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Last Saturday I saw three different prosciuttos, one of them was a Volpe product and the other two were actually whole "legs" with bigass stamps embedded into the skin on them. They were Italian stamps in Italian. I don't remember the company name but the wrapping said "product of italy":. Their mortedella was also from Italy not Canada too. All reasonably priced. The imported proscuitto I saw was about 15 bucks a pound.

Maybe they ran out since last Saturday?

I was there last Friday. The only prosciutto I saw was the Volpe (or is it Volpi?), which I understand is a domestic product, and a leg that was the aforementioned Barilla product, which I was not impressed with. I have no doubt that the latter is from Italy. Fortunately for us, there's a lot of Italian prosciutto to be had in Chicagoland. Mariano's level of pricing, unfortunately for them, is on par with the much-better prosciutto di Parma available at Bari and Graziano's, and both places will slice and package it a thousand times better than at Mariano's. You'll do better with prosciutto at Caputo's as well, not to mention Freddy's or <genuflect> Da Riv.

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Local Beet

Is it fair for all of us to compare a big chain grocery store's products with local specialty markets?

I'm wondering if many of us have expectations that are lofty?

When my market (3 blocks from the house) got a San Danielle prosciutto in as a regular thing and priced it at 13 bucks a LB I was elated.

I've never been one to burn 10 bucks in gas chasing a speciality food product because there's just so many other things closer that are yummy.

I don't know if your questions are rhetorical, or if they're addressed to me, but assuming the latter, I'll respond on my behalf.



Absolutely. I don't think big chains that have historically driven out local grocers get cut any slack. Especially when pricing and service are better elsewhere.



I don't think my expectations are lofty -- it's just as easy for Mariano's to carry a good product as it is to carry a mediocre one. The reason why they carry Volpi, for instance, is because they cut a deal with them (which is why a good amount of their meats are Volpi) -- so pricing drives the product selection, not quality.

<Begin mild rant>

To me, it's the sort of one-stop shopping attitude that has lulled Americans into eating and accepting mediocre, badly produced, subpar products. Why shop somewhere else for a better product if you can choke down the one-stop shopping option? Why get freshly-made corn tortillas at a Supermercado when you can pick up sticky flour ones while buying Coke? Why buy lettuce that smells and tastes like lettuce when the grocer has shipped and gassed a bagged one for you from California? Two steps down this road, we forget how to break down and cook fresh vegetables, and gorge on obscenely-sized portions of indifferently prepared food with manipulated ingredients at Applebee's.

</rant over>



Lucky for me, both Graziano and Bari are closer than Mariano's. And I'll gladly make occasional vehicular excursions to various parts of town to stock up on specialty items. For me, it's money well-spent.

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Local Beet

Yep. This has killed me since I stopped shopping at WFM. I'm forever going to an array of stores to get what I need. I always do it and always grouse why must I go to Costco (gas & toiletries at a bare minimum) +Dill Pickle Co-op+ Spice House +Treasure Island + Stanley's + Pastoral+ Graziano's to get everything I need, including my beloved Coke Zero and canning salt.

I'm getting much closer with the Shop 'N' Save in Bridgeview, but that's only convenient because I make court appearances out that way, but man it's a jewel!.

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Ava-"If you get down and out, just get in the kitchen and bake a cake."- Jean Strickland

Horto In Urbs- Falling in love with Urban Vegetable Gardening

if you like to cook, one stop shopping for groceries does not exist imho.

I have not found a single place where I can get quality produce, fish, shellfish, & meat.
So I have multiple specialists for each depending where I am and how well I have planned.

Sourcing ingredients is part of the adventure/fun.

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I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

*Sigh* Thank you, for the excellent, detailed report. I plan on checking out the Mariano's in Vernon Hills soon; hopefully this weekend. But it's not exactly close to my house (it's just the closest one to my house) so it's going to have to be magnificent for me to shop there on even a semi-regular basis.


Well put. I totally agree. The closest I've found is Fresh Farms in Niles, which is excellent but still not a complete, one-stop remedy. For example, I suppose I could see buying meat there in a pinch but I've never actually done it.

