OK, ya damn Yankees. I gotta hand it to you...

[Ogre]

...about Wegman's. I'm sitting in a crappy hotel right across the street from a Wegman's, in Ithaca, New York. Holy crap. Now THIS is a grocery store. I may not sample any of the local restaurants this week. :eek:

[Southern Yankee]

Yeah, it ain't no Piggly Wiggly.

[delphica]

Welcome to the cult. :)

Our neighbor had a very fussy mother-in-law from Scotland who was visiting for the first time. There was nothing, NOTHING, they showed her that impressed her at all. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery, one of the finest art collections in the country? "Eh, I've seen art before." The city parks, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, one of the most extensive extant examples of the City Beautiful movement? "Eh, I've seen parks before" NIAGARA FALLS, a natural wonder of the world? "Eh, I've seen waterfalls before." (Okay, maybe you're not into art or parks, but freaking Niagara Falls? Really?)

On her last day, the neighbor needed to run into Wegman's. "Oooooh," says the mother-in-law, "now THIS is something!" They practically had to drag her out.

[Ogre]

I'm slightly relieved by the fact that their pizza is not that great. :) The sauce is meh.

[Drain Bead]

Go to the bulk section and see if they have sponge candy. Mmmmmm...

[Least Original User Name Ever]

Ah, yes. The sponge candy. I remember that. My college girlfriend lurved some Wegmans sponge candy.

[Jackmannii]

I'm slightly relieved by the fact that their pizza is not that great. :) The sauce is meh.I'm slightly relieved that the OP was not another revolting fan tribute to the New York Yankees.

[Shagnasty]

Some of them ol' Yankee stores ain't you mamma's Winn Dixie.

There are some pretty impressive supermarkets scattered across the country though. Most of them are pretenders compared to Jungle Jim's (http://www.junglejims.com/) outside of Cincinnati however. "With 1 1/2 acres of produce, 50,000 international products and cigars from 70 countries, there is so much to discover." I met Jungle Jim himself and that guy doesn't play around. Who else would grow a vegetable stand into a mega-market by constantly expanding it and decide it really needs a train to move people around in it?

[HardlySanguine]

So, for those of use who've never had the chance to visit a Wegman's, what it is that makes them special?

[goldmund]

So, for those of use who've never had the chance to visit a Wegman's, what it is that makes them special?

Hype.

[Ogre]

So, for those of use who've never had the chance to visit a Wegman's, what it is that makes them special?Lots and lots and lots of food.

[Ogre]

Hype.
Interesting. Why do you say that?

[friedo]

Wegman's is one of two things I miss about Rochester. (The other is Nick Tahou's, after a bender.)

[Shecky]

The cheese bar. The bakery. They were the reason my mother stopped making turkey and started buying it every Thanksgiving.

I love, LOVE, Weg's. Plus, when I used to go to some of the stores in NY, I got to shake Danny Wegman's hand. Twice. Because he made visit's and said, "Thank you for shopping at our supermarket. Is there anything you'd like to see?"

[OtakuLoki]

So, for those of use who've never had the chance to visit a Wegman's, what it is that makes them special?

For me, and other people may have different views, the things I like most about Wegmans are:


Produce - Wegmans routinely stocks vegetables that I had previously only seen in ethnic shops, and often better quality than the ethnic shops could stock. For that matter, the quality of the produce in general is excellent, and was a revelation to me when I first started shopping in Wegmans.

Variety - Wegmans stores tend to be huge compared to supermarkets I'd grown up with. I currently shop at Rochester's East Ave store, which is one of the smallest stores in the chain, and it has 42,000 square feet. It has recently gotten approval for an expansion, to a new building which will be 105,000 square feet. With that kind of space available there is room to stock a large number of specialty items. It's the only chain I've ever seen that offers, for example, a selection of sushi nori, instead of one single brand.

