Saturday, October 18, 2008

Weekend Open Thread: What's On Your Mind?

Just a few observations this weekend as I'm taking a break before the big Thanksgiving jams/chutney push.

*I found a chicken in my freezer I'd forgotten about. I love it when that happens. Roast chicken for dinner this week.

* Ran up to Trader Joe's for the first time in weeks. Maybe I've been shopping at Fresh Market too long, but the prices seem significantly lower at TJ's these days. Maybe I've just noticed more of a price jump in my day-to-day items at Marsh, but considering the quality, prices seem comparable or lower at Trader Joe's these days. The grocery total was a pleasant surprise.

* Are a lot of restaurants along the 86th street corridor in trouble? It seems like many more than usual have banners flapping in the breeze advertising specials. It just looks like they're doing anything they can to get customers in the door. Maybe I've watched too many episodes of Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares, but when a place starts plastering signage with lunch specials or new hours, it gives me the fear. (This goes double for fine dining restaurants -- banners advertising steak specials or lunch hours look desperate. Are they?)

Holiday menus, prices, openings, closings. What's on your mind this weekend?

6 comments:

Bernard said...

Trader Joe's has definitely some of the best prices and quality in town. This is especially true for wines. In addition, their buyers are very knowledgeable, and do a superb job of ferreting out great bottles at unbeatable prices. Fresh Market is good for bread, and little else in my opinion, while Whole Foods is sometimes good for cheese. For a different shopping experience, try Saraga International, a favorite of ethnic communities in town. Their fruit and vegetable display seems to have everything under the sun, and for fresh fish/shellfish, you can't beat it. The tab is about one-third of what it would be at "regular" stores. Now, it does have the feel of a bazaar, and that can bother some people. For those of us who have shopped at bazaars worldwide, it is a welcome addition to our city.

braingirl said...

If you read this blog for very long (or look at the archives) you'll find we're big Saraga fans around here. TJ's can be hit or miss (wines included, they sell a *lot* of cheap plonk), but we're in agreement on Fresh Market -- Peet's coffee and staples in a pinch is all I buy there.

Unknown said...

If you're higher than Bob Evans on the culinary food chain, big banners flapping in the wind to advertise a 10% senior discount on Tuesday nights is tacky.

Anne said...

BG - I was walking my dog this weekend and saw a new restaurant/bar - Budha I think. It's on mass ave just south of Michigan (near the chatterbox). The signage says they will be a cigar/martini bar serving pan asian cuisine.

have you heard anything about it?

braingirl said...

I do not know! I'll check it out.

Anne said...

The signage went up wicked fast. That's one of our "routes" and I'd noticed someone moving furniture in on Thursday and the signage was up on Saturday.