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I am not a fan of Publix. They sell Standard American Food (ie mostly processed crap) at inflated prices. In my city (Gainesville), the appeal is that the staff is young enough to still be chipper and not beaten down yet (see veteran service industry workers who've had to eke out a decade or two of adult existence on min wage).
The sushi is rubbish that would only appeal to hicks - inauthentic fillers that are slathered in so much "spicy" (ha!) mayo that it defeats the purpose of sushi. I've had issues getting certain items in stock (WTF is their problem with keeping crab cakes in stock?!). The lettuce dies in 48 hours. The apples are mediocre and overpriced. Bread is meh quality, it's better than Wonderbread, but it's also $4 per 16oz loaf. Outrageous.
THANK GOD WE HAVE LUCKY'S. Overall, I spend no more and occasionally less (factoring in zero waste). Hipster grade coffee is $6/lb, decent Earl grey tea is $2 per 20 bags, a rotisserie chicken is $6.99. Their produce specials kick Publix's ass. 6 oz of blueberries for 88 cents, red mangoes for 88 cents each, 2 pineapples for $3, organic apples (amazing crunch and flavor for this time of year) for $1.49/lb, 1lb of asparagus for $1.48. The great bit? Coffee, olive oil, bulk grains/beans/spices can be bought in quantities you need. I don't need 8oz of honey (that lasts me 9 months). I bought 2.4 oz of honey for $1.05. I can buy a half pound of coffee and freshly grind it at the store for $3 - perfect for a week of drinking.
I'm a lazy carb-avoidant bugger that shops the perimeter, so a deli rotisserie chicken plus some raw fruit and veggies ready to saute in 3 minutes are my speed. It's wonderful for me. If you're on the standard American junk diet, the small dry goods section will be insufficient.
I love how it combines the best of Whole Foods (excellent breads, meat, cheese, deli, produce) with the best of Trader Joe's (pretty good house brand stuff, competitive prices).
I have yet to find another store that is cheaper than Publix for their Greenwise organic quinoa. Whoever in Lakeland sealed that deal with the vendor did some darn fine negotiating.
There's a Lucky's in Panama City, which is really too far away to weekly shopping. But there's got some fun things there at reasonable prices and I'd be glad to add them to the rotation if they opened up in Okaloosa County.
Nothing beats the bakeries in NYC, north NJ and Long Island. Central Market comes close.
THERE IS NOT ENOUGH COMPETITION HERE AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
The produce in TX is so much better than Florida's that I just don't get it. It all tastes 3 weeks old. I grew up on a small farm and I know how produce is supposed to TASTE. People would have to live in the Houston huge area to GET IT! IF they haven't lived there and purchased food I suggest they stay out of this conversation. I really don't care how "wealthy" they are. They can't get good bakery goods or produce unless they fly it in. Preferable from the Houston area OR Napa Valley. NYC for hard rolls and French bread. I can't understand why the produce is so bad here in Central FL. Produce in the Napa CA is fantastic too.
I am not a fan of Publix. They sell Standard American Food (ie mostly processed crap) at inflated prices. In my city (Gainesville), the appeal is that the staff is young enough to still be chipper and not beaten down yet (see veteran service industry workers who've had to eke out a decade or two of adult existence on min wage).
The sushi is rubbish that would only appeal to hicks - inauthentic fillers that are slathered in so much "spicy" (ha!) mayo that it defeats the purpose of sushi. I've had issues getting certain items in stock (WTF is their problem with keeping crab cakes in stock?!). The lettuce dies in 48 hours. The apples are mediocre and overpriced. Bread is meh quality, it's better than Wonderbread, but it's also $4 per 16oz loaf. Outrageous.
