Road Tips

B&B Grocery Meat and Deli - Des Moines

(Note - B&B Grocery made Road Tips' updated Top Ten List of Best Burgers for 2011.  Click here to see the entry.)

 

 

A shout out today to my good friend, Jeff "Burph" Versteegh, who asked me earlier this year if I'd ever been to the Killer Deli inside B&B Grocery in Des Moines.  He said, "They've got pretty good sandwiches there."  Not only had I never been there, I'd never heard of the place.  And after doing some research, then subsequently visiting B&B Grocery earlier this summer, I'm sort of embarrassed to say that it had never, ever popped up on my radar before. 

One of the biggest reasons for my embarrassment is that I grew up near Des Moines and thought of myself as a guy who knew a lot of the out of the way places in the city.  But B&B Grocery never registered before and it should have - they've been in business for 88 years. 

Brothers John and Archie Brooks opened the little south side grocery in Des Moines in 1922 making B&B the oldest grocery store in the city.  Over the years, John and Archie expanded their little store, even opening a second location at the corner of SE 6th and SE Hartford - across from their present location today (see map). 

Archie Brooks passed away in 1957 and his brother continued to run the business with the help of Archie's widow, Gwen, and Archie's two sons - John A and Archie, Jr.  John Brooks retired in 1965 and Gwen retired to Arizona in 1971 leaving her two sons to run the business.  John A. Brooks eventually bought the store from the family in 1977 and along with his wife and sons, they ushered B&B into the modern era by adding homemade deli sandwiches to their butcher business.  Their sandwiches are named "Killer Sandwiches" because that's what a hungry railroad worker asked for when he wandered in one day nearly 30 years ago.   

John A. Brooks sons - Joe and John A., Jr. (right - this picture had to be taken 20 years ago) - took over the family business and continued the family tradition. Joe's daughter and John's sons also work in the family business making 4 generations of Brooks who have worked behind the counter at B&B.  And, reportedly, there's now a 5th generation of the Brooks family who will one day work in the family business.  

Not only is B&B Grocery known for their "Killer Sandwiches" and their old-fashioned meat counter that continues to stock specialty meats and cheese that grocery stores quit carrying long ago, they're also known as having one of the best hamburgers in Des Moines.  That's right - a deli/meat market making their own burger.  While a burger was intriguing on my initial visit, I was there for a good ol' "Killer Sandwich".  

It was just before the noon lunch rush when I walked into B&B Grocery.  I could easily smell the burger meat cooking on a grill as I walked in.  I went past the front counter and down toward the meat counter to check out the menu posted on a board behind the counter.  As I was sort of standing there, I heard this voice next to me say, "What are YOU doing here?"

It was an old friend from my days growing up in nearby Newton, Terry Moss, who was there on his lunch hour picking up a sandwich with a co-worker.  I told him that our mutual friend, Burph, had turned me on to this place and I was there to try it out.  Terry asked, "Are you gonna write about it on your blog?"  Well, of course, Terry!  

I went up to the counter and Joe Brooks was there.  I said, "I hear you guys have great sandwiches." 

He said, "Oh, you bet!"  And he described a couple of them including "Dad's Killer Sandwich" -  roast beef, turkey breast, smoked ham, corned beef, pepper cheese, Swiss cheese, American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, Kosher pickles, mustard, Miracle Whip, Tuscan Italian dressing on a soft Italian hoagie roll.  "It's the original 'Killer Sandwich' that my dad came up with."  I immediately signed up for one of those. 

While I waited, I chatted up Terry, catching up on things going on in our lives and checking out other things they had to offer on their menu.  Good God, they had a lot to offer.  They had different sizes of burgers from a single patty all the way up to the 1.3 pound "Quadzilla" burger featuring 4 1/3 lb. burger patties.  They also had homemade breaded tenderloin sandwiches, Italian sausage sandwiches, grilled rib eye and grilled chicken sandwiches and a who list of variations of a "name-your-own" killer sandwich.  My friend, Burph, said that he's particularly fond of the "Zach's Killer" (named after John Brooks' son) sandwich that has more Italian meats on it than the potpourri of traditional meats on a "Dad's Killer".  Oooo...  Another sandwich to try on another trip to B&B Grocery. 

A young girl brought out my sandwich to me and I went over to the cooler and pulled out a bottle of water.  The procedure then it to take it to the counter and pay for it.  While B&B Grocery has a sit down area with a counter and swivel chairs, I opted to take mine to my car and get going for what was going to be a long trip between Des Moines and Manhattan, KS. 

As I unwrapped my "Dad's Killer" sandwich, I could easily see that it was stacked high with the four different types of meat and the three different types of cheese.  The lettuce was shredded and there were pretty ripe tomatoes on the sandwich as well. 

From the first bite I could immediately see why the "Dad's Killer" sandwich has been voted the best deli sandwich in the Des Moines over the past few years.  The bread was light and chewy, the meat was great and the cheese was very fresh.  Even with the combination of the Miracle Whip, mustard and the Italian dressing, it was a "killer" sandwich.  It reminded me a lot of the Davanni's "assorted whole" sandwich that I like to get when I visit the Twin Cities.  And I love those sandwiches tremendously.  But the "Dad's Killer" sandwich was definitely on par with the sandwiches at Davanni's. 

I was back in Des Moines for business later in the summer and had a chance to stop by the Killer Deli at B&B Grocery for one of their cheeseburgers.  It was the middle part of the afternoon when I got in there, but there was still four or five people waiting on sandwiches. 

I asked the 20-something cook behind the counter about the burgers and whether a single or a double would be the best.  He was a young guy of small stature and he said, "I can down a double hamburger, no problem.  You can do a double."  So I ordered up a double with cheese. 