I don't think there will ever be a single store where the quality of goods in every category equals that of what can be found in specialty shops. If it were going to happen, it already would have. For a brief moment a couple of years ago, I thought maybe Fox & Obel might get there but they've fallen far short. As far as Chicago goes, after you've had goods from the likes of Zier's (Wilmette) Butcher & Larder, J.P. Graziano, Hoosier Mama, Fox & Obel (for bread), etc. it's really hard to settle for less, even if it's vastly more convenient. I'd rather eat something else than settle.

=R=

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I just wanna live until I gotta die. I know I ain't perfect but God knows I try. --Todd Snider

Twitter: ronniesuburban

Sourcing. Good topic.

For various reasons, I do my food/ingredient shopping while I'm in my vehicle on my normal street/road routes that I regularly travel. I just pull over and grab what I need.

I'd say in the last 10 years my choice of stores on the North and NW side of the city, have become really abundant based on me cooking minimally four dinners a week. Not any of my trips are to places like Mariano's, Jewel or a Dominicks.

Wasted a few minutes of my day today by stopping in at Mariano's. It's Dominick's with free samples of bad sausage and pie. And tie wearing teenagers. My first and last trip.

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...defended from strong temptations to social ambition by a still stronger taste for tripe and onions." Screwtape in The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

Fuckerberg on Food

I think aschie30 and jimswside have summed it all up quite nicely. My own observation: I visited the Roscoe Village Mariano's and find it far, far better in terms of what is offered (variety, quality) than Jewel and Dominick's. If that's all I had to compare Mariano's to, I'd be thrilled. That doesn't mean that I'm excited about it, but hey . . . baby steps.

Just came back from an VERY BUSY early Sunday morning run-through of Marianos- and must say- overall I'm impressed.

Generally I shop at a blend of stores- Strack and VanTil, Supermercado Jimenez on Fullerton, Ana's Bakery on Chicago Aven., etc.......and many of the items/sections @ Mariano's are no where to be seen in any of the previous mentioned stores.

Several things popped out to me.
Where else in the Chicago area can you purchase bread by the slice?
Often- I find that fresh bread baked without preservatives turn moldy on my before I can consume the entire loaf.
Ideally, I'd love to buy a smaller "portion" if possible - especially of "specialty breads"- like a Marble Rye.
Today, not only was I able to buy 8 slices of the aforementioned Marble Rye (sold by the lb.) but also 4 slices of a yummious cinnamon raisin, walnut bread,
that when toasted was not only sticky like a sweet bun- but well textured, with a crust that really offered some tug!
Bread by the slice- whoda thunk it??

In the deli/prepared food area- they offer dinner combos- a 6 buck and 10 buck package- one "protein" and 2 sides.
The 10 buck option were crab cakes- the 6 buck package offered ribs, or chicken breast, or salmon, etc.
Again- quite unique.
Also- a salad bar that looked very clean- fresh and well priced @ $4.99 lb.- something I've asked Mike G at Strack and VanTil- why they don't have.......
it seems, that once you travel west of Western Avenue- stores with Salad Bars- just don't exist (OK- except for Chicago Food Corps- Kim Chi selection)

Fresh squeezed Orange Juice is always nice when I'll stop at Treasure Island or Fresh Farms- and at Marianos they also
offer, along side the fresh Squeezed O.J.- fresh squeezed Carrot juice (pre-bottled though) , Celery Juice, Beet Juice, and even Watermelon Juice.
Quite impressive.
Also, I really liked many things I saw in The Produce are- the display and freshness of herbs- in a vertically tiered display was great. Bundles of fresh basil.
Baby Pineapples (so cute). Purple String Beans.... small fingerling potatoes- some purple, others white.....previosly mentioned Wisconsin Heirloom Tomatoes for
$3.88 lb and other very nice/plump Farm Raised Tomatoes for $1.00 lb.