THANK GOD WE HAVE LUCKY'S. Overall, I spend no more and occasionally less (factoring in zero waste). Hipster grade coffee is $6/lb, decent Earl grey tea is $2 per 20 bags, a rotisserie chicken is $6.99. Their produce specials kick Publix's ass. 6 oz of blueberries for 88 cents, red mangoes for 88 cents each, 2 pineapples for $3, organic apples (amazing crunch and flavor for this time of year) for $1.49/lb, 1lb of asparagus for $1.48. The great bit? Coffee, olive oil, bulk grains/beans/spices can be bought in quantities you need. I don't need 8oz of honey (that lasts me 9 months). I bought 2.4 oz of honey for $1.05. I can buy a half pound of coffee and freshly grind it at the store for $3 - perfect for a week of drinking.
I'm a lazy carb-avoidant bugger that shops the perimeter, so a deli rotisserie chicken plus some raw fruit and veggies ready to saute in 3 minutes are my speed. It's wonderful for me. If you're on the standard American junk diet, the small dry goods section will be insufficient.
I love how it combines the best of Whole Foods (excellent breads, meat, cheese, deli, produce) with the best of Trader Joe's (pretty good house brand stuff, competitive prices).
I have been to the Lucky's here at Neptune Beach which is 12 miles away vs 1 for Publix and it wasn't worth the drive. I just checked the online ads and the mangoes are 2 for $3, no Pineapple on sale, $7 for a rotisserie chicken is no bargain. I found the prices there to be high when I went once or twice. I love the 12 grain bread at Publix. All we buy at Trader Joes is frozen red shrimp, sliced almonds and crackers. Trader Joes breads are not very good IMHO. If you like Luckys, by all means shop there, but I find Publix an excellent shopping experience and I have shopped at the Mecca to end all Meccas, Wegmans, for 30+ years.
Nothing beats the bakeries in NYC, north NJ and Long Island. Central Market comes close.
THERE IS NOT ENOUGH COMPETITION HERE AND THAT'S THE PROBLEM.
The produce in TX is so much better than Florida's that I just don't get it. It all tastes 3 weeks old. I grew up on a small farm and I know how produce is supposed to TASTE. People would have to live in the Houston huge area to GET IT! IF they haven't lived there and purchased food I suggest they stay out of this conversation. I really don't care how "wealthy" they are. They can't get good bakery goods or produce unless they fly it in. Preferable from the Houston area OR Napa Valley. NYC for hard rolls and French bread. I can't understand why the produce is so bad here in Central FL. Produce in the Napa CA is fantastic too.
Yup... Us Floridians just don't get it. Everything sucks down here. For some strange reason, y'all stay here.
I have been to the Lucky's here at Neptune Beach which is 12 miles away vs 1 for Publix and it wasn't worth the drive. I just checked the online ads and the mangoes are 2 for $3, no Pineapple on sale, $7 for a rotisserie chicken is no bargain. I found the prices there to be high when I went once or twice. I love the 12 grain bread at Publix. All we buy at Trader Joes is frozen red shrimp, sliced almonds and crackers. Trader Joes breads are not very good IMHO. If you like Luckys, by all means shop there, but I find Publix an excellent shopping experience and I have shopped at the Mecca to end all Meccas, Wegmans, for 30+ years.
I was quoting last week's deals and using TJ's as a price comparison with Whole Foods.
I grew up in suburban NY. The *bakery* breads were the best until higher end specialty grocers like Fairway started to break the stranglehold of stuck-in-the-90s mediocre grocers. I've lived overseas and in Hawaii, so i am familiar with wildly different (often better) produce and meat availability.
Yes, the chicken is $7. However, I've never had a dried out loser chicken, it's a decent size, and they don't add much (e.g. broth injections or butter/oil) for flavor beyond a spice rub. For the consistency and quality, I will pay the extra $2 over Costco or whoever is dong a $5 chicken.
