Please use this page to describe non-wine GO items you have especially appreciated lately. To reduce overlap with other GO and food sites, your first comment on this site may not be on this page.
The magical world of wines from Grocery Outlet
The best and the worst of Gross Out.
The magical world of wines from Grocery Outlet 
Keep an eye out for International Collection Virgin Pumpkin Seed Oil, 1.99 for an 8.5 oz bottle. I have no idea whether it will turn up here on the Left Coast, but I found it in a GO in Lancaster PA. It’s from southern Austria, and comes from a dark green squash that we wouldn’t call a pumpkin. Dark green and with a delicious intensely nutty flavor, it isn’t for cooking but for drizzling on roasted veg, creamy root vegetable soups, farmer’s cheese and, believe it or not, vanilla ice cream. I brought back a liter tin of it from an Austrian farmer’s market several years back , and when it ran out I checked on Amazon and found little bottles for $20 or so! The nearest equivalent in flavor would be toasted sesame oil, but this is even richer in flavor. Hope it shows up here…8.5 oz won’t last all that long Chez Flitcraft.
In former ‘other bargain’ news, the Pennsylvania GO’s still stock Running Pump Coffee from Gerhart Roasters–the oldest roastery in Pennsylvania at 137 years old and still run by the grandson of the original owner. My daughter lives about a mile or so from the roastery, which is sadly not open to the public, just off Running Pump Road. (Brought home a Guatemalan single estate bag from a GO there for old times’ sake.)
One of my favorite finds at the GO lately: vegan breaded shrimp!
I’ve tried these out on about 5 friends now and they all liked them and couldn’t tell much difference from real shrimp (which take a large toll on aquatic habitats, esp. mangroves). https://ethicalbargains.org/2023/07/06/sophies-kitchen-vegan-breaded-shrimp/
Probably the best brand of pasta you’ll ever see is the di Martino. Right now the Alameda store has .5 Kilo bags of the pappardelle for $1.99
Saw the pappardelle at Lake City, but not much of it on the shelves. Also DiMartino no-cook lasagna noodles for 2.29; much greater stock of it.
I saw the lasagna a few months ago, it is good.
di Martino is great stuff
arrived at one location near me and i picked up a couple bags. love that brand.
Les Trois Petits Cochons brand petits poivrons in a 4+ oz. jar for 1.99. This was a new one for me–tiny sweet pickled red peppers about the size of a small olive. Tangy and tasty, but not spicy. They’re nice on a cheese board or a charcuterie plate, and I think they’d be good on salads, especially those with savory additions.
I’d never seen them before, so did a little research. They are often referred to as Sweety Drops, and DeLallo has them in its line-up as well, though not at GO. Apparently they are an indigenous Peruvian pepper.
I think this find is a great example of the off-beat things that sometimes crop up at Grocery Outlet, and are part of why it is such a terrific scavenger hunt of a store.
That sound just like something I’d enjoy! Where did you find them–Lake City or Crown Hill?
It was at Crown Hill. They were in the cheese case on the upper tier.
Thank you for posting these! These are very hard to find, generally speaking. Of all places, Lazy Dog, a chain restaurant (but with a scratch kitchen) used to serve these on their breakfast pizza with asparagus, bacon and goat cheese. The acid in the peppers cut the richness of the pizza. One of the location managers even sold me a 28oz jar off the floor when I told him how hard they were to find.
The inventory of all grocery items is very sparse at my local GO (No.CA) One store has spread out the meager inventory and the other has big empty spaces on the shelves. Anyone know what’s going on?
Their inventory/ordering systems are screwed up. It was bad at a few stores earlier, but seems to have normalized mostly at my most typical location
Two Italian pastas: DeLallo whole wheat orecchiette, 99 cents, and DeLallo Spinach fettucine 1.99 (I think–coulda been 1.49…) DeLallo is an excellent bronze-die-extruded pasta that we’ve seen other varieties of in the past at GO. I’m not generally a fan of whole wheat pasta–not the right mouth-feel for me–but I did take a chance on their whole wheat casarecce some time back and enjoyed it, so I didn’t hesitate on the orecchiette. Both the orecchiette and the fettucine are very good.
I am a fan of orecchiette and it is harder to find than most pasta shapes so when I saw this I had to try it. I like it a lot. I will buy more if I find it.
I buy almost all of my pasta at the GO. When I find one I like I buy a mess of it. It lasts a long time if you keep it try. There is a bucatini around right now that I’ve gone long on.
Richmond was out this morning. Anyone seen it lately in No Cal?
I saw the orechiette boxes at another store and took a close look. The boxes I saw seem to have had ever so slightly misformed/misshapen individuals. It was like they did not get pressed out correctly or something. There was like an overlapping ridge or something on many of them, like a cookie from a press, that didn’t get trimmed prior to baking.
Maybe that’s how/why they ended up at GO?
The DeLallo orecchiette I found aren’t in a box, but in a squarish bag. I’ve had two bags with no signs of misshapen pasta. I think why they ended up at GO is that their best-by date is October 30. Whole wheat pasta doesn’t have the long keeping qualities of white flour pasta, but for me, I will not worry about it till the end of the year.
I would buy more of this but can’t find it anywhere in the Bay Area
Arrowhead Mills Bread Flour, best by the end of next month. $3.99 for a 5 lb. sack. It claims to be high-protein flour, which I’m sure it is, but how high? Nothing on the label to state actual protein content.
I still have a fair amount of King Arthur bread flour, and until it cools down I’m not making bread on a regular basis, so I will probably pass. But if you need bread flour, this would be a bargain for good quality bread flour.
I was pleased to see Rogue Creamery “Brutal Blue” at the Hazel Dell, WA store for $12.99 a pound. Their award winning cheeses can go for upwards of $30.00 a pound. However, both my spouse and I (confirmed blue cheese lovers) did not care for this and actually threw it away. The description on Rogue Creamy website describes a “buttery sweetness” but all we got was a very unpleasant, funky, almost foul, aftertaste. I think the cheese had possibly gone bad. Recommend avoiding this particular variety from Rogue Creamery, at least the batch that GO has in stock.
I also found I did not like the piece I bought. I do not mind aged cheese, but it struck me as too old.
While at the Kenmore GO fruitlessly searching for wines, I came across a few other bargains: Mezete Hummus at 99 cents for a container holding about a cup. Smooth as silk, and more tahini than chickpea. No added ingredients except salt and a bit of citric acid. If you like Lebanese or Israeli hummus, this ultra-creamy Jordanian hummus will hit the spot. It’s best by the end of the month, is shelf stable till opened and the container suggests consuming within three days of opening. No problem…
Also La Lechera brand Dulce de Leche, in cans that look similar to their sweetened condensed milk, at 1.99 a can. Given that I just bought a container of buffalo milk (!) dulce de leche last week at the Lake City GO for 4.99, I found myself having buyer’s remorse that I hadn’t skipped over it in favor of these. So I got two cans for later…
I finally got around to opening the Scout tinned tuna, and I can report it is every bit as good as Ortiz tuna. The problem is that the cans hold about 2 and a half ounces of tuna. Excellent tuna, mind, but it’s a very small amount for 5 dollars. I mixed it up with the olive oil in the tin and some minced shallot and capers and put it in the middle of a salade nicoise. Again, very good but too pricey for retirees to consider except as an occasional splurge. I’m glad I stocked up on the Wild Planet yellowfin tuna at 2.49 a can when that turned up a few months back. (I will pick up a couple more cans of the Scout while they are available–it’s gotten a lot of buzz in foodie circles, and quality-wise I can see why, but jeez, that price! That’s why we don’t have Ortiz tuna very often, too.)
And finally in the ‘other bargains’ department, Kenmore has twin sized weighted blankets for 14.99. They are supposed to be good for insomnia, and I will admit that when I used one at my daughter’s house, they are surprisingly comforting. Twins are good even if you favor queen or king sized beds so that, assuming more than one is sleeping there, each can adjust their blanket as they prefer. Similar blankets go for 25-50 dollars on Amazon, so if you’ve been curious about them, the price may be right for a try.
I advocate for weighted blankets. I get great sleep under one. Right now I am sipping a Sister’s Ridge Pinot Noir. For 6.99 I think it is a nice wine. It is getting better with air. I will probably buy a couple more.
The only problem I’ve heard about with weighted blankets is that they’re very difficult to wash. Does anyone have experience with washing them?
