High prices in grocery (Tampa, Orlando: 2014, buying, wages)

[EngGirl]

Originally Posted by MortonR

If you want an amazing selection of fruits, vegetables and meats, go to the SanWa farmer's market on Hillsborough Avenue near 25th St.

It is a commercial farmer's market and they have everything at very competitive prices.

If you're looking for local produce, take a drive out around Plant City and you'll find plenty of farm stands.

RM

They have good selection, but the prices are close to what other places have. I hate that place for overcrowdings and long time to check out. We were recently warned not to leave purses in the shopping carts. The selection for some fruits and veggies is better.

I strongly advise to get a jacket when going to shop there

Hillsborough has many places, most for restaurants, that are oven around 3 am. They sell by boxes, but the prices are so good, and if you can find someone to share it with it def will be a win-win

[just_visiting 9]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

I know, right? And these posts about "no decent foods because us bumpkins don't demand it" is pure bullsheet. Here in Sarasota I have access to real French and Italian bakeries, Amish farm stands, REAL fish markets, where I can get fresh local fish, cheap butcher shops for my bone broth supplies, and many local organic farms. This is in addition to all the other choices (Publix, TJ, Fresh Market, Whole Foods, etc. etc.

Those peeps that find it so "wanting" here are welcome to go back to "wherever they think it's better."

In response to your eloquent post: Sarasota is not Tampa Bay. There are some decent places but not many, they are hard to find and are not consistent. Sarasota is the closest place to Tampa Bay in order to get decent supplies as I said in my post, if you were able to retain what you read. And yes, bumpkin is a good adjective, do you know many?

By the way in Sarasota, the Italian Bakery is operated by people from Rhode Island where good food is abundant, your "French Bakery" has a 3-foot display case which is usually empty while the ladies coo in a french accent repeating "all ve has ees ze french bread left today". Anything "Amish" is a marketing ploy and the meat markets are pretty good.

[just_visiting 9]

[quote=Concert D Major;44723139]Everything is better in New York, isn't it? LOL. Same old thing we hear every year. Things must be just awesome in New York.[/QUOTE

NY & NE became home to many hard working and industrious immigrants and many opened restaurants and markets all over the region. There is quality and good choices in abundance.

In FL, there is overwhelming mediocrity with just a few blips of average to above average. In the Northeast, you'd never see miles of trailer parks and shacks, never see rednecks in jacked up pick up trucks running without mufflers trying to get attention playing the theme music to "Deliverance". You'd never see roadside produce markets selling aged and rotting produce to support their boiled peanut sales. Nothing wrong with rednecks and country people, it's charming in a retro kind of way, just like those old movies.

[sinatras]

Everything is definitely NOT better in New York. But Just Visiting makes some very good points about the deplorable state of food in Florida and Tampa Bay in particular. The other day I asked the meat manager at my Publix why he no longer carried Prime beef. "People just won't pay the prices," he said. And that is basically what is going on.

nobody sells good food because nobody buys it, which is what Just Visiting said

I have some hope that when Sprouts comes in and Lucky's eventually, that those stores will put pressure on Publix and Winn Dixie to up their game. I completely agree when Just Visiting says that Publix and Winn Dixie are stuck in the 1970s.

If you went to a Wegmans or a Central Market in Texas, you would realize that Publix and Winn Dixie are pathetically outdated and sell crap. Although at least Publix sells crap in a very clean atmosphere with friendly employees.

By the way: We shouldn't have to drive to Plant City to find local produce, end of story.

And finally: Please let me know where in Sarasota the French Bakery is, b/c Tampa Bay has exactly ZERO French bakeries.
Does it look like this?

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

I know, right? And these posts about "no decent foods because us bumpkins don't demand it" is pure bullsheet. Here in Sarasota I have access to real French and Italian bakeries, Amish farm stands, REAL fish markets, where I can get fresh local fish, cheap butcher shops for my bone broth supplies, and many local organic farms. This is in addition to all the other choices (Publix, TJ, Fresh Market, Whole Foods, etc. etc.

Those peeps that find it so "wanting" here are welcome to go back to "wherever they think it's better."

The funny thing is a high percentage of us "bumpkins" are transplants from the northeast and mid west regions.

If you do all your food shopping in one place, i.e. Publix, Winn Dixie, etc, you are really limiting your choices. We go to a store than specializes in meats and also has a large produce selection. Murphy's Market - HOME


We have a local store foe European items as well as deli and produce https://local.yahoo.com/info-1463983...mpl=UI01:B2388


We also have the option of going directly to the farm for local grown Beasley Farm of Brooksville - LocalHarvest Beasley also sets up a large stand at our Saturday Farmers Market.

For fresh seafood: Whitney's Fresh Market


It's too bad that a lot of you are unable or unwilling, to find out what is available nearby.

[sinatras]

Are you really asking people in Tampa to shlep out to Spring Hill or Brooksville 50 miles to buy local produce? That's just completely unrealistic.
The larger question is, why doesn't Publix have local produce? Why does it have a teeny tiny organic produce assortment? There's more organic Florida produce at Trader Joe's than at Publix. That doesn't make any sense.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by sinatras

Are you really asking people in Tampa to shlep out to Spring Hill or Brooksville 50 miles to buy local produce? That's just completely unrealistic.
The larger question is, why doesn't Publix have local produce? Why does it have a teeny tiny organic produce assortment? There's more organic Florida produce at Trader Joe's than at Publix. That doesn't make any sense.

I am not asking anyone to do anything. Publix buys their stuff by the tons wherever they can get it the cheapest and distributes it to their stores just like all supermarkets.

I find it strange that the Tampa area is void of quality food stuffs.

[Spring Hillian]

Oh. I forgot bakeries...............

https://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=bak...ing+Hill%2C+FL

[Spring Hillian]

I always wonder why people left their personal paradises where everything is just about perfect, good paying and plentiful jobs, excellent drivers, no crime, everything less expensive, better quality of people, better weather, better scenery, cheaper insurance, excellent restaurants, excellent stores, no traffic, no crime, friendlier people, better drinking water, cheaper electricity, better supermarkets, lower rent, lower
home insurance - et al - to mmove to a place that is nowhere close to what they had were they were.

Any ideas on that gypsypsychic?

Originally Posted by gypsychic

I know, right? And these posts about "no decent foods because us bumpkins don't demand it" is pure bullsheet. Here in Sarasota I have access to real French and Italian bakeries, Amish farm stands, REAL fish markets, where I can get fresh local fish, cheap butcher shops for my bone broth supplies, and many local organic farms. This is in addition to all the other choices (Publix, TJ, Fresh Market, Whole Foods, etc. etc.

Those peeps that find it so "wanting" here are welcome to go back to "wherever they think it's better."

[sinatras]

That's a good question. I think we all know there's no perfect place that has all of those things you mentioned.