Bread I am picky about as it's outrageously overpriced in the US for its quality (why do Europeans pay .6-2 Euros for a bread that kicks the butt of our $4 premium stuff?) and I don't eat much for carb control reasons. Lucky's baguettes have the right texture and are in *paper* sleeves. For other loafs (e.g. challah, boules, batard, etc), they ALL (incl Lucky's) kill the texture by putting them in plastic. Unfortunately, we don't have a Whole Foods here yet (they don't do this), and I'll probably be back in Asia by the time they do.
Produce is an odd one. Barring bananas (effectively a fully substitutable commodity), quality varies wildly. Red mangoes are mostly blocks of wood at any price. Honey (sometimes champagne) mangoes are much better and rare at Publix. However, red pears are awesome and more easily available at Publix. Pineapples in retail channels mostly suck (spoiled by Hawaiian pineapples), though hotels evidently have a good hookup. Apples I am an expert on at this point after eating so many in my lifetime from so many different countries. I'd kill for a Pacific Rose, but they never make it to FL. Oddly, Publix and Walmart apples in my area are basically identical in quality (for the same varieties). The blush is usually mediocre/underdeveloped, and the frequency of finding a loser/bruised apple is higher than it should be. (The richness of the blush is a proxy for the micronutrient density of the skin) Lucky's apparently has a better supplier - in my area.
Note: Oddly for my shopping patterns and demographic reasons, I am not a devoted organic buyer. There's quite frankly no science behind the bolder claims, while certain claims such as "no pesticides" are utterly false shibboleths of the uninformed.
I was quoting last week's deals and using TJ's as a price comparison with Whole Foods.
I grew up in suburban NY. The *bakery* breads were the best until higher end specialty grocers like Fairway started to break the stranglehold of stuck-in-the-90s mediocre grocers. I've lived overseas and in Hawaii, so i am familiar with wildly different (often better) produce and meat availability.
Yes, the chicken is $7. However, I've never had a dried out loser chicken, it's a decent size, and they don't add much (e.g. broth injections or butter/oil) for flavor beyond a spice rub. For the consistency and quality, I will pay the extra $2 over Costco or whoever is dong a $5 chicken.
Bread I am picky about as it's outrageously overpriced in the US for its quality (why do Europeans pay .6-2 Euros for a bread that kicks the butt of our $4 premium stuff?) and I don't eat much for carb control reasons. Lucky's baguettes have the right texture and are in *paper* sleeves. For other loafs (e.g. challah, boules, batard, etc), they ALL (incl Lucky's) kill the texture by putting them in plastic. Unfortunately, we don't have a Whole Foods here yet (they don't do this), and I'll probably be back in Asia by the time they do.
Produce is an odd one. Barring bananas (effectively a fully substitutable commodity), quality varies wildly. Red mangoes are mostly blocks of wood at any price. Honey (sometimes champagne) mangoes are much better and rare at Publix. However, red pears are awesome and more easily available at Publix. Pineapples in retail channels mostly suck (spoiled by Hawaiian pineapples), though hotels evidently have a good hookup. Apples I am an expert on at this point after eating so many in my lifetime from so many different countries. I'd kill for a Pacific Rose, but they never make it to FL. Oddly, Publix and Walmart apples in my area are basically identical in quality (for the same varieties). The blush is usually mediocre/underdeveloped, and the frequency of finding a loser/bruised apple is higher than it should be. (The richness of the blush is a proxy for the micronutrient density of the skin) Lucky's apparently has a better supplier - in my area.
Note: Oddly for my shopping patterns and demographic reasons, I am not a devoted organic buyer. There's quite frankly no science behind the bolder claims, while certain claims such as "no pesticides" are utterly false shibboleths of the uninformed.
As far as bread goes, I agree US bread is lacking in many places. The best Challah by far is at BJs' here in Jax. We have tried every other Challah and none compare. BJ's imports them from Monsey, NY. Wegmans had incredible bread and many varieties as well, they were far superior to Whole Foods or any other supermarket I have been to. I loved their bagel sticks and pumpkin whole wheat muffins, plus all the rolls. Fortunately there is none here and I don't have to be tempted. I find the apples (I am a connoisseur as well) in Publix to be quite good, the key is keeping them cold, the best apples can be ruined by improper refrigeration.