My daughter uses a duvet cover over hers, and just washes that. If you wanted to be extra careful, you could use two covers…
They are very hard to wash and will destroy a home washing machine. One can try taking them to a commercial laundry which will have very big machines for curtains and quilts etc. We do that about once a year in our house, and its an unpleasant experience, since that particular laundromat with large format machines seems to be a low level drug bazaar as well.
I left complaints on the google review page, and the owner complained, with the defense that a) they themselves were not selling them and b) substances were legal anyways.
I tried the Mazzete hummus. I thought it was ok for a $1 but would not reload. I like the (now Pepsi distributed) Sabra and Tribe of Two Sheiks brands. I actually cook chickpeas a lot (in my Instapot) so if one can find Tahini it’s doable with a food processor.
Hi aubergine. Would you post your Instant Pot method for chickpeas? I often find it hard to get beans to exactly the right tenderness when you have to set a time, let it get up to temp / pressure, then let it cool down, and then see if they’re done, etc. Anyone else feel free to chime in.
I do chickpeas fairly often in the IP. I do soak overnight, and rinse them, then add the peas and water to the IP and set for 25 minutes on high if I’m pureeing the beans, or 22 minutes on high if using in a stew or other dish where I want them whole. I use natural release after cooking either way. The tricky thing about beans in the IP is that beans vary a lot in their freshness, and older beans need more time. Soaking overnight does help in this regard, but if I suspect the beans are old, I add a bit of baking soda to the soaking water in the overnight soak.
Actually, these days when making hummus I skip using whole chickpeas and use dried chana masala instead. They are a variety of split chickpea without any outer skin, so no worries about the skins making the hummus less smooth than desired. Chana masala also cook so quickly, being split, that I dispense with overnight soaking.
I put a cup or a 1.5 cup in the pot, cover with water a few inches higher, and then pick ‘soup’ in my pressure cooking section. it’s 25min or so, and i tend to do this mid day for cooking at night. i let it cool naturally.
save the water it can be used for thickening up soups/curries.
Thanks flitcraft and aubergine for helping me with chickpea pressure cooking. I have not used the “soup” setting on my IP, but will look into it.
The Lake City and Kenmore GOs just reduced the price on the Scout tuna from $5 to $3. Much better ‘other bargain’ price, though at Kenmore they still had the old $5 price tag on the pesto marinated one. (It rang up at 3, though…)
I was at the kind of ghetto Watt Ave store (where entire quadrants had no price tags of any kind) and found a whole spectrum of weird (and inexpensive) nut butters. From different brands too. I’m not sure if they will be any good, and I suspect they are sugar free, so I will tell the family to add a dollop of honey when using them (they like the Nutella style of sugary spreads).
$3 almond butter
$2 hazelnut butter
$2 hazelnut, cocoa, fig butter
They all look like fairly fancy brands, maybe European?
We’ve tried the first and third ones, and they are underwhelming. They are made in California, Croatia, and Turkey respectively. They’ll end up getting consumed, but not something to affirmatively seek out. Our household doesn’t like natural (non homogenized) nut butters anyways, but perhaps those who prefer that style might enjoy them more.
At the Olympia store today I found wedges of Rogue Creamery’s Brutal Blue cheese for $12.99/lb. A 6.5 oz wedge sells for $20 on their website:
https://roguecreamery.com/product/brutal-blue/
Some of you might see Ver Mont brand pepperoni’s in the cold case deli area for $2. Pretty good brand, usually higher end impulse sales, and only recently came out to the Western states. I used to see it all the time living in New England, so surprised to see it here in the last few years, and happy it showed up on the discount rack. List price, probably over priced, but for $2 much better than the Armour junk.
Gallo pepperoni is ok, but it seems like whatever GOBM gets tends to be oxidized, so that’s better to buy at normal grocers.
This is a smoked, uncured pepperoni so it really tastes more like a (Spanish) chorizo to the typical US customer. it’s very good as a pizza topping.
Contadina 28 oz cans of chopped Italian tomatoes in juice, 99 cents a can, seen at Lake City but not Crown Hill or Kenmore in the Seattle area. Best by date is pretty soon, but being in cans, they will almost certainly be fine for a long, long time. These are labeled “San Marzano style” and are actually from the Naples area of Italy. Also, no calcium chloride added, which is used to keep diced tomatoes from disintegrating while cooking. So, I think they will make a good rustic sauce. I plan to make pasta with tomatoes and tuna with this and a can of the Zona ventresca tuna later this weekend.
Also noted that Zona non-ventresca tuna in olive oil has also appeared at Lake City, for 5.49 as opposed to the 5.99 for the ventresca tuna. If you see both, I’d recommend spending the extra 50 cents for the ventresca.
My dear mother always used Contadina tomato paste for her spaghetti sauce (with meatballs) when I was a kid. And that was many, many, many years ago back in New jersey. I bought a few cans of it recently at the Silverdale GO for cheap. So I’ll look for the tomatoes over here.
Dynamic double zipper freezer gallon bags – great buy!
GO peeps. I go through a lot of gallon bags zip top plastic bags. For bread storage, flour storage, bread and pizza dough storage at the least. If I am lucky I get them at costco, on sale for just over 10 cents a bag. But – I was out. And there were no Costco sales and non-freezer bags are nice but seem to be one use only. So when my local GO had a brand I’d never seen before (Dynamic) for 40 bags for $2.99? I gave them a shot.
Turns out they are fabulous.
Cheap, sturdy and they wash well for reuse, better after washing than Ziplock, I think. (I could even wash off bialy dough which is extra sticky!) I did a bit of an internet hunt and they seem to be a food service chain brand, possibly related to Smart and Final, a good food service chain here in CA.
Anyhoo, if you see them and use zip top bags? I recommend them!
Oh, that is a good catch. I do use freezer bags for freezing garden produce and miscellaneous meal items, and wash and reuse them, sometimes for years. But eventually the zippers go, or they spring little leaks. Unfortunately, the ‘freezer’ bags these days aren’t nearly as robust as they used to be five or ten years ago. So food service bags sound perfect–I’ll prowl the local GOs and hope they turn up!!
I hope you do find the bags! Our GO also had the freezer bags (a heavier plastic) in quart. I didn’t buy them at the time but if I see them again? Yup!
And if I see the gallon again? Oh, it will be a BIG time stock up… :
For anyone in the Seattle area thinking about these freezer bags, I checked at Lake City, and although they did have the right brand, they only had storage bags, not freezer bags. But at Kenmore they had freezer bags as well as storage bags, in quart and in gallon sizes. So thanks again, HB, for cluing us in on that ‘other bargain.’ I tend to skip the cleaning products and kitchen items aisles, so I probably would not have found them but for your spotting them.
Also, Lake City had replenished their stock of KA White Whole Wheat flour, so that may be a good sign that there is a lot of it about.
President cultured butter with sea salt in 8.8 ounce tubs for 2.49, best by date in September, seen at Crown Hill and not seen at Lake City. This is the first cultured butter I’ve seen at any of our local GOs post-pandemic, so I grabbed six of them. They’ll freeze just fine.
Thanks for the heads up. I picked up 3 packages (2.59 at Marconi location) and will give them a try. I too never go down the dry goods aisles, so would never have found them.
It’s been slim pickings at both GO’s I have been to in the last week, other than cherries, which were $1.49 / lb, and the quality looked as good as the full service unionized grocers around me, which tend to have cherries in peak season from $1.75-2.50 / lb. We inhale them around here, and even bake fresh pies with them….
We’re here in the cherry capital…WA state. I bought red cherries at Safeway at for $1.49 three weeks ago and was unimpressed…not sweet or “crispy” enough for us and generally lacked flavor. But last week Safeway had Rainier cherries for $2.99 a lb, 3 lb. limit. Bought 3 lbs. and they were incredibly sweet, delicious and “crispy”. I can never get enough!
The red cherries at Fred Meyer this week were flavorless–I ended up pitting and cooking them. Turns out they were from Chile!! Who knows when they must have been picked… But the Rainiers have been great; I think they are too fragile to travel, though.
I had pretty good Chilean cherries earlier this season, perhaps 2 mos ago. It was the first time I’d ever seen them in a produce section. Some of the very best quality California ones (Japan Export Grade) do get flown out. Every once in a while, for whatever reasons, they can show up at normal grocers ($9 lb) which sounds insane, until one tries them.
Picked up two boxes of the Dynamic zip-top freezer bags at the Lynnwood GO today! There were about a dozen boxes left on the shelf. They also had the fold-top sandwich bags, if anyone finds those useful.
