Ottawa Foodies

This is an interesting discussion... so I'm going to open it up in the Forum: ottawafoodies.com/forum/785

It's interesting hearing other peoples experiences of shopping at Loblaws. I have also noticed the increasingly empty shelves and the sales aren't any great savings. I didn't mind shopping there a decade or so ago since they had alot of neat stuff there. They had a large selection of ethnic ingredients and they even sold a few Marks and Spencer products for awhile after their Canadian stores closed. But on a recent visit to the Loblaws on Rideau I went to pick up some of the Natures Path cereal that was supposedly on sale. I found the cereal eventually (it was in the club pack section?!) but didn't see any of the tell tale yellow sale stickers attached to the shelf. So I picked out my favourite flavour and took it to the cash to find out if it was one of the selected varieties on sale. I was out of luck but the cashier suggested that if I go back to the shelf and pick out one box of each flavour she could scan them and tell me which ones were on sale. To which I said no thanks maybe someone from Loblaws could just go to the shelf and stick some sale stickers on the varieties that are on sale. Needless to say they just lost my business. The superstore on Richmond is pretty well the only Loblaws that interests me.

I've only been half following this conversation, but I did just read Pete's bit and I will echo that I noticed probably 10 years ago shortly after moving to Ottawa that Loblaw's has serious stocking problems, and it seems to have stayed this way at any of the many stores I've frequented. The worse part about it is that it should be very simple for their computer inventory to tell them when to order new stock, but for some reason that just seems beyond them. Rolled Oats is the latest on my long list of items that that Westboro location seems to have trouble stocking. Kitty litter seems problematic for them as well.

I have to agree with Marno, and not as much with Food&Think. I had thought it was just the Vanier Loblaws that had serious stocking problems (i.e. empty shelves, empty fresh vegetable section.. gasp.. running out of BANANAS!) until I read a newspaper article about how the problem is widespread across the chain. I also found that sale items in the meat section are not very good quality, and they often run out of sale items. I've also noticed the sale signs disappear before the sale is over (even though the items still ring up as on sale) and I've found the occasional misleading sale sign (where the sign referred to an empty 'single' row of product, but which looked like it referred to the 'full' multi-row product right beside it. Only Independant is worse, in my experience, at running out of 'sale' meat products. I've also had freshness issues with fresh cut fruit, and with the fresh salsa in the fresh fruit section (I had to return a container that was rotten). I also agree the the quality of the produce is a little hit an miss. I go elsewhere whenever I have the opportunity, and only go at all because it is withing walking distance of my house.

Sadly, as I am living in Ottawa, Loblaws is my grocery of choice. I state the same reasons as the previous poster; namely, convenience and the fact that I do actually like the PC products.

However... having spent nearly 25 years in the US and Europe, I have to say, Canadian mainstream groceries are appalling. This is going on Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa experiences, so not just an Ottawa thing. And of course, the one-off's or independents are a different story. But back to the Loblaw's-league players...

Firstly, all groceries here are sickeningly overpriced. I find there's a general Canadian acceptance of paying 50% more for things, but honestly, why are locally sourced items still grossly more expensive than superior locally sourced items in the US? $35 worth of healthy, local groceries (I am not talking Cheetos, etc) in the US costs $70-$100 here. Brutal.

Also, I have encountered, time and again, serious freshness issues. And this is not only at Loblaws, but the others as well. There seems to be less of an expectation for fresh produce, as I see folks picking it up like its nothing. I'm talking pasty white-ish tomatoes, rotting, mouldy shallots (twice!), hard avocados, etc. You get the point. It's as if there's no discretion. Which is fine, but our apathy leads grocers/corporations to believe that we will keep purchasing those pasty tomatoes or those rotting peppers... you get the point.

Finally, I have a beef with availabilty of anything other than the base products. For instance, at Thanksgiving, fennel bulb was "unheard of!". Ro-Tel, wild game, chicken sausage, fresh fish other than cheap white fish, etc. not available. Although I will admit the cheese selection is far, far better.

Anyhoo, I must live with it, and Loblaws is the "best of the worst", but honestly... our groceries have a long way to come. Sorry, not trying to be rude, just being honest.

Overall for the day-to-day groceries Loblaws is my choice. No matter where I've lived in the Ottawa area there has always been an outlet nearby. Beyond convenience though, I do appreciate their large selection of products and the Presidents Choice line. Prices seem fairly reasonable as well... in my experience some of the other chains are considerably higher, maybe not so on the staples (bread, milk, etc) but by the time you get to the cash your order still seems to be higher for the same items (those things that come from the middle aisles).