It takes about 15 minutes to make a burger at B&B Grocery, so I wandered around the store looking at stuff and grabbing a newspaper to read.  Finally, the guy yelled out, "Hey, your double cheeseburger with everything is ready!"  He placed the burger wrapped in butcher paper on the counter for me.  The price was only $3.89 - a great bargain for a big cheeseburger.

After paying for the burger at the check out counter, I decided that I wanted to use their little dining area toward the front of the store to enjoy my burger.  The bun was soft and chewy, the burger patties were thick and juicy.  The burger itself was very flavorful and very good.  It had just a little pink in the middle, just the way I like my burgers.  The cheese just oozed off the burgers and it was definitely a four napkin meal.  I may have to add B&B Grocery to my honorable mention list of burgers when I update it at some point. 

As I was leaving, the kid who made my burger was out back behind the store on a smoke break.  He said, "Hey, buddy!  How did you like that burger?"

I told him it was very good.  "Surprisingly good," I said with emphasis. 

He said, "Great!  Glad you enjoyed it!" 

In addition to other awards for having the best burgers, tenderloins and being the best south side grocery store in Des Moines, B&B Grocery has also garnered the "Best Kept Secret in Des Moines" award, as well.   Well, I certainly didn't know about the place until Burph told me and I'm certainly glad I did.  The "Killer Sandwich" was, well, killer.  The burger was excellent.  My next visit, I'll be getting a "Zach's Killer" sandwich.  B&B Grocery is one of those little out of the way gems that I love finding during my travels - even if someone has to tell me about it first.

The Oilerie - Door County

Most of the businesses found in Door County are usually tourist traps filled with cheap t-shirts, stupid knick-knacks, and gobs of cherry jelly and jam.  However, one place that we found turned out to be one of the most interesting places we've ever visited - the Oilerie in the village of Fish Creek (see map).

The Oilerie bills itself as America's first olive oil bar.  While traveling in Europe five years ago, the Oilerie owner Curt Campbell (above) was struck by the number of little olive oil boutiques that offered their customers samples of various olive oils before they bought.  Some of the oils were infused with lemon, garlic, raspberry or other flavorings.  He thought it was such a novel idea that he looked into the concept when he returned home.  During his research, Campbell found that no one was doing a olive oil boutique such as the ones he found in Europe.  Within six months of his visit to Europe, Campbell and his wife, Amy Jo, opened the olive oil boutique.

As you enter the Oilerie, you'll find tanks of olive oil sitting on table tops.  Customers are encouraged to sample up to a dozen different types of olive oils.  Many of the olive oils come from Spain, Italy and Greece.  The Campbell's say they've traveled to each of their olive oil vendors to meet the people who make the oil they sell.  

The samples are served in small paper cups.  Campbell says that he doesn't serve bread with the oil because the flavor of the bread would block subtle differences in the taste of some oils.  The staff at the Oilerie were more than happy to let people try a number of different types of olive oils.

In addition to olive oils, the Oilerie also features a number of different types of balsamic vinegar.  One of the balsamic vinegars they featured was a 25 year old variety.  I have to say it was probably the best balsamic vinegar I've ever tasted.

It turned out that we were literally out of olive oil at home.  I forgot to pick up a half-gallon of Italian extra virgin olive oil from Caputo's in suburban Chicago when I was in there the week before.   So we needed olive oil. 

With the help of one of the Oilerie staff members, we picked out a number of different types of oils and balsamic vinegar (the 25 year old stuff).  They fill the oil into 16 ounce dark green bottles that helps preserve the longevity of the oil.  They then take your selections into the back room and stamp out a metal plate that signifies what type of oil or vinegar it is, along with a date, and they affix it to the bottle. 

Well, we went a little nuts in there.  In addition to a bottle of the 25 year old balsamic vinegar, we got a couple bottles of Spanish olive oil, some basil infused oil, garlic infused oil and lemon infused oil.  We also got some plain Greek olive oil - all of which was extra virgin in nature.  And we ended up getting a couple extra bottles of Spanish olive oil for Cindy's daughter.  It took them a little while to get everything together, bottled, sealed and the plate made for the bottles. 

While we were in there, a news crew from a television station in Green Bay was there talking with Campbell and filming parts of the Oilerie.  Click here to go to the site where the Oilerie was featured on the television report.  Then in the top right hand corner, click on the blue arrow on top of the video to see the report.  About halfway through, look for the large handsome guy in the background looking around the place waiting for his order to be filled.

Along with some spices we picked up, the final tally came to just under $150 bucks.  Yow!!  That was an expensive trip to America's first olive oil bar.  But Cindy was so impressed with the place that she even talked to Curt Campbell about franchise information.  (The second Oilerie - the first franchised by Campbell, will open later this year in suburban Milwaukee.)  I honestly don't know how well it would go over in the Quad Cities and I don't have the money to invest in a place that I don't know what the future may bring.  Still, the Oilerie was a great place to go for anybody who enjoys cooking like I do.  I'm sure I'll be back some time.

 

John's Grocery - Iowa City

An Iowa City institution, John's Grocery at the corner of Gilbert and Market streets (see map) is one of the most unusual stores around.  It's been a renown source for cheap beer for thousands and thousands of University of Iowa students over the years.  And in recent years, it's transformed itself into having one of the most eclectic selections of beer and wine not only in the state of Iowa, but perhaps in the Midwest or even the United States . 

Housed in a building that was built in 1848 in the old Czech immigrant area of Iowa City, the grocery store was purchased 100 years later by John and Erma Alberhasky.  (Here's a picture of John seated behind the deli in the late 70's.) A classic corner grocery store in a neighborhood just to the east of campus, the Alberhasky's continued the tradition for residents and college students living in the area. 