Yay that you got them! I do hope you like them. 🙂
My normal GO is now sold out of the gallon bags (gee, do you think folks realized that wsa a deal?) but I hope to hit one or two more in the next week, to hopefully grab more.
As a ‘happybaker’, have you tried Cambro containers for proofing dough? They come in slightly rounded square and in round containers with lids, in 2 quart and 4 quart sizes (and much bigger, though not for home baking needs). Restaurant supply places have them, as does Amazon. I always have a couple in rotation for proofing dough, and they are tough as nails and dishwasher safe, as you might guess for restaurant-oriented products…
Good point. I have thought about Cambro containers for years but, I wasn’t baking enough bread to warrant the purchase and storage. Now? I am thinking about it much more seriously.
One of the bakers I follow loves these containers but they don’t look big enough for the recipes I use… https://www.amazon.com/Reditainer-Extreme-Containers-32-Ounce-24-Pack/dp/B00N2TADOY
Now if Cambro showed up at GO? Oh, that would be a happy day indeed!
I’ve become a fan of a slow, cool, sourdough ferment, no mixer, just a rough hand mix then periodic flip & fold, aka lazy baker, so I got a square 12 qt, about 3x as big as my usual batch (~3 lb of dough). They make em in a lotta sizes.
12 qt Cambro $13
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/cambro-12sfscw135-12-qt-clear-square-polycarbonate-food-storage-container-with-winter-rose-gradations/21412SFSCW.html
Same, generic, $12
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/choice-12-qt-clear-square-polycarbonate-food-storage-container-with-blue-gradations/176SQRCL12.html
Generic but polypro, not polycarbonate, $8
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/choice-12-qt-translucent-square-polypropylene-food-storage-container-with-blue-gradations/176SQRTR12.html
HB, thanks for the recommendation on Dynamic gallon freezer bags (40 count, $2.99). I bought 6 pkgs! Now I can recycle all my old Ziplocs, some are 3 years old!
WineObsessedRN –
I am jealous! My closest GO still does not have any more of the gallon zip top freezer bag. I might have to venture further afield…
And wow – three year old bags?! You have me beat! But I did just wash the same Dynamic zip top bag three uses in a row, with hot water – and it’s still dandy.
Seen at Lake City: Several higher end canned tunas, certified sustainably caught. Scout is one brand that has created a buzz in online food circles; the two varieties at GO are the albacore caught in the PNW in extra virgin olive oil and the same variety of tuna in a pesto dressing. Cans are very small–4 oz total but only 2.5 ounces of fish. Zona canned ventresca albacore is the other I saw. I picked up one of the plain Scout and one of the Zona. I usually get my high end canned fish fix at another bulk-importer in Seattle, but the prices here were too tempting.
Also, paging Happybaker and others who bake: Lake City has King Arthur Organic White Whole Wheat 5 lb. flour to 4.99. It’s made with a different wheat variety than their ‘ordinary’ whole wheat flour, and substitutes better in white flour recipes, though for bread-making it does require a bit of vital wheat gluten for best results. This white whole wheat is hard to come by in grocery stores near me, and KAF shipping is prohibitive, so I was delighted to see it at GO for less than half the price that our fancy-schmancy grocery store charges.
Nice! Cold chilled tinned fish is a good patio snack when its so hot outside.
Flitcraft thank you!
I have been checking my GO’s for flour deals recently and – nada. But your post gives me hope – I will look again this week!
Grrr!!!! My normal GO did not have the King Arthur flour. But I hope to hit two more GO’s this week. And on my hunt list? That flour! I’m keeping my fingers crossed…
And my high end grocery store that usually carries the white whole wheat flour now requires that it be shipped in 6 5 lb. packet lots for 90 dollars plus shipping… I think I need another bag or two!
Two recent finds that, IMO, do not go with wine 🙂 :
Pulmuone Authentic Korean Kimchi, 49oz (1.4kg) for $5. Product of Republic of Korea. This is a lot of yummy kimchi for a low price. Personally, I’d wish it were a little less sweet, but I and family all like this better than any other kimchi we’ve gotten from GO. Has anchovy paste for a slight fishiness that I prefer, so is not strictly vegetarian. Comes in a sort of cube-shaped plastic container with red lid.
Mayura Cuisine brand Garlic Achar, 18oz jar with orange label for $4. I’m not familiar with achar, but back label calls it a “spicy staple of Indian and South Asian cuisine.” There is a recipe on the label for achar chicken, but I have been enjoying it spread on sardine sandwiches with mayonnaise.
One of the kids doesn’t like that brand of Kimchi. We have a Korean market 18 min away which has a vast spectrum, but it’s definitely something of personal preference. I keep all open jars of those in the garage fridge, since they are quite pungent.
Oddly enough, I bought some Brooklyn Delhi Tomato Achar yesterday, at another store. I would just treat the stuff like a spicy pesto, sort of like Calabrian pepper paste, if you are not making Indian food. If you are, its pairs well with vegetarian south Indian fare like dosa, idli, vada, etc.
There is an insane amount of mustard condiments at some GO’s now. I’d bet 20% of that aisle is mustard permutations.
I’m quite familiar with one kid not liking what everyone else does. Oh, well. I’m a similar distance from a Korean market here, but even there, it can be challenging to find kimchi we like.
I think I’ve seen some mustards lately that are like “Polish-style mustard,” “French Dijon-style mustard,” “German-style mustard,” etc. Some years ago, I think I bought a pack of these and they all tasted pretty much the same. I like instead the actual German or French mustards.
Pareggio by Artikaas, 40% Gouda, Parmesan cultures, Product of Netherlands.
Originally $9.99/lb. Marked to $2.99/lb (Mistakenly? Closeout? Last 3 in Pullman store.)
Delicious, nutty yet a touch of sweet-saltiness and slightly crumbly. Taste reminds me of Swiss AOP which has been my favorite cheese from GO so far.
Hey flitcraft! I was shocked to see that Lambchopper sheeps’ milk cheese finally showed up in Silverdale. I bought a piece because I just had to try it. But as I believe you mentioned…now at $12.99 lb. it’ll have to be mighty tasty for me to buy more.
It is worth the price. Retail is around $30. I bought 4 of them. A friend reps the cheese maker and I know how good it is.
Thanks Betty! Very good to know!
I just opened and tasted my Lambchopper, Betty. You and flitcraft are so right. It’s one deliciously creamy and flavorful rich cheese, reminiscent of some of the wonderful pecorinos of various age and complexity that we enjoyed in Montepulciano, Italy years ago. Hopefully there will be more when I return to the store today. FYI…the best by date is only August, but it’s tightly wrapped and I don’t concern myself so much with dates on well-made cheeses.
Lim, I bought a chunk of the Lambchopper yesterday. It’s sold here for $9.97/lb (BB date is July 9,2023).Very good, creamy, nice mouthfeel. Tasted the Artikaas Pareggio alongside, both excellent in their own way. Pareggio more savory, salty, the Lambchopper slt creamier, softer texture, not crumbly.
Fave GO cheese has been the Gruyere AOP. I’m saving my last wedge. Wish I would have purchased the whole lot when it was $5 per wedge. Second fave is the Pareggio.
I like your price better, WORN! 😉 And I haven’t seen the Pareggio or Gruyere AOP around here, but I’ll keep looking. And I’m pretty loaded up on cheeses right now too.
I’m glad you are enjoying the cheese. My friend who has been in the cheese business for years has told me not to worry about best by dates on cheese and now I don’t. I have two more Lambchoppers to enjoy. The finish on the cheese lingers so beautifully in ones mouth.
Yes indeed, Betty…the son of one of our friends has also been in the cheese business here in WA and now in CA and he also told us not to concern ourselves with the best by dates.
With soft ripening cheeses, they are not ripe until well past the printed date. The one type of cheese where the date matters is fresh cheese like mozzarella, they will spoil.
Lim, our GO usually slashes prices on items as the BB date gets closer. I’ll buy more Lambchopper closer to July 9. They may sell out bf then but it’s a waiting game! 🎲 😎
Yes indeed, SB. I’ve occasionally not been able to eat fresh mozzie logs fast enough and man! do they get foul! Cottage cheese will also spoil.
I got a bunch of Lambchopper too, it’s great. Cypress Grove is a great CA cheesemaker, but the Lambchopper and Midnight Moon (goat gouda, my fave) are made in Holland.
https://www.cypressgrovecheese.com/faqs/why-are-midnight-moon-and-lamb-chopper-made-in-holland/
I’ve occasionally found similar cheeses from Holland at GO with generic labels that were as good and cheaper.