Convenience - Wegmans is open 24/7. They close for Thanksgiving, and again for Christmas. Now, granted, you can't go in at three AM and expect to pick up fresh sliced deli meats, or medications. Most of the individual departments within the store do close for the night. But you can pick up fresh produce anytime, fresh meats from the meat case, a variety of cheese, and any of the dry goods.

The stores also have a number of prepared food stations that range from acceptable to very good. A recent innovation has been the development of what they call their $6 meals, consisting of an entree, and two sides, for six bucks.

On top of all this, the stores are pleasantly lit - bright enough that there are no shadows hiding things on the shelves, but not so bright as to make the store feel like it's trying to evoke a hospital (the impression I have from their major competitor locally, Tops Friendly Markets.). In my experience the stores are also cleaner than most of the supermarkets I grew up with.

[Ludovic]

Convenience - Wegmans is open 24/7. They close for Thanksgiving, and again for Christmas. Now, granted, you can't go in at three AM and expect to pick up fresh sliced deli meats, or medications. Most of the individual departments within the store do close for the night. But you can pick up fresh produce anytime, fresh meats from the meat case, a variety of cheese, and any of the dry goods.

Sure, but it's not so convenient if you can't actually FIND the thing you're looking for. I don't impulse buy, and not having the items logically located and changing them around every two months does not make for a quick in-and-out experience.

Other than that, yeah, Wegman's rocks.

[Caffeine.addict]

I went to the Wegman's in Fairfax, VA a few months after they opened and was a little underwhelmed. It is approximately 24 miles from my house, so unless there was something spectacular, I wouldn't be going there regularly. The prepared food bar was nice, the produce was good, but overall I didn't see many things that I would buy that I couldn't find at a Whole Foods a lot closer to where I live. If there were one within two miles, I would probably be more likely to go, but there is a glut of interesting supermarkets in the DC area.

[Duke]

On top of all this, the stores are pleasantly lit - bright enough that there are no shadows hiding things on the shelves, but not so bright as to make the store feel like it's trying to evoke a hospital (the impression I have from their major competitor locally, Tops Friendly Markets.). In my experience the stores are also cleaner than most of the supermarkets I grew up with.

Wegmans is often close to Tops' prices on most items, too. Of course if you go to Wegmans you're probably going to end up buying dozens of items you didn't really need, so it seems like you're spending more.

Really Wegmans just does everything a supermarket should do, very well, and more of it than everyone else. They treat their staff well (they're consistently in Forbes' list of "Top 10 Companies in America to Work For"), so they treat you well too. I once heard their CEO Danny Wegman give a brief lecture, and his main thrust was "if you do things the right way and treat your employees right, you will succeed." Perhaps it's more a bad mark on other grocery stores that they don't do things the right way and treat their employees as expendable cogs.

[WordMan]

...about Wegman's. I'm sitting in a crappy hotel right across the street from a Wegman's, in Ithaca, New York. Holy crap. Now THIS is a grocery store. I may not sample any of the local restaurants this week. :eek:

Ogre! If you are in Ithaca, you MUST go to Rumble Seat Music (http://www.rumbleseatmusic.com/)and tell me about all the great old gear they have there!!

[MLS]

My local Wegs is so-so on the standard grocery items. For example, they don't carry my favorite brand of not-from-concentrate OJ. But for fresh meats and especially for fresh seafood, they are the tops in quality, no contest.

[tdn]

For me it's the smell. I haven't been in one in well over a decade, and I can still smell the smoky cheese goodness.

I remember back when there were maybe 3 of them, and they weren't all that great. They seemed to get better right around the time I left the area.

[Morgyn]

A lot of their fresh produce is locally grown. Their house brands tend to be high quality--the marinades I've bought are wonderful, their in-store bakery delivers some prime noshes, and their deli meats are very tasty. I love the international aisle, although it would be nice if it included more than dry goods (English bacon, where are you?!). There are several aisles with organic items (food and other), if you're into that sort of thing, as well as a wide selection of gluten-free foods and other specialty foods for those with special food needs. With few exceptions,the aisles are all wide enough to fit two cards side by side with room to spare. And, of course, there's the overhead toy train, which delights me. I wish it covered more of the store, but hey ...