As time went on, the Alberhasky's went away from primarily being a dry goods store and offered deli items and, most importantly, beer. 

Affectionately known as "Dirty John's", the nickname isn't because the store is dirty or dusty.  As the story goes, in 1957 John's Grocery was one of the only places in Iowa City where you could buy a Playboy magazine.  One day, a stack of Playboys were stolen by a group of Central Junior High students and passed around to classmates.  When confiscated by school officials, the principal at Central Junior High called over to John's Grocery to see if they sold Playboys.  He said that he did.  The principal then accused Alberhasky of selling the magazine to minors.  John vehemently denied selling the magazines to the under-aged boys.

Alberhasky remembered receiving a stack of new Playboys earlier in the day and went to see if they were still there.  Nope.  Alberhasky explained to the principal that they were, indeed, stolen and he would have to make sure they were placed in a more secure area in the future. 

From that point on, teachers and school officials at Central Junior High began to refer to John Alberhasky as "Dirty John".  Even the nuns at nearby Mercy Hospital called him "Dirty John".  I understand Alberhasky took the nickname as a badge of honor.

Today, John's Grocery is run by John Alberhasky's grandson, Doug (right), who worked in the store while growing up.  Doug has overseen a number of changes to John's Grocery over the past few years, first by creating a wine department staffed by local wine expert Wally Plahutnik.  And then creating one of the most comprehensive selections of beer anywhere in the United States.   

At any given point, John's stocks over 2000 different variety of beers from over 40 countries around the world.  They feature over 130 different Belgian ales, alone.  They also keep over 100 different types of beers in kegs in the store, as well.  If a beer is available through one of their importer/distributors, they'll have it. 

After an extensive remodeling of the business in 2002, John's now has an enormous "beer room" along with a cold storage walk-in"cave" that keeps the beer at cellar temperatures.  Doug Alberhasky, known as the "Beer Guy", said that even with the new space they're still busting at the seams with the selection of beers they have.

The wine department was also expanded and is now housed in the main part of John's Grocery where the beer used to be placed.  (The beer department is now in an area called "The Annex" which was an old house attached to John's Grocery.)  They now feature over 1500 wines to choose from.  While I value Wally's expertise, I find him to be somewhat abrasive, arrogant and dismissive - very much the quintessential wine snob.  Still, they have some of most interesting and value priced wines available anywhere.      

John's Grocery has been featured in a number of articles over the past few years touting their beer selection and their promoting of beer tastings and festivals in the area.  John's Grocery will also ship beer all over the United States - where it's legal to do so.  They've been getting the word out that they'll ship Bell's Brewery beers to Illinois residents who can no longer get the beers in the state due to a problem brewery owner Larry Bell has with an Illinois state law that ties micro-breweries with distributors.  (Read about that here.)

In addition to the wine and beer departments, John's Grocery also maintains a little deli area that offers sandwiches, meats, salads and cheeses.  In the wine department, an assortment of eclectic cheeses from around the world is offered, as well.  And they continue to stock most of the basic necessities you'd find in most major grocery stores.

On my last visit a couple weeks ago, I picked up a couple sixers of Bell's Pale Ale to add to my collection.  Every time I go in, I feel somewhat obligated to buy something from John's Grocery.  Whether it's a bottle of wine or a six pack of beer, I want to support the Alberhasky's and show them in my own little way that I believe in what they're doing.  And based upon the amount of customers in the place each time I go in, I think they've found the right formula.   

John's Grocery is worth the visit if you go to Iowa City.  Whether you've never been there before, or if you frequented the place while a student at the University of Iowa, you'll still be amazed at the selection of beer and wine they have at John's.  And, undoubtedly, you'll wonder, "How in the hell do they squeeze all of this in here?"

Lunds Market/Byerly's - Twin Cities

Throughout the Twin Cities are two chains of upscale grocery stores that were once in competition with one another, but who are now under the same umbrella - Lunds Market and Byerly's.  Between the two, there are over 20 highly visible and excellent locations throughout the Twin Cities and in St. Cloud.

Although very similar, the two stores have completely different paths through history.  I found it to be a pretty interesting story as to how these two stores started out as major competitors and eventually merged into one company in the 1990's. 

Russell Lund, Sr., a Wisconsin native, came to Minneapolis in 1920 to go to college.  In 1922, he took a part-time summer job in the cheese and cracker department at Hove's Market, the biggest grocery store at that time in Minneapolis.  He was eventually offered some equity in the business by Tom Cordalis, who leased the cheese and cracker area from Hove's, and Lund quickly forgot about college.

With over 15 years of retail grocery experience, Lund had an idea to sell popcorn in Los Angeles.  He moved his family to L.A. in the late 30's and his popcorn business became wildly successful.  Flush with cash from his popcorn venture in California, Lund returned to Minneapolis and became involved once again with Hove's cheese and cracker department, buying a bigger stake from partner Cordalis. 

He also got into real estate.  Lund purchased a building in what is now known as Calhoun Square in Minneapolis' Uptown neighborhood.  He persuaded Hove's to move into the building soon thereafter.  Lund built a building in suburban Edina and leased that location to Hove's in 1942. 

Cordalis and Lund eventually leased and ran the dairy, meat and produce departments for Hove's.  Cordalis died in the 50's, leaving Lund in control of those departments.  A dispute over control of the Hove's stores ended Lund's 40 year relationship with the grocery store.  When Hove's leases for the Uptown and Edina locations ended in 1964, Lund chose not to renew them.  Instead, he opened Lunds Market in both locations. 

Lund continued to head the growing Lund Food Holdings company overseeing expansion through the Twin Cities until his retirement in 1973.  Lund's nephew, Ted, took over the company at that time and was eventually succeeded by Frank Gleeson. 