Le Gruyere was crazy cheap at the Pinole store last year, $3 IIRC. I now have two 13 L Cambro boxes of GO cheese in my basement fridge…almost as bad as the wine sitch.
You might check and see if your local GO has marked Lambchopper down, as its ‘best by date’ is a few days away. Kenmore did this, marking it at 6.48 a lb! It’s in that heavy plastic shrinkwrap, so I would guess it’ll be fine for a few months yet. If you enjoy this one, it’s worth checking for markdown.
Thanks. I saw it a few days ago I think at Lake City and it was still the higher price. I’ll check it out again.
Still the higher price in Silverdale too…and there’s very little left.
Stopped into our local branch to check on the Lambchopper. A worker decided to pull it all as it went unsold at $12.49/lb and was out of date the day before. He said it would still scan if I wanted it for full price, but was unwilling to mark any down. Hard pass. I woulda bought it all at a lower price, work with me, dude!
Maybe he was going to mark it as ‘disposed of’ and keep it for himself in the back. I have a few friends who work at unionized grocers, and they put a lot of stuff in the employee breakroom if its a return, shrink, go back etc.
Although my observation of GO staff at the locations I’ve seen is that they would not be the clientele for artisanal cheese.
Aubergine, the owner and his wife have several school aged kids. That Lambchopper’s going into lunchboxes, after school snacks, casseroles, homemade Mac n cheese! I’m jealous! That’s some fancy cheese for some lucky kiddos!
Hazel Dell WA continues to stock silver Moon Brewing (Bend,OR) Couch Patrol IPA for $6.99 a six pack. That is a deal these days for a pretty decent IPA.
There has also been several varieties of Sumerian Brewing (Woodville,WA) six packs including Holy Water IPA and Lucidity Pilsner for $$6.99.
Seen at various Seattle area GOs: Take-and-bake baguettes and rolls, imported from France. 99 cents per package of long baguette, or four rolls, or two small baguettes. Baked at 400 for 10-12 minutes, then cooled a bit, they are as good as anything I can bake myself. The packaging warns against home freezing, so buy what you need in the immediate future. They aren’t the very best French baguettes I’ve ever had, but they would definitely pass muster in France as acceptable bread, and honestly, beat supermarket baguettes handily.
I’ve tried those too they’re pretty solid. They are sent to the US frozen as I’ve actually seen half thawed packages floating around various stores so as noted do not refreeze. I think the packages instructions underestimate how long it takes to get them cooked to a golden brown stage.
I baked a long baguette for the first time, using my oven, and agree that 13 and a bit minutes was better. I’ve tested my oven and 400 degrees on the dial gives me about 395 degrees, so it’s pretty accurate. On the other hand, I’ve been baking the littler rolls in the toaster oven, so as not to heat the kitchen too much, and there what the toaster oven claims is 400 degrees works fine at 11-12 minutes. I think I need to test the temperature of my toaster oven–circumstantial evidence is that it may be hotter than the registered temperature.
TL;DR: your oven temperature may require a different time than the package gives!
Oh holy cow. Just when I have said “No extra GO trips!” – this comes up.
Very tempting and I will check it out!
Saverne Artisanal Sauerkraut, 1.99 for a 1 lb jar. it’s pretty finely sliced and naturally fermented. Honestly, I don’t think that I can make it much cheaper than that. (I experimented with sauerkraut during Pandemica…not worth the bother for me.) It’s not terribly strong flavored, but not bad at all. Compared to the German sauerkraut that GOs have stocked in recent years, it is milder, but whether that is a good or bad thing is a matter of taste.
Giant Eagle brand Spanish queen whole olives. Finally it is nice to see some non-pitted olives, which are usually too mushy for my taste. These are also called Gordal Sevilliana, and are, like the name, popular as a appetizer in Seville. Nice and meaty and not over-salty. Just the thing with a nice dry rose…
Crosse & Blackwell capers, 99 cents for a 3+ oz. jar. These are really good quality nonpareil capers. Since the large jars of capers disappeared from Costco a couple of years ago, I have been making do with the Turkish ones at GO–these C & B ones are better, and cheaper, too.
Lambchopper sheep milk cheese seen at most of the Seattle GOs, but now priced at 12+ dollars a pound. Ah, I snoozed and lost…should have bought more when it was cheaper.
Oops.. I meant that pitted olives are too mushy…that’s what happens when you type and fail to re-read…
Kewpie-style mayonnaise for 1.99 a squeeze bottle seen at Crown Hill in Seattle, about a third the price of Kewpie at Seattle area Asian markets. It isn’t the branded Kewpie mayo, but it comes in an identically shaped plastic bottle. I can’t read the ingredients list, but I am guessing it is a close enough dupe to take a chance on; however, I have an almost full Kewpie bottle in the fridge so I won’t be taste-testing this one.
In case you aren’t familiar with Kewpie, it is more flavorful than American mayo, with more of a vinegar kick and more umami-ness. I paint in on fish filets–salmon and halibut are especially good–before baking, broiling, or cedar-planking them. Also on Japanese language Tiktok, there is a viral recipe for a Kewpie-mayo ramen noodle soup, and given how much ramen is now available at GO, that’s also worth a try: Make up the noodles per package direction. Add the flavor packet to the serving bowl along with about a tablespoon of Kewpie. Mix well, and when the noodles are done, add them along with the water to the bowl. Garnish with a halved jammy egg and sliced scallions and whatever ramen additions you fancy. Bet it would be especially good with the Korean buldak spicy chicken ramyun …
I found some of these in the Oceanside (San Diego County) GO about 3 years ago and found they were just as good as the Kewpie name brand. Have not seen them since and now hoping they will return down this way.
The Lynnwood GO also has Shirakiku mayo, I just picked up a bottle. Like you I have an almost full Kewpie, so haven’t taste-tested it yet either.
No $1.99 Kewpie style mayo at Silverdale as of this afternoon, but they do have the Shirakiku mayo (I believe the use by date was Feb. or March of 2024) in a squeeze bag for $4.99 in the Nosh organic section at the back of the store. I’ve never used these types of mayo, but assume it’s what’s used to “decorate” and add flavor to the sushi we eat frequently. I was willing to try the $1.99 version, but didn’t want to spring for the $5 one…so none for me. I’ll add here that I’m a BIG mayo fan and have been since childhood back east with Hellman’s (Best Foods here in the west). But due to cholesterol issues (which are well under control with meds), I use mostly light versions of mayo. Apologies if my last comments are TMI. 😲
Hi, Lim13, I think you found another example of the ‘dynamic pricing’ where the same item is priced differently by different GOs! Japanese mayo differs from American mayo because it is usually made with egg yolks only, is flavored with rice vinegar and in higher proportion than the distilled white vinegar used in US mayos, and often contains a bit of MSG to amp up its savoriness. You could hack a faux Kewpie style mayo by adding a bit of rice vinegar, a small pinch of sugar, and a pinch of MSG to Best Foods. Not a perfect dupe, because Japanese mayo has a custardy texture, probably due to the yolk-only recipe. But it would give an approximation of Kewpie…
Not sure I’m interested in making my own, FC…but I appreciate your “recipe”…though there is no MSG in our household. And I’m unsure about the “dynamic pricing” because I believe they just don’t have the $1.99 stuff you’re talking about and Beanwean didn’t indicate what he/she paid for the Shirakiku. Or is that the mayo you bought?
Sorry, guess I wasn’t clear. The Shirakiku mayo I bought at the Lynnwood GO for $1.99 is the Kewpie dupe (kewpie dewpie?) that Flitcraft mentioned.
Found the Shirakiku brand at $4.99 at the San Marcos (north San Diego County) yesterday. Will try once I finish my current bottle of Kewpie.
I found some King Arthur ’00’ Pizza Flour in 3lb bags at one location, I bought a pair for $3 per. I have never seen that before. I guess it’s time to clean up the Oooni and get that going again.
Also, picked up a leftover Easter (!) spiral sliced ham for a $1.52. It was huge and I made ham Egg McMuffins for a day or so. Family was sad when I threw it out 24 hours later, but it had just expired, and despite being tasty, I’d told everyone: pig out (heh!) while you can since we’re not saving this. When I used to take lads ski trips with a group of old school friends we’d pick up one of these on the first day, and it would be the all purpose protein for snacks, breakfast, sandwiches etc. and could be even picked at in the fridge.