[Motorgirl]

3 things:

1 - Quit it with the apostrophes. It's just plain Wegmans
2 - The Ithaca Wegmans is the bestest Wegmans of them all!*
3 - Oh dear - did you have to stay at the Super 8? :eek:

* I actually haven't been to many Wegmans stores, but I grew up in Ithaca, so I am naturally biased. The current store is even better than the original, which sank into the swamp.

[tdn]

My favorite Wegman's story:

When they were still a small and crappy chain, they were running a special on sodas -- 9 cents a can. Since my allowance at the time was little more than that, that was a great deal for me. I was walking by there one really hot summer day, so I decided to stop in for one. On the far side of the cooler was a can of Mr. Pibb. I loved that stuff so I picked up an identical can closer to me. I paid for it and left the store.

When I got outside I tore the tab off and took the biggest swig I could. YUCK! What the hell? I looked at the label -- Diet chocolate soda.

Waste of nine cents.

[Motorgirl]

Also if you need any advice about Ithaca, let me know.

[OtakuLoki]

The prepared food bar was nice, the produce was good, but overall I didn't see many things that I would buy that I couldn't find at a Whole Foods a lot closer to where I live. If there were one within two miles, I would probably be more likely to go, but there is a glut of interesting supermarkets in the DC area.

There's a reason that I used the standard of "supermarkets I grew up with" for comparison. I'm not about to try to claim that Wegmans is unique, in these days when Whole Foods, and to a lesser degree Trader Joe's, are doing many of the same things as well.

I will say that Wegmans remains better than any Royal Ahold, Albertson's, Publix, or IGA store I've seen.


On preview: As an aside, Motorgirl, I was in Ithaca when the original Wegmans store went in there. Prior to then, I had been flabbergasted by how good the local Tops was. Then one of my buddies, who was from Horseheads, told me that when the Wegmans opened I'd see what a real supermarket should be like.

He was right.

[Motorgirl]

I am always so happy to find other members of the cult of Wegmans.

Do we need a secret handshake?

[Quercus]

Wegmans? Ewww. I mean, if you want real food, you go to Greenstar, right?

[FoieGrasIsEvil]

Some of them ol' Yankee stores ain't you mamma's Winn Dixie.

There are some pretty impressive supermarkets scattered across the country though. Most of them are pretenders compared to Jungle Jim's (http://www.junglejims.com/) outside of Cincinnati however. "With 1 1/2 acres of produce, 50,000 international products and cigars from 70 countries, there is so much to discover." I met Jungle Jim himself and that guy doesn't play around. Who else would grow a vegetable stand into a mega-market by constantly expanding it and decide it really needs a train to move people around in it?

THIS.

People, if you're ever in the Queen City, you've got to go to this place. Its amazing the variety of food from all over the planet that they have. I work near the place and try to get by there once and awhile. Bring some time with you, you're going to need it!
:D

[NinjaChick]

I know two things about the Wegmans near my parents' house.
1) It is huge. There's a lot of big grocery stores in/near their town, but this Wegmans is just astonishingly big.
2) They have, hands-down, the best selection of tea that I have ever seen in a non-specialty store.

*adds "call mom and beg her to buy some strawberry cream rooibos tea at Wegmans and send it to me" to to-do list*

[Motorgirl]

Wegmans? Ewww. I mean, if you want real food, you go to Greenstar, right?

Definitely - if you need a side of patchouli.

[Winnie]

A few things that stand out about Wegmans for me is the quality of the fresh food they stock. Their produce is nothing less than fresh and perfect every time. I can't believe the difference between let's say the Braeburn apples at Wegmans and the Braeburn apples at Giant or Harris Teeter (our other 2 local supermarkets). It's like they weren't even grown on the same planet. Salad greens are always crisp and delicious, thing are restocked regularly and everything is easy to find. We also bought some basic NY strip steaks there about a week ago and put them on the grill. They didn't need a damn thing - not a sprinkle of salt, not a marinade, no A-1. Pure beefy perfection.