During his later years, Russell Lund, Sr., took his grandson, Russell Lund III - a.k.a. Tres - under his wing and taught the younger Lund all about the grocery business while he was still in high school.  Tres Lund went away to college and had worked as a stock broker on Wall Street.  But he eventually came back to Minneapolis to work for Lund Food Holdings.  When Frank Gleeson retired, the 29-year-old Tres Lund was installed as President and CEO of Lund Food Holdings in 1991. 

The next year was a tough one for the Lund family.  Russell Lund, Sr., died early in 1992.  The Lund family also had to endure some sensational headlines later in the year.  Russell Lund, Jr., Tres' father, was charged with murder after shooting his estranged wife and her boyfriend in the Lund home.  Lund, Jr., subsequently committed suicide in a jail cell awaiting trial. 

Over the years, Lunds earned a reputation as a service oriented grocery store.  Offering upscale food items and services that no other grocery store in the area had, Lunds grew a fiercely loyal clientele.

However, for nearly 25 years they had some major competition in the form of Byerly Foods.  Founded in 1968, Byerly Foods was the brainchild of Don Byerly, the son of the former head of the Supervalu grocery chain. 

Byerly had food marketing in his blood.  Working side by side with his father, Byerly used to stock shelves in Supervalu stores in the Twin Cities as a young boy.  Growing up and observing the grocery business, he knew he wanted to have his own store at some point in his life.  He wanted to develop a store that was an upscale and first class shopping experience.

His first store was unlike any grocery store on earth.  The aisles were carpeted, there were chandeliers with soft lighting.  The store had wall paper and dark oak trim throughout.  It had a full service meat and fish counter, a restaurant, an in-house bakery, postal service, and an in-store home economist to give advice to shoppers. 

Byerly opened four stores in his first 10 years of business.  His St. Louis Park location caused quite a stir - it was 92,000 square feet and they stocked over 13,000 items.  At that time, it was the largest grocery store in America.  As hard as Lunds tried to be THE upscale market in the Twin Cities, Byerly's was always a step ahead.

Don Byerly eventually sold controlling interest in Byerly's to a Minneapolis-based financial holding company.  With more of the "no-frill's" grocery stores offering a lot of the same services as Byerly's, the investment group decided to divest the Byerly's portfolio in the mid-90's.  Lund Food Holdings bought Byerly's in 1997, with Tres Lund as the CEO of a now $400 million dollar company.      

Browsing through a Lunds or a Byerly's is almost as interesting as their collective history.  They both stock a number of food items you don't find in most grocery stores.  There are ethnic areas with a number of food items from overseas.  They have a full deli in each store and they will make grilled panini sandwiches while you wait.  And take it from my personal experience, they're very good.

And Lunds and Byerly's have been on the forefront of the "prepared food" revolution.  Both stores stock a number of "take and bake" items for busy families who don't have time to prepare the food at home. 

A handful of the Lunds and Byerly's sport a Minnesota Cafe, a full service restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.  The menu offers a number of sandwiches, salads and full entrees for about any taste.

Even though I think their prices are high, I like to look through the liquor department at Lunds and Byerly's.  They have an eclectic mix of domestic and imported wine and beer.  But they seem to be significantly higher than most other places in the Twin Cities.

But Lunds and Byerly's grocery prices, as a whole, are higher than most other places in the Twin Cities, as well.  What they offer is a shopping experience that is second to none, a selection of food that you can't find in most other places, and a level of service that you'd never get from many of the regional or national chains. 

With the proliferation of the mega-mart grocery stores from Target and Wal-Mart, along with the expansion of food offerings at convenience stores, Lunds and Byerly's is constantly having to stay ahead of the ever increasing competition.  If you ever visit one of their locations in the Twin Cities, I think you'll see why their stores are continually packed with shoppers.  They're like nothing else you'll see in the Midwest.   

Woodman's

Woodman's is a chain of super-sized grocery stores in Wisconsin and northern Illinois.  I was first introduced to Woodman's by my cousin, John Wehrle, when he was living in Milwaukee.  He said, "If Woodman's doesn't have it, they probably don't make it."

The layout of Woodman's stores is one of a massive warehouse style store.  While most grocery stores are in the range of 50,000 to 75,000 square feet, Woodman's stores range in the area of 200,000 square feet and larger.  Cindy hates to shop in the place.  "It's too friggin' big and you can't just go in there and get something and get back out." 

Woodman's began in Janesville, WI, when a young meat cutter, Willard Woodman, opened his first store in 1918.  Over the years, Woodman expanded his store and opened a second location in Janesville.  After Willard Woodman retired in the 60's, his sons, Phillip and Daniel Woodman, expanded Woodman's to a third Janesville location.  This time, it was the warehouse floor lay-out all Woodman's Food Markets employ today. 

Woodman's began to branch out in their selections of food items.  They began to carry ethnic and international foods on their shelves.  Their meat department was four times the size of meat departments you'd find in a normal grocery store.  And being they're based out of Wisconsin, each Woodman's has at least two large cheese aisles.      

In the 1990's, Phillip Woodman orchestrated the purchase of Woodman's by their employees.  There are now 11 Woodman's employee-owned locations, eight in Wisconsin and three in Illinois.  They're planning new stores this year in suburban Milwaukee and in far southwest suburban Chicago.  Phil Woodman remains as the CEO of the stores.    

To me, Woodman's is two stores in one.  There's the huge grocery store that literally has every food stuff available to buy, but they also have one of the most massive selections of beer, wine and liquor in the Midwest. 

Actually, the liquor stores at Woodman's operate separately from the main store.  The keep their own hours and you can't go into the liquor area and pick up beer or wine, then take it to the main Woodman's check-out area.  You have to purchase it before you leave the liquor area. 

