Disease. Those two words increase your grocery bill by at least 25%. And guarantee I cant shop at Pricerite.

Beyond that, I like certain things that cannot be found in regular grocery stores. I dont overpay for stuff.

[Liamlunchtray]

basachs, on Mar 30 2007, 10:06 PM, said:

I have two words for you. Celiac Disease. Those two words increase your grocery bill by at least 25%. And guarantee I cant shop at Pricerite.

Beyond that, I like certain things that cannot be found in regular grocery stores. I dont overpay for stuff.

That would do it!

[Garris]

quente, on Mar 30 2007, 02:45 PM, said:

...we usually go to Super Stop & Shop on Branch...

I'm going to be working near there soon. How is that S&S?

basachs, on Mar 30 2007, 02:53 PM, said:

I think the WF at both University Heights and Waterman are probably the two worst WF's I have ever been in... I am a brat when it comes to grocery stores.

I wouldn't say they are the worst WF's I've ever seen (one in Cambridge/Somerville pops to mind as the worst, as well as one in the NY Metro) but they're certainly in the bottom tier of WF's. That doesn't mean they still aren't the best of what choices we have locally.

I'm pretty disappointed in everything I've seen in New England (especially produce) thus far. When I visit my parents at home in the NY Metro I'm shocked at how amazing some of their supermarkets and produce selections are.

That said, I am a fan of East Side Market, especially how responsive they are (if there's a product you indicate to them you'll need regularly, they'll stock it). Their produce, however, like everything else around here, isn't great.

- Garris

Edited by Garris, 31 March 2007 - 08:46 AM.

[Liamlunchtray]

Garris, on Mar 31 2007, 10:46 AM, said:

I'm going to be working near there soon. How is that S&S?

I have found that S&S to be kind of dirty and not very well kept, however their produce is uaully decent because its a pretty high volume store and they seem to go through a lot of it.

I know this whole conversation is getting wildly offtopic, but....

I have stopped into the new Stop &Shop in N. Kingston where Fiddlesticks used to be a couple times and it is a really weird store. First off, it's VERY small compared to most new markets. Its similar in size to the first Super Stop & Shops when they began going up around 1990. The other odd things is that they do have a starbucks, yet they dont have a fish counter. What kind of market doesnt have a fish counter?? The only other one I know of is Pricerite, and obviously thats not a full service market. Their selection is very very limited and the prices are a large jump higher than S&S in the parkade or on Branch. I have to drive right past the entrance every night on the way home, so its super convenient if I forgot something for dinner or need a gallon of milk, but the selection and price make it kind of useless.

[citybuilder]

jencoleslaw, on Mar 30 2007, 03:57 PM, said:

the eagle square shaws is disgusting.

You guys must be kidding. Has anybody compared the Eagle Square Shaws to the one off of North Main?! That place is from a different, and much grungier, point in the time-space continuum. And many times their produce is wilty, bagged lettuce turning slimy, or stuff is just plain out of stock. Everytime I go in there I wonder whether Shaw's is trying to drive it out of business through sheer neglect.

The Eagle Square Shaw's is a slice of heaven in comparison.

[Liamlunchtray]

citybuilder, on Mar 31 2007, 02:03 PM, said:

You guys must be kidding. Has anybody compared the Eagle Square Shaws to the one off of North Main?! That place is from a different, and much grungier, point in the time-space continuum. And many times their produce is wilty, bagged lettuce turning slimy, or stuff is just plain out of stock. Everytime I go in there I wonder whether Shaw's is trying to drive it out of business through sheer neglect.

The Eagle Square Shaw's is a slice of heaven in comparison.

Agreed!!!! N. Main is Nizzasty!

[basachs]

Garris, on Mar 31 2007, 10:46 AM, said:

I'm pretty disappointed in everything I've seen in New England (especially produce) thus far. When I visit my parents at home in the NY Metro I'm shocked at how amazing some of their supermarkets and produce selections are.

That said, I am a fan of East Side Market, especially how responsive they are (if there's a product you indicate to them you'll need regularly, they'll stock it). Their produce, however, like everything else around here, isn't great.

- Garris

Totally agree on the produce. Absolutely dreadful. We come from the same area and the NJ/NY metro has amazing produce.

ESM is fine. It just is not great. I also agree on how responsive they are. They carry a lot of organic and celiac friendly brands that even whole foods does not. In fact, the WF here is the least responsive out of all of them I have been in. You ask them for something and they tell you to come back tmw when the section manager is on duty. ESM writes a note for you, and the particular section manager actually calls you back.


As for the Shaws, it is still disgusting. Just because N.Main is beyond disgusting, does not make the Eagle Sq Shaws a gem. Rhode Island can do a lot better in the supermarket arena.

I do love how we have tons of little farms very close to the city where you can pick seasonal berries and vegetables. The quality has been great for that, much better a lot of times than what I got when living in Mass. You of course need car for that...

[Recchia]

We need a nice local joint like Roche Bros. or Trucchi's. Daves is too expensive.