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sigmastolenRalphs
- the coffee I like (Coffee Bean's Nariño Dark blend)
- parchment paper for baking
- within walking distance
- easier for me to find things
Albertsons
- the soap I like (Dove's Cream Oil Ultra Rich Velvet bar soap)
- half-and-half cartons with screw caps so it doesn't go bad inside of a week
- greater selection of specialty cheeses (Ralphs has no asiago. Albertsons has three kinds.)
- bigger booze section (although this shouldn't matter that much. They did have bottle-stoppers when Ralphs didn't, though, which is important because I couldn't get the cork from the moscato back into the mouth of the bottle. I tried for 20 goddamn minutes)
- generally bigger? it seems that way
The prices, as far as I can tell, are pretty equal, and I think the hours are the same. Albertsons seems to have more going for it, but the coffee thing is a Big Deal, especially since they don't sell all the specialty blends in the actual Coffee Bean around the corner, and they're more expensive there anyway. Actually I'm pretty sure coffee is more expensive at Albertsons but it doesn't matter since I can't buy the kind I like there. The walking distance thing is also nice -- I have to drive to Albertsons. I dunno. Honestly, ultimately I'm probably just going to split my shopping between the two.
And, for interest,
Trader Joe's
- jalapeño cheese bread (IT'S GOOD OKAY)
- large packages of basil (although now I do have my own plant from which to get basil)
- salsa with lime in (omg so good)
- frozen quiche (ALSO GOOD OKAY)
- fancy jellies and spreads -- pumpkin butter, lemon curd
- better beers
BUT TJ's is a little bit further away than Albertsons, and every single time I try to go there, I circle the block 3 or 4 times trying to get into the parking structure, because you have to be going a certain direction on a certain street and I am always, inevitably, going The Wrong Way. Also, shorter hours. Which shouldn't actually make a difference right now, since I am really only out of the house for six hours in the afternoon -- I kind of have all the time in the world.
Eh.
- the coffee I like (Coffee Bean's Nariño Dark blend)
- parchment paper for baking
- within walking distance
- easier for me to find things
Albertsons
- the soap I like (Dove's Cream Oil Ultra Rich Velvet bar soap)
- half-and-half cartons with screw caps so it doesn't go bad inside of a week
- greater selection of specialty cheeses (Ralphs has no asiago. Albertsons has three kinds.)
- bigger booze section (although this shouldn't matter that much. They did have bottle-stoppers when Ralphs didn't, though, which is important because I couldn't get the cork from the moscato back into the mouth of the bottle. I tried for 20 goddamn minutes)
- generally bigger? it seems that way
The prices, as far as I can tell, are pretty equal, and I think the hours are the same. Albertsons seems to have more going for it, but the coffee thing is a Big Deal, especially since they don't sell all the specialty blends in the actual Coffee Bean around the corner, and they're more expensive there anyway. Actually I'm pretty sure coffee is more expensive at Albertsons but it doesn't matter since I can't buy the kind I like there. The walking distance thing is also nice -- I have to drive to Albertsons. I dunno. Honestly, ultimately I'm probably just going to split my shopping between the two.
And, for interest,
Trader Joe's
- jalapeño cheese bread (IT'S GOOD OKAY)
- large packages of basil (although now I do have my own plant from which to get basil)
- salsa with lime in (omg so good)
- frozen quiche (ALSO GOOD OKAY)
- fancy jellies and spreads -- pumpkin butter, lemon curd
- better beers
BUT TJ's is a little bit further away than Albertsons, and every single time I try to go there, I circle the block 3 or 4 times trying to get into the parking structure, because you have to be going a certain direction on a certain street and I am always, inevitably, going The Wrong Way. Also, shorter hours. Which shouldn't actually make a difference right now, since I am really only out of the house for six hours in the afternoon -- I kind of have all the time in the world.
Eh.