Well, you did get your money’s worth from the ham, but in the future, keep in mind that ham freezes well. Also, ‘best by’ dates are just that, dates indicating the highest quality, not food safety-based expiration dates (except in the case of baby formula, which does have safety-based expiration dates.) Periodically this issue comes up in Congress for federal regulation, but food manufacturers have objected to regulations, arguing that consumers already understand that ‘best by’ dates aren’t safety dates. Of course, I am a bit conflicted on this–on the one hand, the use of ‘best by’ dates leads to a lot of food waste, but on the other hand, GO benefits by getting mark-down products to sell at very low prices. (I just stocked up on 28 oz. cans of tomatoes at 47 cents–best by last week, but will easily be fine for months and even years to come.)
I’d be interested in your take on the KAF 00 Flour–it seems to have different specs than Italian 00 Flour. I haven’t used it myself, but I’ve used their other flours and find them uniformly excellent.
And speaking of GO flour, I tried the Kodiak All Purpose Power Flour, with mixed results. Be aware that this is no ordinary all purpose flour–it is whole wheat flour along with wheat protein isolate, chickpea protein, and whey protein. So it has a much, much higher protein percentage than other all purpose flours, as well as wheat germ and bran. The package comes with a couple of Kodiak recipes, which I did not try, but I assume would work well. However, substituting for all purpose flour in non-Kodiak recipes is tricky. It did not work at all in the standard ‘no knead bread’ recipe. I think it likely needs much higher amounts of water than the standard recipe provides. In a pound cake recipe, the results were also sub-par, grainy and rubbery texture rather than the tender tight crumb you would expect. However in a standard muffin recipe–and I made two variations of muffins–it worked well. Not surprisingly, alternative proteins like bean protein and whey protein can alter the overall results in baking recipes that turn on relative precision in ingredients. Muffins are very forgiving, as baked goods go, so probably substituting the Kodiak flour in muffin and quick bread recipes is the way to go.
Flitcraft –
I too grabbed some of the Kodiak all purpose power flour. I have not tried it for baking but to make pancakes that are tender, higher in protein but still low fat? It works very well!
Approx 1 cup flour, very scant tsp BP, 1/4 tsp baking soda, scant 1/3 tsp. salt for my dry ingredients then wet? 1 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with 1 T vinegar), one egg or enough egg whites to equal, a splash of vanilla, whisk till smooth then cook on non-stick pan. (I do them as silver dollar size). Light, tender, tasty (especially with butter or smart balance and maple syrup) but high enough in protein they won’t cause a sugar crash. Top with sliced bananas or berries.
I may just try the chcolate chip cookie recipe on the bag…
Like the acidification of milk trick for the use of baking soda leavening. I never buy butter milk so this might be a handy trick if results are not too acetic. According to my wife, I would have known this trick had I taken homeEc.
Another ‘faux’ buttermilk is to use half plain yogurt, half milk. (Or half yogurt whey and half yogurt, if you make your own yogurt…speaking of Home Ec!)
So I finally tried the KA 00 Pizza flour, making 4 pies in our Ooni. I used a recipe that was designed more for the 800F high heat that oven works at, so those tend to have less ‘stuff’ that can stick to the ceramic base. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed, since even with GO prices, the flour isn’t a huge bargain or anything in an objective sense (although low priced for the KA brand). It might be slightly easier to work/form the rounds of dough, but it didn’t feel like it rose as nicely.
My preference is to use cast iron on the stove, finished under the broiler, for a big fluffy deep dish pizza, with a longer risen dough. Yes it will make a mess of the pan, since invariably some sauce/toppings will leak over the edges and in between the dough and iron, burning on. I rub a little Crisco on everything (which won’t slide down the sides, like a liquid olive oil might) to get the pie to release cleanly.
Maybe others will have better outcomes with the pizza flour, but I’m not reloading but to be fair I have not seen it recently.
I believe the KA 00 flour has a higher protein content than does Italian 00 flour, more akin to their other white flours, which all have higher than average protein content. Still haven’t tried the KA 00 flour, since La Tua Farina 00 Italian flour cropped up at our local grocery store in apparently a one-off purchase for a very good price some months back. Also, Italian 00 flour is made with a somewhat softer wheat than KA uses–and European flours list their ash content, whereas US flours don’t, so it is really hard to compare flours. Once you go down the bread-making rabbit hole, it’s like wine-making–so many factors contribute to getting the results you want!
Am crazy-jealous about the Ooni, btw, but too rich for my fixed-income blood, sadly. I actually considered trying to ‘jailbreak’ my oven to use the self-cleaning setting for pizza, but cooler heads- (like Mr. Flitcraft) -prevailed. I’ve never tried making deep dish pizza, but the cast iron pan stovetop technique sounds intriguing.
Thanks for the update on the KA 00 flour, though–very helpful.
Several items of note seen at the Lake City GO in Seattle:
2 pound bags of King Arthur organic bread flour for 1.99. The five pound bags are going for 15 dollars a bag at my local supermarket, so this is a deal.
Sriraja Panich chile sauce from Thailand–forgot to note the price, but worth considering if you enjoy sriracha sauce. It’s not as hot as the ‘rooster’ sauce, but is in my opinion better balanced, more garlicky, and available–whereas the weather in California having decimated the chile crop, the more popular sriracha has vanished from store shelves. (NPR did a story a couple of years back about how Sriraja Panich is actually a more authentic Thai chile sauce than the more familiar one, which was developed in the US supposedly for American tastes.)
Wild Planet Yellowfin tuna, 2.49 a can. This was rated by Greenpeace as the most sustainable tuna available, both due to where it is caught and how it is caught to avoid by-catch. It’s also delicious and perfect for pasta al tonno, if you aren’t flush enough with cash to buy the jarred fancy tuna.
Sustainable Seas sockeye salmon, 3.79 a can; also pink salmon for cheaper. I tried the sockeye–a higher grade tuna than pink–and cannot recommend it at all. I expected a chunk of solid salmon, bright orange in color. What was inside the can was floating shreds of pink and brown mushy fish. So as not to waste it, I drained it and made it into a tomato curry with salmon, but I wouldn’t buy it again for any price. There is good canned salmon out there; this ain’t it.
I agree about the Sriraja Panich. (from 2015)
Thanks, flitcrat, I planned on hitting the Lake City GO tomorrow so will see if I can snag any of the KA flour. As for the canned salmon–we live in the Pacific NW where fresh salmon is plentiful and affordable. Why buy canned?
some of the KA flour that is floating around closeout vendors has gone weevilly. We just had to throw out a bag and clean up a pantry shelf because of that. Consider freezing any purchases for a week, and sealing in tubs after that.
Thanks for the warning! I just added my three bag purchase to a flour bin, and it looks okay. But I will freeze it anyway, just to be certain.
I picked up a Sriraja Panich sauce, can’t remember if it was a $1, $2 or $3. Thanks for the suggestion. Was just in a Korean market, which is asking $16 for a normal sized Huy Fong. I have lots of different variants on this Siracha though, and we don’t really use it as much as we used to. Only half the household eats spicy things and uses those condiments….
Let me leave a recommendation for Lowensenf’s German mustards, especially the sweet Bavarian one, which have been around in the Seattle area GOs for months but are starting to disappear. It’s 1.99 a jar, whereas online it ranges from 10 to 20 bucks for the same jars. Unopened it keeps forever; opened it’ll keep 6 months easily. It’s the best soft pretzel condiment I know, and it also kicks on a bratwurst with some German sauerkraut and caramelized onions. I also use mine in dressings for assertive greens like kale, arugula, and endive. Given that it’s been around so long, I got lazy about stocking up, but I noticed it’s now gone from Crown Hill and Kenmore, so I hightailed it to Lake City and relieved them of four jars.
Hi Flitcraft! Thanks for mentioning these. I have very much enjoyed the Lowensanf “Extra Hot.” It has some sharpness, but I wouldn’t really call it super hot. It is very tasty, though. I have not been so creative with it, and just use it on sandwiches. Price same in SF Bay Area.
My wife and I eat mostly sweet/hot mustard…Beaver Brand from Portland… (though neither of us eats much mustard), so maybe I’ll see if those mustards have made it here in the Kitsap GO’s…and try blending them to make my own sweet/hot.
Thanks for the heads up; I’ll grab some even though I have lots of mustards right now. I should use them more in savory cooking though.
I bought a jar of the Truffle Pig mustard with truffle. It contains actual pieces of truffle, and is not flavored with truffle oil, which is inferior, to my taste. This mustard is good. I bought a jar of the catsup, but have not tried it yet.
