# OK, ya damn Yankees. I gotta hand it to you... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 18, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503 "2010-10-18T01:15:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/21 "2010-10-18T18:33:15Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/22 "2010-10-18T18:55:38Z")
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 … ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/23 "2010-10-18T20:20:07Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/24 "2010-10-18T20:20:35Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/25 "2010-10-18T20:22:59Z")
Also if you need any advice about Ithaca, let me know. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/26 "2010-10-18T20:26:42Z")
> [@Caffeine.addict](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/27 "2010-10-18T20:28:33Z")
I am always so happy to find other members of the cult of Wegmans. Do we need a secret handshake? ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/28 "2010-10-18T21:07:41Z")
Wegmans? Ewww. I mean, if you want real food, you go to Greenstar, right? ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/29 "2010-10-18T21:18:27Z")
> [@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? 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! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/30 "2010-10-18T21:45:55Z")
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_ ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/31 "2010-10-19T11:40:20Z")
> [@Quercus](#): > > Wegmans? Ewww. I mean, if you want real food, you go to Greenstar, right? Definitely - if you need a side of patchouli. ---
**Author:** ![Winnie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e480ec/32.png) [@Winnie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnie)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/32 "2010-10-19T12:16:46Z")
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… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![slitterst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecc23a/32.png) [@slitterst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slitterst)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2010, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/33 "2010-10-19T14:59:29Z")
> [@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: 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. ---
**Author:** ![Hedda\_Rosa](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hedda_rosa/32/1204_2.png) [@Hedda\_Rosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hedda_Rosa)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/34 "2010-10-26T05:10:49Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/35 "2010-10-26T05:33:04Z")
Now go to a Friendly’s, and you’ll _really_ want to move to the northeast. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/36 "2010-10-26T15:54:26Z")
Alec Baldwin’s mom [LOVES](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqEUYzOpvZ0) Wegmans! ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/37 "2010-10-26T16:15:38Z")
> [@DooWahDiddy](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Chest\_Rockwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@Chest\_Rockwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chest_Rockwell)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/38 "2010-10-26T17:08:11Z")
> [@Ann\_Onimous](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/39 "2011-01-12T14:01:56Z")
> [@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: 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. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503/40 "2011-01-12T16:22:29Z")
> [@Chest\_Rockwell](#): > > 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. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ok-ya-damn-yankees-i-gotta-hand-it-to-you/557503.md?page=3)