Tried the much heralded Gelato - quite a beautiful display, fresh peaches sliced, in the Peach Gelato for example - the very nice worker behind the counter, was so
very friendly with generous offers of various samples - but felt the richness of say- Lavazza's Gelato (really, really GOOD!!) , or Black Dogs product was
far superior to the flavor/texture of Mariano's Gelato.

Price comparison was revealing as well - Viva brand paper towels- normally $2.25 @ Jimenez= $1.99 @ Strack and VanTil- were
only $1.79 @ Mariano's. Ultra Pasteurized 1/2 & 1/2- Store's brand Roundy (no Organic 1/2 & 1/2 ) - was $1.69 - compared to $3.49 @ Strack & VanTil.

As mentioned- the parking lot is poorly laid out- too crammed- not enough space between vehicles- and doesn't "flow" the same way Strack and VanTil's
huge amount of Asphalt does.

Overall- I'd say- a lot more plusses than minuses for me/my style of shopping.
I'll be back!

I completely agree. They also had what they labeled as Illinois grown peaches for $.88/lb earlier in the week. I do not understand the dismissive attitude of several of the posters above. Most people do not have the time and/or money to shop at Whole Foods and stop at a number of specialty shops regularly. If others do, that's great. For a general, all purpose grocery store it is a huge step up over Jewel, Dominick's - and I think Strack & Van Til also. I as with you are grateful for that.

After 2 visits (one on a busy Sunday late morning, the other on a laid-back Tuesday evening -- last night just before closing) I want to add my agreement that there are definitely more "plusses" than "minuses" with Mariano's. I think the challenge laid out in all of the posts above is how to define what Mariano's really is. It doesn't really fit into the Dominick's/Jewel archetype, the Whole Foods archetype, or the "neighborhood market" archetype, though it shares both positive and negative elements of each. Maybe the challenge of pinning it down is what alternately frustrates and excites a lot of the recent posters? But one thing that should be made perfectly clear is that Mariano's is a supermarket. If the "supermarket" concept is opposed to what you believe food should be about, you probably won't be swayed into making regular visits there. If supermarket shopping is what you enjoy (or simply the only experience your schedule/budget allows) then you're probably going to find Mariano's a refreshing departure from what Chicago typically offers in that category.

There are other comments above that address prices, but I will say that last night after visiting Jewel (across the street) directly beforehand, the standard shelf prices of most items at Mariano's are almost universally lower, sometimes considerably so -- though the sale (Preferred Card) prices at Jewel were typically discounted more deeply than any of the sales at Mariano's. So if you're a shopper who focuses on purchasing only discounted items, Jewel probably wins, price-wise. However, if you are coming in with a pre-set shopping list, you'll almost certainly do better at Mariano's. Or you could spend your precious evening free time visiting both, like me.

What wins me over at Mariano's is the variety and pricing of local produce (for a supermarket), the clean and friendly atmosphere, and some of the shopper-friendly touches that make it a more pleasant shopping experience than a typical supermarket. Many of those touches are explained in previous posts, that last night I was quite pleased to discover the $8.99 "pick your 6" pack in the walk-in beer cooler (since most of my recent LTH posts have mentioned beer, I'll continue that trend). There were shelves and shelves of individual bottles in multiple varieties from Two Brothers, New Belgium, Capital Brewery, Stone, Brooklyn, and countless other other microbreweries and imports. Just pick any combination in the pre-provided generic cardboard packs, and you're set. This isn't a unique concept but I've never seen it offered and executed quite like this in the supermarket context.

So while Mariano's doesn't necessarily replace any of the other stores in my rotation (Harvestime, Gene's, Jewel, Strack & Van Til, etc.), my trips to some of those estabilishments will be less frequent/necessary. To me it's a very welcome addition to the NW side and I look forward to visiting semi-regularly.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned (or I missed it if it was): On Wednesday's, Mariano's will double up to 5 coupons ($1 limit per coupon). I don't think there's any grocery store on the north side of the city that doubles, so this is a pleasant surprise.