As far as bread goes, I agree US bread is lacking in many places. The best Challah by far is at BJs' here in Jax. We have tried every other Challah and none compare. BJ's imports them from Monsey, NY. Wegmans had incredible bread and many varieties as well, they were far superior to Whole Foods or any other supermarket I have been to. I loved their bagel sticks and pumpkin whole wheat muffins, plus all the rolls. Fortunately there is none here and I don't have to be tempted. I find the apples (I am a connoisseur as well) in Publix to be quite good, the key is keeping them cold, the best apples can be ruined by improper refrigeration.
I am not a fan of Publix. They sell Standard American Food (ie mostly processed crap) at inflated prices. In my city (Gainesville), the appeal is that the staff is young enough to still be chipper and not beaten down yet (see veteran service industry workers who've had to eke out a decade or two of adult existence on min wage).
The sushi is rubbish that would only appeal to hicks - inauthentic fillers that are slathered in so much "spicy" (ha!) mayo that it defeats the purpose of sushi. I've had issues getting certain items in stock (WTF is their problem with keeping crab cakes in stock?!). The lettuce dies in 48 hours. The apples are mediocre and overpriced. Bread is meh quality, it's better than Wonderbread, but it's also $4 per 16oz loaf. Outrageous.
THANK GOD WE HAVE LUCKY'S. Overall, I spend no more and occasionally less (factoring in zero waste). Hipster grade coffee is $6/lb, decent Earl grey tea is $2 per 20 bags, a rotisserie chicken is $6.99. Their produce specials kick Publix's ass. 6 oz of blueberries for 88 cents, red mangoes for 88 cents each, 2 pineapples for $3, organic apples (amazing crunch and flavor for this time of year) for $1.49/lb, 1lb of asparagus for $1.48. The great bit? Coffee, olive oil, bulk grains/beans/spices can be bought in quantities you need. I don't need 8oz of honey (that lasts me 9 months). I bought 2.4 oz of honey for $1.05. I can buy a half pound of coffee and freshly grind it at the store for $3 - perfect for a week of drinking.
I'm a lazy carb-avoidant bugger that shops the perimeter, so a deli rotisserie chicken plus some raw fruit and veggies ready to saute in 3 minutes are my speed. It's wonderful for me. If you're on the standard American junk diet, the small dry goods section will be insufficient.
I love how it combines the best of Whole Foods (excellent breads, meat, cheese, deli, produce) with the best of Trader Joe's (pretty good house brand stuff, competitive prices).
I disagree...
Nothing you mentioned at Lucky's sounds better than what I get at Publix. How is a $6.99 rotisserie chicken a bargain? Publix sells the same thing. They also have pre-cut pre-packaged chopped fruits and vegetables, if you're wanting to be lazy. The only thing they don't have is bulk spices, which is the one reason I ever go to Whole Foods (rice, beans, spices, etc.)
Also, who buys sushi from the grocery store expecting anything of high quality? Whole Foods' sushi is garbage too! You expect your grocery store to have fresh, good raw fish ready to eat throughout the day?
One thing I've noticed that is quite consistent at Publix, ironically, is the consistency of FRESH produce. My experience with produce from Publix is the exact opposite of yours.
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Central market is almost as good as it gets
Unfortunately, we don't have a Whole Foods here yet (they don't do this), and I'll probably be back in Asia by the time they do.
Oddly, Publix and Walmart apples in my area are basically identical in quality (for the same varieties). The blush is usually mediocre/underdeveloped, and the frequency of finding a loser/bruised apple is higher than it should be. (The richness of the blush is a proxy for the micronutrient density of the skin) Lucky's apparently has a better supplier - in my area. 