As I said, they have a large selection of beer, wines and liquor - and all at a good price.  But be forewarned, they don't take credit cards at Woodman's.  So if you're going to a Woodman's to stock up on some good deals on beer or wine, take cash.  Actually, they do have an ATM in the liquor stores if you do forget your cash, but Woodman's takes a percentage fee from the transaction.

Now, I told you that story to tell you this one -

As I wrote earlier about the demise of Capital Brewery's 1900 beer, I asked the girl at the Capital Brewery if she had any of their Winter Skal seasonal beer on hand.  Since they only brew it from November 1 to February 1, she said they'd long since sold out of it.  However, she was nice to pull a bottle out of the cooler in the brewery's bier stube and she gave it to me. (It was a nice little gesture, considering I just bought four cases of beer from her.)

Last week, I was in LaCrosse, WI, to meet with a dealer.  The dealer was at a job site and was late for the meeting at his store.  So while I waited, I decided to trek down the road to the Onalaska Woodman's store (see map) and check out what they had for beers on their shelves. 

As I walked in, I looked at a cart full of discounted and priced to move wines and beers.  And to my amazement, there were seven six-packs of the Capital Winter Skal.  And even more amazing, they were $4.99 each.  Considering that a six pack of Capital beers run any where from $7.69 to $8.99 a sixer, $4.99 was a significant deal!

Not to be too piggy, plus the fact that I'd just brought home close to 10 cases of beer from Wisconsin the week before, I grabbed a case box and loaded up four of the six-packs.  With tax, the case cost me $21.06.  That's significantly better than paying close to $29 bucks a case at the Capital Brewery or $32 bucks most every place else for a case of Capital Beer.  Plus I got some Winter Skal.

In both 2005 and 2006, Winter Skal garnered the award and designation of a Grand Champion beer in the United States Beer Tasting Championships.  It is amber in appearance, and has a forceful and flavorful hoppy taste with a smooth finish. 

When I told one of my beer snob friends that I had picked up a case of Winter Skal last week, he sniffed, "Aw, it probably isn't going to be any good.  It's well past its prime selling time." 

I told him that because the Winter Skal is such a hoppy beer, it will still be good tasting for months after it's been brewed.  It's very similar to Boulevard's Irish Ale in texture, body and taste.  I've had Irish Ale in my beer fridge for up to six months after they've brewed the last of it and it's still good. 

Woodman's always has nice little surprises when I walk into any of their liquor stores.  The Winter Skal was another of many great buys I've found over the years at Woodman's.  Woodman's is highly recommended if you're ever hunting for beer in Wisconsin. 

Urzi's Italian Market - St. Louis

The third of the triumvirate of places I stop at while I'm on the Hill in St. Louis is Urzi's Italian Market (see map).  Urzi's is a small market on the south edge of the Hill across the street from Cunetto House of Pasta.  They offer everything from pastas, meats, cheeses, spices, wine, sauces, and breads all geared toward Italian food. 

Urzi's started over 50 years ago just down the street from their present day location.  It was called Urzi's Blue Ridge Italian Market and some of the locals still call it "The Blue Ridge" when they refer to Urzi's.  The son of the original owner, Joe Urzi, took over from his father in the 80's and he's been running the place ever since with his wife, Linda. 

I stumbled onto Urzi's a few years ago when I was looking for a little Italian market for spices and sauces.  I'll tell you - Urzi's has a wide variety of fresh spices (below left).  They have the best granulated garlic that I've ever found.  And they have a special Italian seasoning mix that I use in all different types of foods that I make from red sauces to sprinkling on steamed broccoli to adding it to the flour when I'm making chicken fingers.  I usually buy a big container of it as I find myself going through it all the time.  Linda Urzi told me that she has an Italian restaurant in the Chicago area that she ships pounds of the seasoning to.   

And they have a wide variety of Italian specialty foods to choose from, as well.  One whole aisle along the wall is dedicated to olive oils, balsamic vinegars and rich marinara sauces (above right).  I just love going into that place and getting ideas for what to make at home.  

My last trip into Urzi's was tinged with some sadness as I was informed by Mimi over at The Missouri Baking Company that Joe Urzi had died unexpectedly in early September.  He had been fighting a cold, and typical of a hard-working guy he didn't go into the doctor until it was too late.  He was taken to the hospital the night of August 30 and died on August 31. 

I last saw Joe about a couple days before he died.  And that kind of spooked me out a little.  He was only 53 years old.  You could always see Joe behind the meat counter, his apron on and working feverishly on something.  But he always had time to stop and answer questions or give suggestions.  He loved the fact that I was from Iowa and would always stop in to pick something up.   

I picked up a few things and Linda checked me out at the register.  I told her that I was so sorry to hear about Joe's passing and she said that it was quite a shock to her and her kids.  She said, "I still think he's in the back from time to time."

She said that she had been trying to get Joe to go to the doctor, but he kept saying he was too busy.  She said, "It was a viral infection and we just got him in too late."   

Linda said that she is going to carry on running the place with the help of family and friends.  Well, she knows that she has a repeat customer in me.  With all the great Italian foodstuffs they have to offer, Urzi's Italian Market is a must-stop every time I go to St. Louis.  

La Rosita - Crystal Lake, IL

This is one that I didn't know whether to put it in the "Restaurants" category, or in the "Grocery Stores" category.  So I put it in both.  Actually, this place was more of a grocery store that served food than a restaurant that was a grocery store.

During my last trip to the Chicagoland region I was in a number of Mexican supermarkets, or mercados, looking for chili paste for a recipe that Cindy found in a magazine.  I figured that Mexican grocery stores would have chili paste, but none of the three or four I looked in had it.  (Cindy thought it was Asian in nature, but I wasn't certain about that.)