Kashi is one of the few companies that makes frozen dinners I'll eat, and they often retail for up to $4.99. On my first visit, I'd noticed that Mariano's had them on sale for ~$2.50, which is a great price (marked down from ~$3.60, still a great price). I had a few $1 off coupons, so I went today to stock up. I left feeling quite happy to have gotten them for 50 cents each. I'm not an extreme couponer by any stretch of the imagination, but also feels good to get a bargain!

Mariano's to open Lakeshore East grocery Tuesday - http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ ... wrap-10311

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"A fruit is a vegetable with looks and money. Plus, if you let fruit rot, it turns into wine, something Brussels sprouts never do."
-- P. J. O’Rourke"

I'm pretty sure I've posted this elsewhere, but there's a lot of the "more sizzle than steak" at play here. For example, their assortment of decorated cakes looks impressive, but it's all essentially the same cake in a different wrapper. Everyone of their specialty cakes that I've tried work better on paper than in a taste test (my in-laws live near one in the 'burbs and always get their special occasion cakes from here - look great, taste just okay).

A few years ago, I was shopping at the Giant Jewel across the street during a time that I was extremely busy professionally. It was a Saturday night between 10 pm and 11 when I checked out, when the gum smacking cashier looked me straight in the eye and asked, "Don't you have anything better to do on a Saturday night?" Obviously, I didn't or I would not have been there.

That said, I certainly appreciate the smiling, friendly, albeit young check out and service staff at Mariano's. Mariano's has obviously done a great job training and teaching their staff about customer service. I'm constantly being asked if I need help every time I am in their store.

A recent request for a thick cut chuck roast yielded exactly what I was looking for with no more than a 4-5 minute wait for it. Delivered with a smile and thanks for my business.

Other things that I have found of value there are:

*$1.99 gallons of a budget brand of milk. They taste just like the ones I pay $3.15 for at Jewel by a dairy who's name rhymes with Clean Roods.

*Reasonably priced meat specials each week such as choice ribeyes for $6.99 a pound.

*$1 heads of iceberg for when I want to serve wedge salads on "steak night" at my house

*A better bakery bread selection than either Dominick's or Jewel.

*These all butter bakery chocolate chip cookies that are just out of this world.

I went here over the weekend and I must say I was not really all that wowed. Though the inside changed, it felt like a regular Dominick's and the only time Dominick's wows me is when they may have a good sale or two. I was looking for mushrooms big enough to stuff and the packages they had were meh (Also 2.99 for a fourteen ounce container was higher than what I had gotten the previous week at Caputo's). This is one I like to see if I can grab some loose instead so I can pick what is best and alas they had no loose mushrooms. The cheese section was huge and the liquor section had some wines and beers I had never seen before but it still didn't really impress me. If prices remain reasonable I may hit up this place since the places I do like to shop are too far away from me and I don't care for many of the markets in my neighborhood. This might be an improvement over my choices but not by much.

Just wanted to register my opinion of Mariano's (the "Lakeshore East"/"New East Side" location) as mildly impressed. It is more convenient to my work than Fox & Obel/Whole Foods/Trader Joe's, with prices better than F&O and WFM. They have a few fancy-ish items I haven't seen elsewhere, like Peanut Butter & Co. peanut butters (actually, I have seen one variety - Dark Chocolate Dreams - at my neighborhood liquor store/convenience store), and some pretty nice anchovies - Agostino Recca (oil packed, not salt packed, in a generous sized self-latching jar). These rival my favorites - Ortiz - and the price is much better. Found a very good price on grapeseed oil - better than TJ.

333 E Benton Pl
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 228-1349

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You can't unfry things, Jerri.

I think the honeymoon is over in Roscoe Village. While Mariano's is fine on several things (friendly service personnel) they seem to be lacking in their depth of knowledge: the produce section had loose small crimini mushrooms labelled as chanterelles. When I pointed this out to a nearby stocker I got a weak "Not my responsibility" sort of answer. I asked for Sake advice in the liquor dept. and got (at least) a straightforward "I don't know".

So, watch the prices on what you buy and be aware. For sure, it's better than Jewel and cheaper than F&O, but there's a lot of room for improvement.