I'm not a big fan of all the other services offered on-site by Loblaws (pharmacy, photos, electronics, drycleaning, etc) because I find them overpriced... but I know for some in the suburbs the one-stop shopping on the weekend is a real time saver, and worth the mark-up. The one exception to this would be the flower-shop. I often pick up a bunch of flowers after making my round of the grocery store. It is a cheerful way to mark the end of my weekly errands. And I find Loblaws selection and pricing better than most florists.

I wish though that I had more time for shopping... because although the fresh items (meat, cheeze, deli, bakery) meet my day-to-day needs, there are specialty grocers / smaller stores in Ottawa (such as Farm Boy, Nicastros, etc) that offer better quality, unfortunately they require an extra trip, and more time and effort on my part to get there.

On the presidentschoice.ca website you can look up products and people have written reviews on the pc stuff.... and they don't seem to limit the reviews to good ones, so it might be good to go check a review out on a new product before you buy it and waste your money.... for example they have their new lines of chinese and indian dishes, alot of them get good reviews but check out the salt complaints, some dishes have 53% of your daily salt in half the package of food... I almost picked up the new PC Campania Four Seasons Pizza prosciutto, portobello mushrooms, red peppers and asparagus...and it got mostly 1 out of 5 in the reviews, glad I didn't waste my money on it... thought you guys might want to check it out

They're available at the College Square Loblaws in the 'cookie' aisle (top shelf near the imported cookies)

Just nibbling on a Ragusa here. ($2.29/100g)

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm tastey !!

The picture is a real scan.

Is this the Crack of Chocolate ? It sure is instantly addictive.

Got a few more brands in the Kosher section.

PS: Speaking of Kosher. Just picked up some Kosher salt. $2.99/3lb in the Kosher section and $4.29/3lb in the non-Kosher sectioon ... Huh ?? Different Rabbi rates ?

On a whim, I decided to do comparisons of some brands of dark chocolate offered at Loblaws (College Square).

1. President's Choice Organics European Dark Chocolate (70%), Italy - $1.99
2. Schmerling's Kosher Finest Bittersweet (72%), Switzerland - $2.79
3. Lindt Excellence Dark (70%), Switzerland - $2.99

All bars were 100 grams. I tasted them in order of increasing price.

1. The PC bar assaulted my mouth with a harsh sourness. Poor chocolate flavour.
2. Schmerling's was very good and seemed sweet after the PC one. Good chocolate flavour with an interesting depth.
3. Lindt seemed a little sour in comparison to Schmerling's. Good chocolate flavour but a bit harsh.

Schmerling's (from the big Kosher aisle) was the clear winner for me. Slightly higher in cocoa and fat content, and slightly lower in sugar than the other two, this one actually tasted sweeter to me. A nice find!

I tasted the Schmerling and Lindt bars a number of times while writing this, then went back to the PC Organics bar. I almost threw it out! I'll have to eat it with coffee or something, just to get it down.

I should add that I've yet to try an "Organic" chocolate that doesn't taste bad. I've tried many of the pricey options out there and they're just no good. Camino makes good hot chocolate mix but their chocolate is yucky. Your taste may vary. ;-)

Found another gem! In the Kosher aisle (go figure) at the College Square Loblaws they carry Ragusa. This Swiss confection consists of a truffle filling with whole hazelnuts and a coating of good dark chocolate. First time I've seen it for sale on this side of the Atlantic!

I made dark chocolate truffles from the dark Suisse bar and they turned out exceptionally well. I have been banned from bringing them to the office again as I ruined everyone's New Year Resolutions. Of course this is also available at Your Independent Grocer and other stores that carry President's Choice branded products.

Loblaws carries a good selection of Swiss Lindt chocolate. They also have a gem of a product, the President's Choice "Suisse" chocolate. This is actually a rebranding of the Swiss "Mahony" chocolate, made by the Migros company to compete with Toblerone. I think it's better than Toblerone, and my 91-year-old grandmother in Switzerland agrees! Highly recommended.

Yup, ACE Bakery carries the day. Especially if you follow the directions on the side of the bag to "freshen" the loaf up when you get home.

Loblaws led Ottawa's good-bread revolution by carrying ACE Bakery's fine artisan breads. Yep, bread made *without* sugar and oil tastes waaay better. They still sell it and it's still good!

I love the President's Choice kind because it has tiny little cubes of cucumber in it instead of grated. Yum!

I am big into the "Garden Fresh Gourmet" salsa these days. The "Jack's Special" variety is excellent.

Ditto on their tortilla chips and guacamole.

I love Kickin Salsa as well, but have had bad experiences as well. When purchased from the Vanier Loblaws, I've at least TWICE purchased bad, or almost bad salsa of this brand. Both times the due date was many days away. The one time, it just smelled downright rotten when I opened the container. I 'figure' it wasn't likely the producer's fault, but more likely Loblaws left it on a palette in an unrefrigerated area for a day or two, but either way.. not an experience I'd like to repeat.