I was in northwest suburban Crystal Lake and I passed this place - La Rosita - in the downtown area that looked like a pretty substantial Mexican grocery store (see map).  I parked the car and went in.  As I went in, I looked to my left and there was a small restaurant within the store. 

Now, some of the best Mexican food I've found over the years has been in Mexican grocery stores.  There's a couple of them that Cindy and I found over in Muscatine, IA (which sports a large Hispanic community) that have outrageously great Mexican food.  Actually, I don't know if those places are still open, we haven't been back here for a few years.  There's not much to Muscatine - other than the food - to keep us going back. 

Anyway, I noticed that a lot of people were in line to get food from this little restaurant.  It had 8 booths and a little cooler that held a lot of Mexican made drinks (including Mexican Coca-Cola - much better than the American version of Coke). 

The two guys cooking the food were moving quicker than a tourist with Montezuma's Revenge.  They were flinging soft corn taco shells, throwing meat on the grill, making tacos right and left.  I watched them for awhile, then went looking for the chili paste.

As with the other two stops I made, this place didn't have chili paste.  In fact, when I asked a girl at the check out counter if they had chili paste, she looked at me like I was from Mars.  "We have chili powder," she said in a helpful manner.  "We have red and green chilies in cans, too."  Sorry, not what I'm looking for. 

During all of this, people were still coming in to the restaurant part of the grocery store.  It was around lunch time and I was kind of hungry, so I thought I'd join the line and see what all the excitement was about.

I ordered two tacos carne asada (steak) with everything (which is onions, goat cheese, lettuce, guacamole and sour cream).  I got a Mexican Coke (which comes in a distinctive green-tinted bottle) and waited for my order to come up.

I got my tacos and took 'em to a booth.  The steak was a little over cooked for my liking.  They leave the chunks of steak on the grille after they've cooked them.  A little dry, but nothing that Mexican Coke couldn't help wash down.

At La Rosita, they have two different types of salsa.  The red sauce was pretty bland and didn't have much of a bite to it.  However, the green sauce, which was an avocado blended sauce, had a great little burn to it after about five seconds.  It was absolutely killer!  I put some of that on my tacos and they were just great!!   Some of the best I've ever had.

With the Mexican Coke ($1.50 for a 12 oz bottle) and the two tacos, it was around $5.50 plus tax.  It was well worth it.   

I'm always looking for new places to eat when I go into Chicago, and I think I just found one at La Rosita.   

(Update - La Rosita closed at the end of March of 2011.)

Bauer's Market - La Crescent, MN

Cindy and I make the trip up to the La Crosse area every so often.  It's very beautiful up there with great vistas from bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River.  One little town on the river directly across from La Crosse - La Crescent, MN - is the home of a neat little place called Bauer's Market.

La Crescent is known as the "Apple Capital of Minnesota".  What were once 40 different orchards are now down to about 10 large commerical orchards growing over 50 varieties of apples.  Harvest begins in last July and lasts through October.  The La Crescent area produces about 80 percent of the apples grown in the state of Minnesota.   

Bauer's began in the 60's as a little roadside stand that sold apples harvested from many of the apple orchards that surround the La Crescent area.  Over the years, Bauer's grew to include a full service vegetable and fruit market, a nursery and a garden center.

Cindy is an apple eater - I'm not - and we always have to stop in to Bauer's in the late summer/early fall when we're there so Cindy can pick out a number of apples to take with her.  I look more for the more exotic foodstuffs Bauer's sells such as real maple syrup and blueberry jam. 

Bauer's nursery has a number of plants and shrubs available that are great for growing in the upper Midwest.  They have trees, rose bushes and other hardy plants that can handle the winter's cold.  They're open year round and it's a neat place to visit in the Christmas season. 

By the way, if you get to the La Crescent area, be sure to take a side trip on the Apple Blossom Scenic Drive.  It's worth the trip up the hills and bluffs on the Minnesota side of the Mississippi just to see some of the spectacular sights from the top, especially in the fall. 

That's a very beautiful area of the upper Midwest around La Crescent and La Crosse.  Be sure to stop in to Bauer's Market when you're there just to check the place out. 

Tenuta's Italian Deli- Kenosha, WI

Tenuta's Italian Delicatessen in Kenosha, WI is one of those places that I could have categorized as a "Deli/Sandwich Place" or a "Wine and Liquor Store".  It is a little bit of everything. 

I was first in Tenuta's a few years ago after reading about it in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.  It's primarily a deli, but it also has a great selection of beer and wine, plus it has a ton of Italian specialties. 

Tenuta's started in 1950 by John Tenuta and his wife, Lydia (see map).  Tenuta's originally was nothing more than a malt and ice cream shop that also featured a small deli.  John's son, Ralph, took over the promotion of the place and suddenly Tenuta's took off.  Tenuta's has expanded many times over the years and has a large selection of wines from all over the world, as well as a large number of Italian food items. 

John and Lydia Tenuta with their son, Ralph (right)

Tenuta's makes and markets a lot of their own spreads and condiments, such as their own muffaletta olive spread, giardiniera, and a hot olive/pepper spread.  You can order a lot of the things they sell directly from Tenuta's by clicking here.

Tenuta's deli area is very good with tons of great Italian meats and cheeses.  They make different style of panino sandwiches and also offer their own muffaletta sandwich called the Muff-a-lotta.  It's good, but not as good as the original muffaletta sandwich served at the now-closed (due to Hurricane Katrina) Central Grocery in New Orleans (considering that a muffaletta is more of a French/Cajun/Creole concoction). 

The Central Grocery in New Orleans before it was closed

When you walk through Tenuta's, you can kind of see where it's been sort of expanded here and there, as there isn't really any rhyme nor reason why some aisles stop and then start up again on the other side of the deli. 

