One of the reasons I love Davis Square

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

I love McKinnon's Market. They have the best prices on meat - and the best quality of meat - that I have found anywhere in town (including Chinatown!) Here's what I bought today:

Beef Top Round: 2.52 lbs @ $2.29/lb = $5.77
Chicken Tenderloins (boneless, skinless, breast cutlets): 4.23 lbs @ $1.49/lb = $6.30
Lamb Steak (very lean!): 1.13 lbs @ $3.99/lb = $4.51

7.88 lbs of MEAT...$16.58!!!

I just wanted to share...in case you didn't realise what bargains were to be had so close to home. Barbecue season isn't far off, you know! (yay)

Comments

i agree

[fidgetmonster.livejournal.com]

i was pleasantly surprised the first time i discovered that. I've always been really happy with the quality of meat and produce. I never buy meat from star market anymore - too many scary experiences! yick! still have to go sometimes though to get the things mckinnon's doesn't carry.

Re: i agree

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

You mean the Horrible Star Market? That's its full name, you know - I always use all three of its names, too. Like John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald, vicious criminals always get three names.

I hate that place. And I am - literally - a block away from it. I only go there for the absolute necessities: Pierogies and Tortellini and Pastas (frozen)...heavy things like canned tomato sauce and salsa verdi and cat litter...dairy items and orange juice. And even then, if I can, I get my milk and juice at the CVS.

I shop at the Evergood on Mass Ave. a lot. Mainly, though, I go to Chinatown (Super 88 and Mei Tung) for the bulk of my groceries. And Subzi Mundi or Shalimar, too, when I am doing Indian. And the Reliable in Union Sq. for Korean and Japanese...oh, and Kotobukiya, too.

The Market Basket has great produce, too, especially if you're looking for Mexican/South American ingredients. And Johnny Foodmaster on Beacon often has excellent specials...

Um. Can you tell how much I loathe the Horrible Star Market? And to what great lengths I'm willing to go to not shop there...bearing in mind that I can almost see it at the end of my street...and I do not drive.

[anotherjen.livejournal.com]

I like to shop there, too. Besides the good food & good prices ($1 for a dozen jumbo eggs!), the staff are always friendly.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Yes! The checker called me "Darling" and the man after me was "Big Guy." Hee!

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

all hail the holy and GLORIOUS market basket. that place is so busy that they're produce is phenonmenally FRESH. plus avocados are always $1 and they have a great selection on greens. and CHEAP. i absolutely LOATHE the horrible star market. here's a newsflash for them:

nasty attitude from your checkers + crappy produce selection + veggies ROTTING on the shelves + grossly overpriced regular food + making me use a stupid card to track all of my purchases like the fricken fbi + not being open 24-hours anymore = ME NEVER SHOPPING AT YOUR STUPID ASS STORE EVER AGAIN!

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

you forgot: 20 registers, but only three open at any given time, even after work on weekdays...

I hate the Horrible Star Market. I wish I lived a block from the Evergood. I luurrrrrve the Evergood.

CVS tracks purchases, too. But at least they pay you for it. My last coupon from them, based on what I spent, was $8!
All the more reason to buy my milk and orange juice there instead of the HSM.

[annabuggs.livejournal.com]

I totally agree about McKinnon's. I'm always amazed by the quality and the prices of their stuff.

After reading this thread, I have to ask: where is the Market Basket? I haven't lived in this area very long and don't drive, so I'm not very familiar with anything but the main part of Davis Square. I'd love to find another place to shop so I can keep avoiding Star Market if at all possible.
Thanks. :-)

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

There is a Market Basket in Union Square, which I presume is the one being talked about. You can get there from Davis via the 87 or 88 (whichever of the two goes down Somerville Ave -- I always get them confused). Or you can bike, or possibly walk depending on where you live.

My husband and I actually really hated the Market Basket when we lived near it -- yes, it was cheap, and yes, you could find Strange Ethnic Ingredients there, but it was extremely confusingly laid out and poorly labeled and none of the English-speaking staff knew where or what anything was (and most of the staff didn't speak English, and we don't speak any of the Union-Square-area languages), so one had to be psychic.

There's also a Foodmaster at the intersection of Broadway and Alewife Brook Parkway (also accessible via 87 or 88). It's a nondescript supermarket. Nowadays we often shop there, since it's the closest supermarket to where we live.

Of course, if you hook yourself up with Zipcar (http://www.zipcar.com), you can do big shopping expeditions anywhere you want :). (We are also not car-owning people.) We tend to do that once a week or so, hit Trader Joe's and other stuff which is not nearby.

Re:

[annabuggs.livejournal.com]

Wow, you're full of useful information. Thank you very much. :-)

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

*glances at your userinfo*

Are you a student at Tufts too? I'm an MA candidate in Classics.

Re:

[annabuggs.livejournal.com]

Yep, I am too. I'm a MA student in child development. How do you like it?
It's nice to meet you!

Evergood?

[cowgrrl.livejournal.com]

Ok, here's my dumb question: what is Evergood? Where is Evergood? I never heard of it! :)

My latest pet peeve regarding the Star Market From Hell is: the self-checkout lanes. It seems to me if I have to wait in line to then operate the machinery myself, I want a discount on my food for doing the work myself! No such luck, of course.

Re: Evergood?

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

The Evergood is an over 50-year-old grocery store on Mass Ave., across from Cambridge Common/Lizard Lounge. It's absolutely brilliant. And not as expensive as you would think. The kind of place where people know you and say "hi" when you walk in.
I love it.