Going to Niagara on the Lake and will be crossing the border for some shopping. Have never thought of grocery items...
So, what would you bring back and where would you go to buy?
Any other suggestions as to where to go, what to do, where to eat...etc
Is all welcomed!
EVERYTHING FROM TRADER JOE'S.
(sorry for the yelling...I'm just terribly enamoured of TJ's)
TJ favourites from a couple of recent shopping excursions:
Salted almond butter
Roasted coconut chips (buy a lot of these, you will regret it if you don't)
Freeze-dried strawberries (they also have raspberries, blueberries and mangoes)
Thai red curry cashews
Honey sesame almonds
Rosemary marcona almonds
Creme fraiche
Kerry Gold butter
Triple ginger cookies (I'm normally not a fan of packaged cookies, but these are great)
Sesame sticks
Quick-cook farro
Wild rice
The organic sugars and flours are a phenomenal price, too
Note that you can try anything in the store. Literally anything (though I'm not 100% sure about the booze). Just go to the tasting bar in the back corner with whatever it is you want to try and they will either already have a taster open, or they will open a package for you on the spot.
TorontoJo, what's the name of the bakery that sells the amazing old school doughnuts?
Those look amazing, but the bakery I'm thinking of has been around even longer than Paula's (which has been around since 1996). ;)
I will have to check out Paula's next time I cross the border.
Might be Frankie's in Niagara Falls, NY? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDoqAX...
DiCamillo! Really great doughnuts. The custard filled ones are amazing. Multiple locations.
Thanks, TorontoJo! That's the one!
Last time I was at the DiCamillo close to the outlets (Military rd or Niagara Falls blvd?) there were no doughnuts. None. Would love to visit the location where fickle's photo was taken.
This was at the Lewiston location. I've never visited the other locations, so don't know what the doughnut status is at them. But the Lewiston location has always had doughnuts when I've visited, and they are always delicious...and cheap! It's really nice to pay just a buck for a simple, quality doughnut.
I would add some Butter Buds from any of the lager Supermarkets in the area. A mild but otherwise close imitation of real butter.
TJ, thanks so much for this list. We're heading across the border soon and I was wondering what TJ's faves folks would recommend! Perfect.
Great post from TorontoJo but this thread might help you:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/9620...
There are a few "cross border shopping" threads out there already but this is the first one I found.
I always bring back some beer you can't get at the LCBO like Lindemans Kriek (Belgian sour cherry)
I would caution against buying alcohol if you are doing a one day trip. You will need to declare the alcohol and that adds a bit time to the boarder crossing not to mention a little cost to the price of the booze.
I have had good luck with bringing beer across (I always declare all of my purchases). I hear they are more lax with regards to beer vs. wine/spirits (never tried bringing those back). I have been waived through before with beer (like 12 bottles or less) and groceries on all of my grocery shopping trips.
The last trip my friend just bought a single beer. The board guard was questioning why we only had one beer and if we drank the rest of them :)
There are far better producers of Krieks in Belgium than Lindemans. And as far as the LCBO, they currently have the Framboise in stock
I know, lots of people prefer Cantillon. I've tried it but couldn't get used to the sour taste. Then I read online that lots of people debate back and forth over how sour it should be but how they used to server kriek with lumps of sugar at bars years ago. All I know is that it's my favourite one so far.
Thanks for the heads up on the Framboise! I wish they'd bring in the Cassis too!
TJ...also for;
Artichoke hearts - marinated in jar and frozen
cookie butter (in peanut butter area)
their salsa is good, both green and red for $1.67 a jar
I usually load up on packaged trail mix
Sahlen's hot dogs. The BEST.
Or you could just eat a charbroiled one at Ted's...
B & M brown bread in a can
Pure Leaf unsweetened ice tea (I can only find the sweetened here)
Peet's whole bean coffee
Land o' Lakes half-fat butter
Burt's Bees honey cough drops (but I think they may have been discontinued)
Where can one find B & M brown bread in a can?
Sometimes Wegman's has it. But its not easy to find. I picked up the last 2 cans on the shelf last time I was there. A couple of other Wegman's had none. You can also order it online from a variety of sources but the shipping costs to get it up here are high.
I thought B&M brown bread in a can was a Maine thing or at least a New England thing so try further east. In Maine, it's always in the massive baked bean section.
There is an Entemanns Bakery Outlet at 1960 Niagara Falls Boulevard, near Trader Joes. We buy the 100 calorie pitas and they are usually $1.99 a pack at the outlet store. I have paid as much as $3.99 a pack before I knew about the outlet. Also, lots of other well priced stuff there. Trader Joes has delicious peanut butter filled, chocolate coated pretzels. We also buy near the front cash speculoos filled little chocolate bars. Also, the chocolate covered orange peel is delicious. We always bring a cooler with us and from Trader Joes we buy a lot of frozen products, pizzas, frozen potatoes with green beans, frozen pearl onions. We just grab lots out of the freezers and throw it in our cart. We always go to Wegmans (behind the Boulevard Mall) and buy a frozen turkey. The prices are usually quite good. Oh, and there is a brand of yogurt we can't get in toronto -- Danone Light & Fit. It's delicious. We don't get the Greek, just the regular. Oh, and don't forget to stop at Paula's on 2319 Sheridan Drive and buy a dozen donuts. Don't let them shove the dozen into one box. Tell them you want six in each box. Have fun!