Tenuta's is a neat place.  Check it out if you ever get up to the Kenosha area.

Hen House Markets - Kansas City

The Kansas City area boasts 13 eclectic grocery stores called Hen House Markets.  They are, simply, some of the finest grocery stores I've ever been in.   

Hen House Markets were first known as Ball's when the first one opened in the 1920's by Sidney and Mollie Ball in Kansas City, KS.  Ball's Food Stores, Inc. have grown today to include 15 Ball's Price Chopper warehouse-style grocery stores throughout Kansas City, and 11 Hen Houses on the Kansas side of Kansas City, with two more on the Missouri side.

You'll find the Hen House Markets in the more upscale shopping areas in suburbs around Kansas City.  They have a great meat department, great produce and a wonderful deli.  The shopping experience at a Hen House is one of a comfortable nature, mixed in with very pleasant surroundings.

But don't let the eclectic nature of the stores fool you - their everyday grocery items are competitive with the larger chains in the area.  They also offer on line specials that change weekly so you don't have to wait until the Wednesday ads come out in the local paper to see what Hen House has on sale.

Recently, Ball's Price Chopper stores have been feeling pressure from the two big competitors in the area - Hy-Vee and WalMart.  But the Hen House Markets all seem to be growing and getting stronger.   

Hen House Markets have specialty areas for pet food (with food and treats from the famous Three Dog Bakery in Kansas City), organic foods and a nice floral department.   

I wish we had something like a Hen House around the Quad Cities.  It's a pretty nifty place to shop.

   

The Spice House - Milwaukee

Though technically not a grocery store, The Spice House is one of the most unique places to shop and browse through in the Midwest.  Located on Old World 3rd St. (see map) across from Usinger's Sausage Factory and down the street from Mader's Restaurant, The Spice House has literally nothing but spices and herbs.  That's it. 

Started by Ruth and Bill Penzey, The Spice House has been in business for nearly 50 years.  They moved to their present location in the early 70's when the city was trying to revitalize the old German area - or the Old World 3rd St. area - on the north side of downtown Milwaukee. 

Ruth and Bill's daughter, Patty, and her husband, Tom Erd, started working for her parents and they ended up buying The Spice House when Ruth and Bill retired in 1992.  Patty and Tom's daughter, Kate, is the manager of the store making it three generations who have worked at The Spice Shop. 

When you go into The Spice House, don't expect to see just a few containers of spices and a few baggies of herbs.  There are hundreds of spices and herbs to choose from.  I've spent over 45 minutes in the place just looking at all the spices they had to choose from.  The place has an old "general store" feel to it with lots of antique counters, cupboards, shelves and fixtures throughout.

You go in and ask for paprika and they say, "What kind, Spanish sweet or hot? Californian, or one of our six types of Hungarian paprika's?"  Ask for Garlic powder and they'll ask, "Roasted, granulated, fine or dehydrated?"  Chile's?  You'll stand there for five minutes as they run through the list of dried whole or powder chile peppers they have. 

They have seasonings and rubs, smoke flavor enhancements, extracts and accessories.  They have gifts and kitchen items that every cook can use. 

In addition to the Milwaukee location, Patty and Tom opened a second location in Evanston, IL in 1996 (see map), and opened a location on N. Wells near downtown Chicago a couple years ago (see map).

If you like to cook - as I do - this is truly a destination.  Even if you don't like to cook, this may be a place to go to get you interested in cooking.  Some of the greatest cooks in the world have visited The Spice House.  And as they like to say at The Spice House, "They didn't leave empty handed."

And I never do when I go in there. 

Jungle Jim's - Cincinnati

It's tough to describe Jungle Jim's - it's a huge grocery store with nearly anything you want to find from any where in the world under its roof.  It truly is a world marketplace for food items of any kind. 

A good friend, Tony Jobe, who lives just outside Cincinnati, told me that if I ever made it over to Cincinnati that I had to go to Jungle Jim's.  "You just wouldn't believe the place, Will,"  Tony told me.  So when Cindy and I spent a long weekend in Cincinnati in May of 2005, we went to Jungle Jim's out in the suburb of Fairfield, OH.

Tony was right - I couldn't believe the place.  First of all, it's truly a destination.  Secondly, it's a grocery store that happens to be a destination.  There is such a diversity of foods and culture in the place that it just boggles the mind. 

The background of Jungle Jim's is pretty simple - "Jungle" Jim Bonaminio started Jungle Jim's from a roadside market in 1971 and it turned into a humongous grocery store that takes up over four acres.  He wanted a grocery store that would be fun for everyone to shop in.  I think he's accomplished that and more.

The thing that I liked about Jungle Jim's was the foods from around the world.  They have aisles that are dedicated for nothing but English foods, German foods, Mexican foods and many, many more nationalities.  They have an area called "The European Village" with rooms dedicated to food from France, Italy, Greece, Ireland and more. 

Olive oil?  What kind?  They have over 60 different types on the shelves.

They have a large Kosher section in the place, too.  And there's also an Amish section in Jungle Jim's - full of chicken, eggs, candies, butter and other products made by the Amish in Ohio.

Everything is big at Jungle Jim's - the seafood department (they have tanks in the building that you can look down into to see the fish they have swimming around), the meat department, the deli and the liquor and wine department.  Actually, I was a little shocked at some of the high prices of their wine, beer and liquor.  A six pack of Belhaven beer was $9.99 - three dollars higher than what I've paid for it in the Quad Cities. 

Wine department at Jungle Jim's.

Their produce section is the size of many typical grocery stores.  And they have everything in there. Pomegranates, they have 'em.  They have over 20 different types of apples to choose from.  There's citrus and fruit from Florida and South America.  It's amazing.