Great minds think alike. ;) I've actually wanted to comment about Kickin Salsa for a while now but didn't know where to put it. I was introduced to it years ago by the owner of the company who was giving out samples at a grocery store. She makes it locally and from scratch (at least at the time). I've been hooked ever since.

Just a note it only lasts around a week since it contains no preservatives but it should be no problem finishing it off in time. ;)

Jinx.

Loblaw's sells a locally prepared salsa called Kickin' Salsa which can be found in the produce section with the pre-cut fruits/veggies. Very strong onion/garlic flavour with just the right amount of cilantro. It's a little thicker than Farm Boy's version and costs ~$5 for a 500ml tub.

Kickin Salsa is amazing! Very similar to Lone Star's salsa. It's sold next to the pre-packaged veggie trays and such (usually at the front of the store).

Very decent being from a grocery store! It tastes amazing baked with cheese and garlic.

Also impressed. It really beats all the other brands one finds around here, which I don't usually find worth buying. The PC is quite edible, though.

It makes a fantastic ready-made pizza crust, too.

I was impressed with the PC naan. It's not restaurant quality but not too far off (certainly better than anything I could make myself). If you don't mind paying a little more than standard flatbread (around $2.30 for a pack of 2), I'd say it's worthwhile.

Not particularly notable Naan, but it certainly isn't terrible. On the plus side, it is quite convenient for home consumption.

Enjoyed a good feed of King Crab this week... available from Loblaws in the "frozen" seafood section (open freezers usually found near the deli). Is often a featured Loblaws special. Are packaged in a heavy plastic bag, black writing on a white background (sort of no-name looking) 1.36 Kg (3 Lbs) in weight. Can be served chilled (defrost) or hot (oven or steamed).

Delicious King Crab and a good value.

The Loblaws at South Keys has panko, but it is sometimes hard to find. Last time I asked the staff had no idea what it was.

Hey Glinda! Welcome back!

You can find both at most middle eastern groceries. Harissa comes in a tube sometimes and doesn't take up a lot of shelf space, thus making it hard to find. I've been able to find harissa at the Loblaws/RCSS at College Square, from time to time as well.

I saw some Vegemite at my Loblaws last week. I didn't buy any, but there is some. I'm in Aylmer, which might be a bit far for some yeast based spread.

If a lack of snobbery can be forgiven for a moment, I'm a big fan of this President's Choice five-cheese frozen deal. Nice and creamy...

Frozen Octopus from Loblaws and Super Store (same brand, which i can't recall). Works great in soups.

It is available by request from Loblaws, but you'll likely get it frozen. It's also $100 or so.

These are the kind that aren't buttery-tasting.

$3.69 at the Loblaws on Rideau

You can buy Edamame at Loblaws. You'll find them in the organics freezer. So yummy!

Available in the large Kosher section of the College Square location. You can get a tiny bag for around $1.50 or a huge bag for $10.

The "Saigon Hot Sauce - Chili and Oil" has a surprisingly strong burn and very good flavour. It's addictive in a masochistic sort of way. ;-)

Yes stay far far away from that sushi! I bought some a few years ago and had an upset stomach afterwards. I figured since it was California rolls with just rice and veg and being sold in a grocery store perhaps someone was carrying it around in their grocery cart for awhile then decided to put it back. Being a glutton for punishment I went back to Loblaws a few weeks later for groceries and decided to give their sushi a second chance. Big mistake - I was quite sick after. Two of my colleagues have since reported similar problems after eating Loblaws sushi.

Never Again!

Oftentimes on a weekend after picking out the groceries, I'd head over to the Sushi counter and choose a tray of sushi to enjoy with a glass of wine, as a reward following the days errands.

Unfortunately this came to an end recently. "The Man" and I had a terrible experience with Loblaws sushi and will NEVER go back.

Although the product was freshly made, there even is an individual hired to make sushi on the weekends in the Loblaws we frequent, the sushi was off. I know it wasn't us who mishandled it, we chose a dated package (made today), and it was cool to the touch, we took it right home and refrigerated it while we put the groceries away, and chilled the wine. Upon opening the package, there was nothing amiss. It was only in the hours (and 2 days following) that we knew the truth! FOOD POISONING.

This got me to thinking about the Canadian Tv show that discussed cleanliness in our Grocery Stores. Of particular interest was cross-contamination and handwashing. I've since decided not to take any more chances with raw fish or seafood (of any kind) at Loblaws.

Unfortunately, I can no longer enjoy sushi as frequently or conveniently.

:-(

The orange california roll at loblaws is amazing. Delicious. And the soy sauce and wasabi that come with it are perfect complements. Its the best california roll i've had in town.

The philadelphia roll is disgusting however.