Not seen in my local GOs, but I will definitely keep an eye out for it. And truffle pieces are so vastly better than most truffle oil, which often tastes like tire rubber to me.
Hazel Dell, Wa GO has Couch Patrol IPA brewed by Silver Moon Brewing in Bend, OR for 6.99 a six pack. Pretty good IPA at a great price. Silver Moon is the third oldest brewery in Bend.
If you see Di Martino pasta at your GO, it’s worth buying. It’s a real IGP Italian pasta, typically runs $5-8 in specialty grocers. I have tried 3 different shapes, and it’s great stuff for less than (good, but no longer great) De Cecco (now made in Iowa, not Italy!)
It is excellent. I bought it when they had it years ago.
Haven’t seen it up in our stores, but would love to try it. I’m plenty good with De Cecco pastas though, specifically the Fusilli Corti Bucati #98, Potato Gnocchi and Gemelli #97. Just ordered a bunch and the boxes all give the Italian exporter and NY importer info and say made in Italy. Guess my taste in pasta isn’t that discerning.
What’s the price and what are the shapes on the Di Martino?
They had penne rigate and spaghetti at the Seattle area stores; both 1.99. And in the Lancaster PA GO we got mezze rigatoni!
How long ago was that, FC?
I saw the spaghetti recently, during the sale. Not the penne, though, at least at Kenmore or Crown Hill.
Just texted the owner of the Silverdale GO and she sent me a photo of the spaghetti, which is the only one they now have. Will give it a try if it’s still there tomorrow.
No Cal stores still have the spaghetti.
De Cecco is my default pasta, btw.
I ended up buying two packages of the spaghetti at Silverdale this afternoon.
I’ve seen penne, mezze rigatoni, and spaghetti all for $2 at various GO’s in the Sac Metro area, although recently only the latter.
=====
I double checked a couple boxes of De Cecco I had, and those still specify Italy, but there is part of me that thinks there is some trickery going on with that. I had heard about that issue somewhere, and personally, in the 20+ years of using that brand, it doesn’t seem as good as when I first tried it.
Some of you might note that De Cecco has special boxes/sizes/shapes/names for select retailers that are available only through them. And that could also be part of the issue.
Be careful of the 16 oz value bacon that comes in an orange packet. Even by bacon standards, its unusually fatty, nearly all fat to be honest. Maybe if one was cooking green beans and needed a few slices just for that it would be ok, but for any other (normal) purpose, it’s kind of a waste.
I’ve observed this twice with this producer over a couple of onths, so it wasn’t just a fluke bad/unlucky package.
After a very long absence, Cypress Grove’s Lambchopper is back! It’s a sheep’s milk cheese, but even if you think you don’t care for sheep cheese, you might like this one, which doesn’t hit you over the head with sheepishness, but still has a lovely flavor and a creamy texture. It’s 8.99 a pound; compare that to the Amazon-Whole Foods price of 34 dollars a pound! This won’t be around long, I fear, so strike whilst the iron’s hot if you want some.
I was hoping to try that Lambchopper, FC…but none to be found at the Silverdale GO today. We ate a lot of sheeps’ milk cheese (mostly Pecorino) in Tuscany and loved it. And I love Spanish Manchego too.
And, ya snooze ya lose. It disappeared quickly after I bought some in March, then re-appeared later in April, but this time ringing up at 12.95. Still worth it, but not the bargain it was originally.
Posted earlier but it disappeared so, I am posting again. (Probably my fault and kind Grossout folks if this is a duplication, please remove it)
Killer prices on Purina Dry cat food at my SoCa Burbank GO. 15 pound bag of indoor, anywhere from $18 – $22 locally – $13 at GO. Same for the Purina Complete. And they had a 20 pound bag of of Purina Naturals that can go for a high as $28 for $19. Cat food prices have gone through the roof so this is a welcome find.
They also had Gilbert’s Aloha sausage for $1.99. This is low fat chicken sausage that is surprisingly tasty. I am not a big carnivore, my husband adores beef and pork – and we both love this sausage. I bought five packs as they freeze well.
https://gilbertssausages.com/aloha-chicken-sausage
They also had seaweed caviar for $3.99. Looked interesting but not interesting enough to buy.
https://caviart.com/seaweed-caviar-a-plant-based-food/
They did have Dunkin Doughnuts coffee but at full price, sigh.
Speaking of coffee, Seattle area GOs have 1 kilo bags of Lavazza espresso for 11.98; unfortunately for me, it is ground not whole bean, so I passed on it.
And, in a ‘report on past other bargains,’ I just finished the last of the Cascade Organic unbleached all purpose flour, which my notes says were $2 a 5 pound bag. Wish I’d picked up more–decent flour is going for 6-10 dollars a 5 pound bag these days, and supermarket flour like Pillsbury and Gold Medal are running around $4. That Cascade flour was excellent quality, but it seems as though the company’s foray into retail rather than wholesale marketing may have flopped, since I can’t find it anywhere in town.
Flitcraft – Oh that Cascade flour. Wish I’d purchased more as well! I went back to my GO almost immediately but it was gone : (
Tomorrow I am heading out to a GO to get the Kodiak brand high protein flour to play with. 23 oz for $1.99 supposedly $6.50 retail. Hope they still have some!
Got the Kodiak High Protein Flour. Will make pancakes with it tomorrow and report back.
I also got Hunts San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes, with garlic, olive oil and basil, 28 oz can – two for $1 Good through April 2024.
https://www.hunts.com/san-marzano-style/whole-peeled-tomatoes-garlic-olive-oil-basil
It felt like I body slammed my demure shopping companion to get them (I did not, honest) but such a deal and I use tomatoes so much, they only had seven cans on the shelf so I grabbed them and then gave two to my shopping partner, who had walked past the deal and was surprised when I mentioned it.
So, how was the Kodiak high protein flour? Seems like the protein point is more a bread flour than an all purpose flour, and even as a bread flour, a little higher in protein than most. Might be ideal for bread made with some whole wheat flour that usually benefits from a little vital wheat gluten…
Two fab finds at GO today, Burbank (So Cal).
First off, for all you cat lovers who buy grocery store food (no judging please : )
Purina Cat Food – 15 and 20 pound bags. The 15 pound bags were their classic (complete) and indoor, $12.99 for 15 pounds, that exact bag of indoor is now $18 at my local grocery, $20 at another. The 20 pound bag was the Purina Naturals, high protein, usually very pricey, $19 at GO. Anywhere from $23 to 28 at my local grocers.
And they had the Gilbert’s aloha chicken sausage for $1.99 again. Very tasty stuff, great grilled and would also make a killer fried rice. Just under $5 at all my local grocers so for $2? I bought five and threw them in the freezer. Instant easy base for dinner, woo hoo!
https://gilbertssausages.com/aloha-chicken-sausage
They did have the Dunkin Doughnuts Whole Bean coffee but very pricey, like 16 for two pounds : (
Here’s another GO blog, Ethical Bargains, where products are reviewed not only for QPR but sustainability, labor practices, and general impact. They do a more research than I do on the wines – most food I buy if it looks good!
He really liked the Beyond Good chocolate, and I got a few, and it’s pretty darn good chocolate too, and a bargain at $1.50 for a 75 g bar.
Thanks for the link, dluber. I believe I visited it before some time ago, but then forgot all about it. Saved it to Favorites this time. And noticed that when you click on “Drinks” on the drop down, the first one that comes up is the Chateau Lavabre, which was their top pick for the November ’22 wine sale.
Grocery Outlet Wine Sale April 2023?
Does anyone know the dates of the Spring Wine Sale 2023?
I was told this morning in Oceanside (north San Diego County) that the sale begins on April 3. They are already stocking up.
Heinz Honey Infused with Black Truffles…really! So many things to wonder about: what exactly is the dish that needs honey with a black truffle infusion, anyway? Inquiring minds want to know! And, it comes to GO from Heinz, of all companies–better known for less adventurous condiments like ketchup. I left the store without it, mainly because I couldn’t imagine what to do with it, and I had visions of going to Food Waste Hell when I discarded it unused a couple of years hence.
But if you are interested, they had quite a bit of it at Crown Hill.
Flitcraft – I was at the 99 Cents store today (I do go to the fanciest of places) and they had the Heinz honey! $1.99. The label said “Simply drizzle or dip our infused honey to enhance your favorite culinary creations, including roasted vegetables, pizza, fried chicken, salad dressings and more.”
