"Gourmet" supermarket. What's worth getting at 20% off?

Cafe Society
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So a few months ago, a “Garden of Eden” opened up near me. It’s a small chain of what I’d call “gourmet” supermarkets, based in NYC. Something like a smaller Whole Foods, or larger Trader Joe’s. Well… I guess my area isn’t fancy enough to support it, and they are closing up, marking everything down 20%.

Now, I appreciate good food, but usually have trouble bringing myself to pay the prices for the organic/gourmet/etc. stuff this kind of store stocks. So I limit my buying to stuff I can’t find elsewhere, like the less common veggies and fruits, the occasional Amy’s soup, Bob’s Red Mill cereal, and the like.

But hey, now it’s 20% off! Time to splurge! But, to be honest, the place is a bit overwhelming. I’m not sure (even at 20%) which artisinal cheese to try, or if I need truffle oil or avocado oil, or which imported chocolate bar is the best…

Any advice? What are your go-to purchases at places like this? What are special occasion purchases that would be worth taking advantage of this sale for?

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Stock up on:

Great EVOO.
Aged balsamic vinegar.
Parm and Romano cheeses (which will last in the fridge for a couple of months for sure).
Local or organic honey.
Maple syrup from VT (grade B has better flavour than grade A).
Nuts: pine nuts, hazel nuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts (all can be frozen to avoid spoilage)
Grass fed beef.
Good bacon.
Italian and/or gourmet sausages.
Dried premium label pastas and sauces.

3

OK, how do I know which of these to pick? They have a whole wall of both. Just pick the most expensive one on the shelf?

Are these gonna be better here than from BJ’s? or Planters?

Which labels are premium? You’re talking to someone who usually buys Ronzoni and Ragu. (OK, Classico nowadays, not Ragu)

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Dry aged beef.

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Balsamic comes in various ages. Couple of years to 25 and some even older. Get an old one 15 to 25 years old to put on ice cream and strawberries and old cheeses. Get a 6 or 8 year old to have on salads and broschetta and dipping bread.

Good nuts are expensive. If you can find pine nuts and hazel nuts at 20% off anywhere, buy them.

I don’t know if the store in question carries Rustichella D’Abruzzo. If they do (WholeFoods does), get that.

Good pasta doesn’t have to be expensive. WF brand is excellent and is very inexpensive actually. But if you can get the Rustichella D’Abruzzo on sale, why not treat yourself?

Oh, another thing I’d look for is dried mushrooms. They last forever stored in a cool dry place and reconstituting them in some warm water and cooking with them is really wonderful.

6

Nobody ever ever needs truffle oil.

It contains no truffles ( unless its over $100 per ounce) it is made by parfumiers rather than epicurists. Vegetable oil mixed with chemicals. And to quote Anthony Boudain

“Let it be stated here, unto forever and eternity, truffle oil is not food.”

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High-end Dijon mustard, like Edmund Fallot or Maille.

Good extra virgin olive oil.

Harder-to-find nuts, like hazelnuts or shelled pistachios. As stated above, you can freeze them.

Those better spaghetti sauces, like Rao’s.

Ditto pastas - that fancy kind in the rough brown paper wrapper, from Italy.

8

People put balsamic vinegar on ice cream?

9

Moving this feast to Cafe Society.

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Is there an echo in here?