They also have a big bakery area where they make their own bread, cakes, pastries and other baked goods.  It smells wonderful in there. 

Jungle Jim's also carries the largest selection of specialty hot sauces that I've come across. 

Seafood department at Jungle Jim's.

Jungle Jim's is not one of those places that if you need to run in and get something and get back out in a flash.  It's an event, a happening, a destination.  It's difficult to shop for less than 30 minutes in the place.  Figure on spending an hour, minimum, and walking out with a lot of great food.

Caputo's - Addison, IL

One place that I frequent on my trips to Chicago is Caputo's Market in Addison.  Actually, the Caputo's in Addison is one of four in the Chicago area.  But this is the only one that I've ever been to.

I first heard about Caputo's from a friend who told me that Caputo's had the freshest produce, the best meat counter and a great old Italian bakery in the place.  I found that there was one just down the street from the hotel I was staying at in Addison.  So, I go down Lake Street and I keep going and going and I never see Caputo's.  I turn around and go back.  I still don't see it.  So I turn around and I sit at a stop light and sitting back about 150 yards north of Lake Street was Caputo's.  My wife says I'm not very observant and it shows.  Caputo's is a big building.  Caputo's is about 45,000 square feet and they use every bit of the space.

For an ethnic market, Caputo's is tough to beat.  But their produce is the best and freshest I've ever seen at any grocery store.  And they have tons of produce that you just don't see in Iowa. 

Their meat counter is huge.  Their deli meats are too numerous to mention.  They've got all the Italian meats you'd ever want.  Three or four different types of pepperoni, different hams, roast beef, etc.  They have about any kind of cheese you want.  It's just amazing to see.

They have fresh baked breads from local bakeries brought in daily, and their bakery - La Bella Romana - makes some of the best Italian desserts one can find in the Chicago area.  I'm particular to the Damato bakery bread they bring in; and the tiramisu, the orange cake and the lemon cookies from the La Bella Romana bakery is to die for.

In fact, Caputo's has a La Bella Romana line of pasta, condiments, olive oil, vinegar and spices that they sell at the store.  I recently picked up a jar of their giardiniera for my homemade Italian beef sandwiches.

If you're a cook and come into the Chicago area at any time, Caputo's is worth the stop.  Even if you AREN'T a cook, Caputo's is still a pretty neat place to visit.

Straub's - St. Louis

Straub's is one of those neat little eclectic grocery stores that is just fun to look around in for a half hour or so. 

There are four Straub's in the St. Louis area with the original one in Webster Groves.  I usually frequent the one on Clayton in Ladue.  They have a great selection of gourmet products, oils and wine.  But best of all they have a great butcher counter with excellent choice meats to choose from.  And they also make a lot of great pasta salads, sandwiches and they have a nice bakery, too. 

Straub's is an interesting place.  You need to check it out when you're in the St. Louis area. 

Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's is a California based chain of eclectic grocery stores that offer great food and beverages at great values.   I picked Trader Joe's to review first because it was really the first store of it's kind that I was exposed to that offered neat food items that you just can't get any where else. 

We were turned on to Trader Joe's by my sister from Phoenix who brought back some Trader Joe's salsa to Iowa when she was visiting in the mid-90's.  When we went on our trip up into the Sonoma wine region in 1999, we stopped at the Trader Joe's in Santa Rosa and got some munchie foods for the road.  We were amazed at the amount of sauces, salsas, juices, wines, soups, prepared foods, organic foods, kosher foods, meats, breads - a WHOLE ton of neat stuff to look at.  Things that we never saw at HyVee back in Iowa. 

As we became more aware of Trader Joe's after that, we found that they had a number of stores in the Chicagoland area.  Each time that we'd go into Chicago we'd have to stop and get things.  Cindy likes the Trader Joe's tuna and I have to agree.  It's better than a lot of other tuna's in a can that you can get.  They also have an extensive selection of low sodium soups that I really enjoy (except they recently discontinued their vegetable beef soup that I liked so well).  Their chicken noodle soup is the best of any I've had out of a can.

Their salsas are great, the frozen products are great.  In fact, we get their frozen green beans, frozen artichoke hearts and frozen asparagus all the time.  They're wonderful when they're cooked up - they taste just as good as if we went to the produce store and picked 'em up fresh that morning.  And they have a frozen stuffed salmon that is very good, as well.  However, do stay away from the frozen stuffed flounder (too fishy) and the frozen brocolli (too mushy when cooked up).  Also, stay away from the lobster bisque soup.  Eeyew...

They have great cookies and desserts - a very good frozen cheesecake and key lime pie.  I really like their Sugar Lemon cookies when they're available in the winter time, and their Key Lime cookies are so frigging sinful, they're so good. 

Cindy's really likes their coffee selection.  They have a ton of different ones to choose from.  I don't drink coffee, but they certainly do smell good. 

They have a number of wonderful appetizers and snacks that work great with any party.  We're particular to their chile lime tortilla chips and their party salsa. 

And, of course, Trader Joe's is famous for having "Two Buck Chuck" - Charles Shaw wines that sell for $1.99 west of the Rockies and from $2.99 to $3.39 east of the Rockies.  For a table wine, it's OK.  Can't say that I'd buy cases of it at a time like I see people do when I go into Trader Joe's, but I suppose at either $24 or $36 bucks a case, it's a pretty good deal.  I like to call it the Meisterbrau of wine.

Trader Joe's has a monthly flyer - the Fearless Flyer - that has a lot of information on new products, specials and what's happened at Trader Joe's.   The flyer is available either on line or at Trader Joe's stores.

I'm glad to see that Trader Joe's has opened in St. Louis and in Indianapolis.  I wish they'd open here in the Quad Cities, but I know this area is not ready for a Trader Joe's.  And that's kinda sad...