I shuddered and put it back.
Target has it for $7.99, fyi.
I found a couple of Angus standing rib roasts at GO this morning at $7.99/lb. One looked just okay, but one ~5-lb. one looked pretty nice, so I took that home and will turn it into a nice holiday meal for the family this weekend.
Found at Lake City: three Jayone Korean condiment products–ssamjang, doenjang, and gochujang. All in those squarish containers typically used for Korean pastes. I forgot to note the prices, but I did notice they were a good bit cheaper than I’d paid recently at another Japanese-centric Asian food market in Seattle.
They have those same pastes in SopCal Burbank – $3.99 for the pound containers which is an excellent price. Most non-asian groceries carry that for $4.99 – 6.99, depending on where you shop.
The often-stocked Brazilian Bauducco panettone is back—in three flavors: original raisin and candied orange rind, vanilla, and chocolate chip. But today, at Crown Hill, I found Pasticceria del Casato Italian panettone in lovely tins. These are the same ‘fancy’ ones’ that cropped up last year, only last year they were in fancy paper wrappers with nice bows. This year’s varieties are standard raisin-orange, dark chocolate chip, and dark chocolate chip with salted caramel–all 8.99. I ended up buying the dark chocolate chip and the chocolate-salted caramel ones–knowing my granddaughter has an irrational raisin-phobia. The tins really are quite nice, and will be re-purposed for homemade cookies, I suspect.
All panettone found in the Silverdale store today…same price $8.99. The Bauducco I believe was $6.99. Size of cans is smaller.
Yes, maybe half to two thirds the size of the Bauducco ones. I already posted the ones I bought to my granddaughter or I’d check. But, based on the ones last year–also pricier than the Bauducco as I recall–they were worth it! The Bauducco, though, will make scrumptious French toast or bread pudding!
26.2 oz. vs. 17.6 oz. I bought one Bauducco and one dark chocolate chip in can. Got so many Christmas cans already, I had to talk myself into the one…especially with a move to a smaller house coming sometime soon. Trying to unload stuff, not collect more. And yes, FC, we love the Bauducco for toast and French toast.
Godiva Mint Medallion ice cream is rich and very tasty if mint chip is your style. 14 oz for $2.49. It has been appearing and selling out in Oregon stores, then reappearing.
Domestic bresaola, from Brooklyn. I have never seen bresaola at GO, and almost never at our local upscale groceries. I did not purchase so cannot comment on the quality, but it looked good and was very thinly sliced, as it should be.
Thanks for this heads-up. I found some at the Olympia store – $5.99 for 2 ounces. It’s been a while since I’ve seen bresaola as well. Love it in a salad with arugula, parmesan and lemon, but this might just get eaten straight up.
That is a lovely combination. Last time I was in Rome I walked out of the Vatican to a downpour, and walked to the nearest cafe, just outside the Vatican walls, and had exactly that salad.
No Jameson nor the noted Scotch at Crown Hill today, though they did have plenty of BSB Brown Sugar Bourbon, which was being heavily advertised at Mariners’ games last year. (“It’s the bottom of the fifth, and you can’t spell baseball without BSB.”) Apparently baseball fans aren’t quite as non-discriminating in their tastes as the BSB company predicted, so it’s now at GO. I predict that next year, you’ll have the privilege of buying Cocoa Bomb, chocolate flavored whisky, at GO, since it has replaced BSB in being advertised at the Mariners games.
But onto better ‘other bargains.” Fondant in a variety of colors and flavors for 2.99 for four ounces has been seen. If you don’t know what fondant is, you almost certainly don’t need it, but if you do, you might, and the price is right.
And, one of the best non-wine bargains I’ve seen at GO in recent months is packets of Nissan Raoh tonkatsu flavored ramen soup, two packets for a buck. They go for better than three bucks apiece elsewhere. This is not dorm-room instant ramen but a very high quality instant ramen–my very favorite one, though the miso flavored Nissan Raoh edges out the tonkatsu for me. Still, soup season is upon us–I picked up ten of them, and will happily doctor them with sliced scallions, jammy eggs, slivered mushrooms, and maybe pork belly. I may go back and get a few more…
Probably “Nissin” not “Nissan” but will definitely look out for these.
Yup, it’s Nissin, though what a car company’s idea of a good soup is an intriguing thought …
Those Nissin Roah ramen packets recently arrived at the Richmond, CA, store, same price. I like both the Tonkotsu and the Soy Sauce flavors, but prefer the Soy Sauce, although the best is making one of each mixed together and splitting the batch with someone. 🙂
I saw two varieties of 375ml Jameison Scotch at the Hazel Dell store in Vancouver WA. They were both aged in beer casks, one in stout and the other in IPA. The price was $7.99, but with WA state taxes added on I think it came to $11.04. I had one in my cart but couldn’t quite wrap my mind around Scotch aged in beer casks so I gave it to the cashier to take back. The guy ahead of me turned around and said, I’ll take it. And he did!
Just to clarify, Jameson makes Irish whiskey, not scotch…big difference. Scotch is smoked over peat fires, Irish is not…so no smoky favors. Here are a couple of links I found about their Caskmates beer barrel aged whiskies.
https://forum.shopdutyfree.com/en/brand-stories/2019/jameson-caskmates-ipa–a-whisky-for-beer-lovers
https://www.jamesonwhiskey.com/en-us/our-whiskey/jameson-stout-edition/
Big mistake on my part, thanks lim13 for the clarification of my post. I posted in a hurry and misspelled Jameson too.
No problem, Stan…and spelling doesn’t count (unless we can’t figure it out).
😉
The Glenlivet 14yr single malt Scotch, Cognac Cask Selection – $10 for 375ml at the Olympia store. The influence of the cognac is pretty subtle, but to me adds a little vanilla/caramel warmth. Tasty and a screaming deal.
I haven’t had that particular Scotch, but that seems like a really compelling deal. Hope that shows up in SLO.
ditto 🙂
Let’s let folks know where this shows up, that is a good deal.
Neither Oakland nor Richmond has it, and the owner at Richmond tells me that if it is in Oregon we are unlikely to see it in California. My guess is that this comes from a Pacific NW distributor who for some reason wanted to unload it.
I wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t show up in CA. I swung by the SLO store this morning and didn’t see any.
I stopped by the Silverdale GO today (about 60 mi. north of Olympia, where RB found it) just to check on the Glenlivet (even though I’m not much of a scotch drinker), but nothing there. I’d buy a couple bottles for friends and occasional self-sip if it ever showed up. I’m curious what final price is here in WA after state liquor and sales tax gets added to the $10.00. Whatever that ends up being, I daresay it’d be a lot cheaper than what Total Wine is selling it for here.
https://www.totalwine.com/spirits/scotch/single-malt/glenlivet-14-year/p/191556375?s=1412&igrules=true And of course taxes have to be added to that price too, so I expect it would be in the $50 range. That’s some pricey little bottle booze!
I think the out-the-door price was about $13.50
Menage Butter from Carr Valley Creamery, 8oz for $4. Ingredients: sheep cream, goat cream, cow cream, salt. Not sure if this is a deal, but it’s interesting and tasty. I was looking for something on the packaging for a while to tell me what it was before finally reading the ingredient list. Is “menage butter” something that is well known?
Never heard of it. There are cheeses that are made from more than one animal’s milk, although I can’t think of an example.
Some feta type cheeses are a mix of goat and sheep milk, I believe.
In Greece, we were told that goat feta is best (and most expensive,) followed by blended goat and sheep milk feta, then sheep feta, then anything with cow’s milk blended in, which, our informant told us, is strictly a bulk market product. Cows vastly outproduce the other animals, hence their milk is much cheaper.
How did their marketing department miss on calling it “Menage a Trois”??
Tuxford & Tebbutt Blue Stilton (cheese), $7/lb, in clear shrink-wrapped pieces of about 1/4 lb, with plain white labels. Visually this doesn’t stand out on the shelf, but is delicious, exactly the sort of aged, creamy, soft blue I love. Since expiration is Christmas, I stocked up.
And, long past the holidays, it finally showed up at the Lake City Go. None, at least yet, at Kenmore or Crown Hill. Best by late spring, but it won’t last that long at our house.
And, in non-related other bargain news, 3 lb. bags of blood oranges, touted as a 75th Anniversary deal, for 99 cents a bag. That is a screaming deal, as I found blood oranges recently at a local supermarket for 5.99 a pound. In case you are interested, 3 pounds makes 6 pints of the most beautiful and delicious orange marmalade you can make. And the second bag we ate in glorious thick deep purple pinwheels with breakfast and in a winter spinach, avocado, and blood orange salad.
