California versus Upstate New York: grocery shopping
Note: these are just my experiences. I’m sure some people can find the stuff I describe, but given what I have access to, here is an account of my weary food travels.
I can’t find a frozen tamale or mochi or potsticker to save my life, but there is a whole section devoted to perogies. The closest thing to my favorite freezer foods I can find is a scary looking lump that Pancho Villa may have crapped out that they call a burrito.
Heaven forbid you sell just plain Monterey Jack cheese. You’ll sell every kind of international cheese the French ever dreamed of and 14 different kinds of cheese curds and 29 types of cheddar, but a single block of plain jack across 4 stores to me seems ridiculous.
I’m used to tortillas having their own devoted end-asile rack normally located near the bread section. Here they are kept refrigerated and are generally better used as frisbees than food. Good luck if you are looking for anything beyond the most basic corn or flour or even a specific size.
What is your obsession with seltzer water? I understand its essentially the same thing as my flavored mineral carbonated water, but apparenty you need to sell at least 10 flavors of a single brand of seltzer - lemon, lime, cranberry lime, orange, cherry, make it taste like anything but water flavor - but don’t sell a version of something I used to buy at any Safeway or Trader Joes.
WHY FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WONT YOU SELL SOURDOUGH?!!!! I have found one loaf, a “country style” sliced sourdough that is more like a loaf of french bread that was left near a sourdough starter for just a little too long. It suggests sourdough as if to mock me, “HAHA no creature comforts for you out here you California transplant. Suffer at my lack of tangy flavor and light texture.” No, you couldn’t possibly make room for one actual true brand of sourdough, because it may take up space in the THREE ROWS of pita or the FOUR ROWS of bagels.
I get it, you like lobster here. The lobster tank and subsquent lobster-fight watching does indeed fascinate me. Probably too much.
