July 24, 2005

Is there a good grocery store in Springfield, MO?

So we just got back from the grocery store and I'm mad. We've shopped at several stores over the year we've lived in Springfield. We originally shopped at Price Cutter when we moved, but with the house switched to shopping at Wal-Mart to save a little money. A couple of weeks ago we decided that the quality of products at Wal-Mart didn't justify the cost savings. Today I'm not so sure. I think Wal-Mart may have a better selection than the Price Cutter Plus on Battlefield (near 65). I'm needing dutch process cocoa for an upcoming ice cream entry, but apparently that is not something that can be stocked in the store here. The tomatoes are what pushed me over the edge though.

I know that we should buy produce from local farmers, in fact we usually do shop at the farmers market, but schedules and the weather have made in difficult to stand in line to buy produce. I don't expect to get great produce at the supermarket, but I expect it to be edible. Lettuce, onions, and even cucumbers are usually okay, but I don't understand why it is so hard for a supermarket to have a decent tomato in JULY! I can get a better tomato from a can than I can buy at the Price Cutter. Today, I was unable to find a tomato that didn't have the hardness of a baseball, most of which had been trucked in from Mexico and grown hydroponically. IT'S JULY!!!! When we lived in Columbia we were able to get decent tomatoes (grown in Arkansas mind you) at Schnucks. The best I can tell is that Price Cutter is the equivalent supermarket chain here in Springfield.

This is the sort of thing that makes me want to become a nut job who lives in the middle of nowhere and grows all his own food. Does anybody know where I can buy a decent tomato without standing in a 30 minute line in the 100° sun?

Posted by kerner at July 24, 2005 6:08 PM

Comments

You have to combine them all to make a decent store. Luckily, the town is small enough to make this more of a nuisance than an impossibility.

We tend to get our meat from Harter House or Sams Club, our produce from the Price Cutter at Kansas and Grand or the Dillons on East Sunshine. The rest we get at Wal-Mart. I wish Smitty's was still around.

We had the same problem when we moved here several years ago! And things have gotten worse, not better, since Albertson's pulled out of the local market.

One store, though, consistently provides good selections of hard-to-find items, fine produce and outstanding meats. It's Harter House on Republic Road.

The International Wine Shop (Brown Derby) on South Glenstone Avenue carries an amazing array of spices---and cocoa!

Good Luck!

Hey Kerner,

You should take a day trip to Tunas, MO. True Amish country. There's a great Amish store in a little community there called Leadmine. They have many grocery items and I have bought cocoa at before. Fresh produce rocks as well.

Course, you could drive 1hr and 15 minutes one way for Amish food, or you could stand in line for 30 mins at PriceCutter. Your choice, but shopping with the Amish makes you feel extra stylish. This is a plus.

Well you can look at my name and guess how I stumbled across your website --
In any case, I'm not sure how far you are from Saint Louis, but most major cities have a wholesale produce terminal market. It's where the supermarket chains buy their shorts (fill-ins to make sure that shelves are stocked). That's your best bet at finding the freshest produce, short of buying home-grown.
Some markets are more accomodating than others to the average consumer -- keep in mind, perhaps call in advance to see if they'll sell individual units or only by the case/pallet.



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This is the weblog of Matt Kerner. It is focused mostly on food, technology, and ministry.
I'm privileged to work on the ministry staff at Schweitzer UMC, but that doesn't mean they have any input in this site.
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