Hi flitcraft!
You make marmalade from blood oranges? Is there a particular type, like Moro, or anything like that? How is does it compare to the Seville oranges I usually use? (I am all for trying different citruses for marmalade, e.g., bergamot, pomelo.)
Glad you got some of the Stilton with a later expiration date.
Yup, blood oranges are a bit more floral and a bit more berryish than Seville oranges, which are the standard for marmalade. I’ve made three batches in the past four years–all from Grocery Outlet blood oranges. One caution if you aren’t adding extra pectin, which I never do for citrus marmalade, is that blood oranges have less pith than other oranges, so I add one lemon peel and pulp per batch and tie the lemon pith and pips into a cheesecloth packet which I boil with the oranges for added pectin, and then remove. Before seeing the blood oranges at GO, I seriously contemplated making a kumquat marmalade, which I will probably do one of these winters. (And here’s a tip from my British mother-in-law: add a pea sized bit of butter to the marmalade as it cooks to disperse the foam.)
And, we too were happy to see the GO stilton, since Costco didn’t stock any this year, and our local Kroger store was selling it at over $20 a pound!
If you use kumquats make sure you get all of the seeds out, even one can affect the flavor.
Thanks for the marmalade tips! Also, the Stilton freezes well.
I never use pectin for any marmalade. One does have to use quite a bet of pectin when making blueberry and huckleberry jam though. Just made some tangerine marmalade since they were free. Also have made Meyer lemon marmalade since they are less acidic than other lemons. Kumquats are good candied too.
That’s a screaming deal on blood oranges indeed! Didn’t see any when I was at the Silverdale store a few days ago. Our longest lived cat was named Marmalade (guess what color he was!), but otherwise never honed a taste for the stuff. But I do make a killer lemon curd from a recipe courtesy of a friend’s 100 year old Scottish grandmother…lemons, butter and sugar.
Oops! Left out the eggs in the lemon curd recipe.
In Silverdale GO today…no blood oranges and no Stilton cheese.
Cultured butter finally back, after a long absence. President in a slightly under 1/2 lb. plastic tub for 2.99.. A nice complement to the Essential Bakery rustic loaf I got. New Zealand venison too, but since I didn’t buy any, I can’t say what the price was. None of the wine being discussed in the main forum, though. Good thing we’ve got a full cellar!
It’s finally gin and tonic weather in Seattle, and just in time more tonic has arrived at our local GOs. The San Pellegrino citrus tonic is back, at 1.99 for a four pack. So are several Fentiman’s tonics: their regular tonic, their ‘light’ tonic, their grapefruit tonic, and, not a tonic, but their ginger beer with lime zest. It’s a full-bodied ginger beer, and works well with the ginger beer, bourbon, muddled ripe peach and mint cocktail recently linked in the Smitten Kitchen newsletter. I’m not usually a bourbon cocktail fan, but this one made me go back and pick up a second four pack of the Fentiman’s ginger beer while peaches are on sale around here.
All the Fentiman’s drinks are 2.99 a four-pack. The ‘regular’ tonic is a bit more herbal and lime-zesty than the Q tonic or the San Pellegrino oakwood and citrus tonics; the grapefruit tonic has just a kiss of grapefruit, and both are on the bitter-quinine side compared to Schweppes or Canada Dry tonic–which is how we roll chez flitcraft. Wish they were 1.99 like the other decent tonics at GO the past year or two, but hey, at least they are available. I was told two years ago that Fentiman’s had lost their US distributor and would no longer be available except via Amazon UK.
And there are a couple of new gins as well, Dutch, with broad-shouldered bottles. I like them. I’ve also been buying lots of the tonics because I like a good gin and tonic, and my teen son likes tonic water and has been messing with mocktails.
While I am here I have a wine review: Three Paddles Pinot Noir, New Zealand, 2015, $5.99 at the Napa store. This might be a Napa-only thing as I have not seen it elsewhere. This is the best pinot in this price range I’ve seen in a while. Good varietal flavor, more tannin than most in spite of its age, nicely balanced and got better with air.
Finally the first of the Rock Wall has reached that store, two RRV pinots, 2018 and 2019. I have not tasted yet. $12.99
I’ve seen three of these Dutch gins: “Dry Gin,” “Celery Gin,” and “Old Simon Genever“. The last of these is more expensive than the first two. Do you have any opinions on the differences between them?
The only one I have tried is the Dry. The Old Simon is too low proof to use in a Martini, to my taste anyway, and it costs more. I will probably try the Celery.
Wild Planet 5 oz cans of yellowfin tuna for 2.49 at Lake City GO–about half the price elsewhere. It got the highest rating for sustainability from Greenpeace, since the fish is all hand line caught individually. It’s also really high quality–just tuna and salt, no water or oil added. Yellowfin has become my cooking tuna of choice, since it’s meaty but not dry or mealy. Use this anywhere you might use ventresca belly tuna, which is ridiculously pricey these days–such as pasta al tonno, nicoise salad, etc. It also makes a mean tuna melt, if that’s your jam.
And, assuming summer ever arrives here in Seattle, cases of the San Pellegrino bottled tonic water, both the citrus and the oakwood types, are back, still at 9.99 for a 24 bottle case. Both highly regarded here, as long as you don’t prefer a sweeter tonic water.
Cowgirl Creamery “Red Hawk” washed-rind cheese, $3.49. I got two of the last three still there when I got to work today. I was a little worried about it since it was at GO, but when I got home IMO the ripeness was perfect.
Ooh, love those cheeses! Will keep an eye out in the PNW for any.
And, to contribute something positive to this thread, if you come across any of the Pietro Massi Italian dried pasta, it is excellent. I got the rigatoni, which was toothsome and tasty. We’ve had a drought in our local GOs of good Italian pasta in recent months, so I regret not picking up a couple of boxes while scoping out the Lancaster PA GO.
On most of those soft ripening cheeses, a marked “sell by” date comes long before the cheese ripens.
Carr Valley Glacier Point Blue and Gorgonzola cheeses, $3.99 for a 5 oz. wedge. I haven’t tried my wedge of the Gorgonzola yet from this Wisconsin producer, but I thought the blue was quite tasty in salads or just nibbled on with crackers. It’s also just the right amount for making my beef tenderloins with Port blue cheese sauce. Found the cheeses in both the Silverdale and Bremerton GO’s in good supply. Here’s a link to the Carr Valley site:
https://carrvalleycheese.com/product-category/blue-cheese/
And in looking at some of their labels, I believe I’ve seen some of their other cheeses at GO too.
Hi Lim13! I’ve tried one each of these Carr Valley blue cheeses, and also thought they were pretty good. Usually I just have them on whole grain bread, often with mayonnaise. I hope that’s not a faux pas, but I often find I like a little extra creaminess with blue.
No problem here, BW. I’m a serious mayo lover, so I may have to try that!
SoGood Sake “Junmai Daiginjo,” made in Oregon with California rice, 15.5% ABV, $15. I’m not sure if this is a bargain, but it’s certainly interesting to me. First, this strikes me as definitely not (and not trying to be) a Japanese sake. It is smooth with richness on the palate, with flavors of gentle yellow fruitiness (almost floral), full-starched rice, mild mushroom funkiness, and more acid than traditional sake, which would help it pair with western foods. This appears to be still for sale on the SoGood web site for twice the price. I guess if you are interested in exploring an American style of sake, then this is definitely a bargain.
Some sakes have added spirits, and are labeled “honjozo.” Those produced with rice only are called “junmai.” Those which have the rice milled down to the finest kernel of the grain, giving a cleaner, elegant flavor, are called “daiginjo.”
That reads rather familiar.
In Pullman, Back to Nature Dark Chocolate Covered Candied Ginger, $3 for 6 oz.
Manufactured in CA. Yummy sweetly sharp tangy chocolatey taste!
The Greek Halloumi grilling cheese recommended by Flitcraft is very good. My wife and I have enjoyed it with grilled vegetables, in homemade pizza, and like feta in salads. I think we haven’t exhausted the possibilities yet.
Has anyone tasted the mushroom gnocchi that are 50 cents a package? I generally find commercial gnocchi to be too gummy.
SB, our GO had truffle gnocchi for $1/pkg last fall. Indeed, too gummy, unable to finish package. I can’t recall the brand, but the font was blue and the company/maker from Italy.