Man, this store is packed in the middle of the day during the week. You would not expect it but that is what happened to me when I popped in last week.

Anyone ever tried the various bratwurst and Italian sausages blends they have behind the meat counter? they look good and fresh and contain reasonable prices but I want to know if they have glowing reviews before I take the plunge. I love a good sausage.

If it is a weekend afternoon or a weeknight during peak hours (say b/t 5p-8p), I don't even attempt to make it to the deli counter, bums me out to have to pass it up in order to get out of there in a timely fashion. However, with two new locations proposed for the NW side, this will hopefully improve.

From a recent Crains article:

"Roundy's Supermarkets Inc. plans to open a 75,000-square-foot Mariano's on the former Hayes Mechanical Inc. site, a four-acre property bordered by Ashland, Webster and Elston avenues. The Milwaukee-based supermarket chain has signed a 20-year lease there with options to extend, Cook County records show."

"Mariano's already runs three stores in the suburbs and two in the city, with several others in the various stages of planning. Among those, Roundy's has agreed to lease 80,000 square feet at the New City YMCA redevelopment about 1½ miles to the southeast. A Roundy's spokeswoman did not return a call."

Not sure which will open first, the New City location might take longer since it is part of a large development, while the one near Elston may be free standing and possibly already in progress. Neither location is reflected on their website yet.

Cheers,
Ellen

The one on Elston is well under way. The building itself is finished and the parking lot is paved. The signs went up on the building sometime in the last couple of days. It looks like they are in the final stages of construction. Hopefully, the store will be open sometime in the next month or two.

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Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

There was an interesting analysis of Mariano's and Roundy's (their owners) psted in another forum. The gist of it is that Mariano's is NOT making money. That in the longer run prices will be raised and staffing cut. The Wisconsin stores are subsidising the Chicago push, and in the long run depending on how badly Supervalue, etc. Do determines if Marianos is a home run for roundy's or if it will be spun off to management and roundy's to the lesser shareholders.

Relevant to this, the Trib article recently on the travails of our supermarket chains (linked to in the I Loathe Jewel thread) talked about the dilemma faced by "midmarket" chains--the Jewels, the Dominicks, etc., who are neither at the low price end of the spectrum that Aldi occupies, nor at the high quality/high service/high amenities-worth-paying-a-premium-for end of the spectrum that Whole Foods occupies. The article implied that for survival, the midmarket chains need to pick a direction in one direction or the other and commit to it rather than stay in the middle and continue to lose market share to both ends. Mariano's it would seem wants to be at the latter end of the spectrum, but perhaps can't charge prices high enough to make it pay.

There are ads on the Borwn Line that they are hiring for a late summer opening. The new Elston location will be very close to me, and I am curious! Might be a good spot for when I don't feel like schlepping out to Fresh Farms, but when I want something besides what can be found in Albany Park.

Where is the sign and the paving? I have been on all 3 sides of this site now, and I swear I can't tell how you're going to supposed to get in... (feeling a bit blind, right now)

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Leek
SAVING ONE DOG MAY NOT CHANGE THE WORLD, BUT IT CHANGES THE WORLD FOR THAT ONE DOG.
American Brittany Rescue always needs foster homes. Please think about helping that one dog.
http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org

The entire parking lot is paved and striped. It's directly south of the building on the east side of Elston. Signs are over the front entrance and on the back wall, which faces north. There is also construction going on directly across the street on the west side of Elston. That's not Mariano's. That's going to be a Chase bank branch.

Editied to add that I see where the confusion is coming from. The location on Elston that I'm talking about is further north. It's just south of the Secretary of State facility between Foster and Bryn Mawr.

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Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

Ah - no wonder. I'm looking at the Elston/Webster/Ashland site

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Leek
SAVING ONE DOG MAY NOT CHANGE THE WORLD, BUT IT CHANGES THE WORLD FOR THAT ONE DOG.
American Brittany Rescue always needs foster homes. Please think about helping that one dog.
http://www.americanbrittanyrescue.org

In that case, you need one of those picture frames fro the BMO Harris commercials to see it.

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Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child