Another is the prices. Even though I seem to make a few more impulse purchases at Wegmans thanks to the Mediterranean/Olive bar, bakery, cheese department, and sushi counter, the basic grocery items are far less expensive than our other standard supermarkets.

The organic/natural section is beyond compare. I'm 6 months pregnant and own a dog walking company so I depend on nutrition bars and filling convenience snacks to get me through times until I can get a decent meal, and their selection is incredible. Organic teas, spices, salad dressings, snacks, bulk foods, brownie mixes PLUS it's own freezer and refrigerated section with special diet items including tons of gluten-free items for those with the need for special diets. Again - the prices. If you bought the same items at Whole Foods you'd need a small loan.

Then there's the wine and beer selection.....ooooooh just leave me alone there for a while..... ;)

[slitterst]

...about Wegman's. I'm sitting in a crappy hotel right across the street from a Wegman's, in Ithaca, New York. Holy crap. Now THIS is a grocery store. I may not sample any of the local restaurants this week. :eek:

Well, as long as you're in Ithaca, go to Madeline's up on The Commons, and The Boatyard Grill over on the inlet. They're worth the trip. And the Thai restaraunt across from Wegman's has been well rated by the NY Times. Oh, and on the other side of Cornell, in a small hamlet named Varna is a small restaraunt called The Antlers. Fantastic.

[Hedda Rosa]

I grew up in Ithaca too, and have not been in the Wegmans recently, but the best best part that I remember from the last time I was there?

Kid storage. Love it. I don't care how awesome the produce is, being able to park the munchkins is priceless.

[DooWahDiddy]

Now go to a Friendly's, and you'll really want to move to the northeast.

[a35362]

Alec Baldwin's mom LOVES (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqEUYzOpvZ0) Wegmans!

[Ann Onimous]

Now go to a Friendly's, and you'll really want to move to the northeast.

Ah, Friendly's. Those are some good memories. The Jim Dandy: OMG.

[Chest Rockwell]

Ah, Friendly's. Those are some good memories. The Jim Dandy: OMG.

Ah, Friendly's: Trauth- or Bryer's-quality ice cream slathered, so as to mask said ice cream's all-too-apparent mediocrity, in toppings that had started to seem uninspired back in 1983. No, if I'm to nosh on chain ice cream, give me Ritter's or Culver's any day. Hall, even Dairy Queen serves a better quality product than does Friendly's.

[elmwood]

...about Wegman's. I'm sitting in a crappy hotel right across the street from a Wegman's, in Ithaca, New York. Holy crap. Now THIS is a grocery store. I may not sample any of the local restaurants this week. :eek:

Not that zombified of a thread, I hope.

I've been to the Weggies in Ithaca. I hate to break the news to you, but that's one of the more middling-sized Wegmans. Check out the locations on Maple Road in Amherst (suburban Buffalo) or Monroe Avenue in Pittsford (suburban Rochester). Other Wegmans locations are like convenient stores compared to those two monsters. Across from the Wegmans in Amherst is the massive flagship Tops market, which is no slouch itself.

[postcards]

No, if I'm to nosh on chain ice cream, give me Ritter's or Culver's any day. Hall, even Dairy Queen serves a better quality product than does Friendly's.

Agreed, but those Fribbles® are still pretty good. Overpriced, but good.

[Justin_Bailey]

Check out the locations on Maple Road in Amherst (suburban Buffalo) or Monroe Avenue in Pittsford (suburban Rochester). Other Wegmans locations are like convenient stores compared to those two monsters. Across from the Wegmans in Amherst is the massive flagship Tops market, which is no slouch itself.

The Pittsford store is their flagship and it is indeed a monster. They have practically everything you could ever think of there.

Oh, and for the singles among us, it's crawling with beautiful women at all hours of the day or night.