We rotate eating at Pizza Plant (great American-style pizza and pods and amazing beers), Dinosaur BBQ (also have a decent beer selection and some foods we don't get in Canada like fried green tomatoes and Harlem potato salad special side), beef on weck places (tried Charlie the Butcher last time, quite good); and always stop at Premier Gourmet and Trader Joe's. Check the LCBO website and you'll see that tons of great beers (including Quebec beers!!!) are not available in Ontario - but are in plentiful supply at Premier Gourmet. It's always fun shopping at normal American grocery stores too just to pick up candy bars, seltzer, chips, etc.
At Premier Gourmet, I try to pick up the local or at least regional cheeses, bacon, dairy products, etc. that we have no chance of seeing here in Canada. Border patrol only seems to care about fresh fruit.
Definitely go to Trader Joe's - everything is great! Coconut cookies (box is green), chocolate peanut-butter cups - AMAZING!, almond croissants (frozen section), bacon cheddar, carmelized onion dip... prepared salads - don't forget your cooler and get some ice!
Wegmans sodas are good - cherry grapefruit. Wegmans prepared foods section is also great. The store in Amherst - you'll be in Amherst for TJs anyways. You can also grab some horseradish cheddar at Wegmans. I forget the brand name - sorry!
Make sure to go with a list to TJs and an employee will be happy to help you find the items!
Make sure to eat a meal at Dinosaur BBQ downtown Buffalo - delicious! Bistro Europa is also GREAT!
Enjoy!
Here are some threads I'd suggest reading -
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/966824
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/886880
Does anyone know if brand names from the South or Southwest are available in Buffalo/Amherst? e.g. Duke's mayonnaise, Jimmy Dean's or Wright's breakfast sausage, pickled shrimp, Anson Mills grits, etc.
I know Duke's mayo and Jimmy Dean are available at Wegmans. Not sure about the others....
Don't think Duke's is available in NY, but I have been (unsuccessfully) looking for Blue Plate Real Mayonnaise. 'Sposed to be the best there is.
http://dukesmayo.com/stores.asp
JD's sausages are available everywhere in Buffalo (Wegmans, Tops, Walmart, Target, + many others).
Other Buffalo Items :
Lloyd's Rocket Sauce. Local hot sauce available at many / most grocery stores. Worth searching for. No taco should be without this stuff. Once you try it on a taco, you'll always carry a bottle around with you.
Penzeys Spices 783 Elmwood Avenue Buffalo (716) 887-9777. Great selection of spices and house blends.
Amazing prices on turkey usually now about 10 days prior to US Thanksgiving and again before Xmas. Check the Wegman's and Tops fliers on line. Canadian Customs says the limit is 1 turkey per passenger across the border - something seldom enforced, in my experience.
Easy Cheese canned cheese.
A quick bump of this thread, almost a year from the last OP's post. Wondering if there are any new items/places to add.
Some things I'd add that I didn't see above:
Hebrew Nationals
Potato rolls
Kimmelwecks
Pelicano's Pasta sauce (the tomato dandelion is a favourite)
From TJ's I always stock up on their preserved lemons in addition to a lot of what's mentioned above.
Has anyone tried Rocco's Wood Fired Pizza? We always get some La Nova but Rocco's was recommended by a neighbour.
http://www.roccoswoodfiredpizza.com/
For Italian we usually make a stop at Mulberry. Is there any other home-style Italian place anyone might recommend?
We'll definitely be spending some time at Walden Galleria so any rec's for great eats nearby would be welcome. We'll definitely stop into the Cheesecake Factory for cheesecake...it's just one of those things.
As a point of possible interest, there is a shop called Perfumania in the WG that carries a huge selection of perfumes and colognes. Many vintage varieties nearly impossible to find in Canada these days.
If you, or know someone who had a favorite from decades ago, you'll likely find it there at a great price.
Makes for fantastic surprise gifts.
Other suggestions here too :
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/790960
Mmmm. Weck rolls. My sisters, who live in the southern part of the U.S., love melted cheese in a weck roll. I like Rocco's, though I've only been once. I had a pizza with arugula and shaved Parmesan. And too many espresso martinis. (It was my birthday.) It's pretty classy inside but you don't need to dress up. Mulberry is always a good bet. Have you been to Brick Oven Bistro and Deli on Abbott Road in South Buffalo? There is no deli, but I'm wild about the pizza. Brick Oven has an impressive beer selection, too. The owners of Mulberry and Brick Oven have opened a place called the Mess Hall in Lackawanna.
http://stepoutbuffalo.com/mess-hall-e...
For good Italian food, I recommend Vino's on Elmwood Ave.
To state the obvious, no trip to buffalo is complete without a visit to divey, windowless DUFF's in Sheridan for wings. Can't get enough of that wonderful Duff.
Weber's mustard. http://webersmustard.com/products.asp
You can find Weber's products at Wegmans and Tops.
In the lat 1980s, every trip to Toronto necessitated a stop at Tops in East Aurora, NY, for SmartFood, the popcorn snack. A certain Mlle Bousquet of Spadina Ave. demanded it.
OK OK,
If we are talking Wecks, ie with Beef on it, Get Ye To Schwabl's. Hand carved to order by a very experienced carver and choice of meat doneness.
A B.o.W Shrine. Classic old school sides of pickled beets and warm bacon potato salad. Fine mixed drinks too.
Also, Wegmans and Tops carry Wardynski's Liverwusrt. Family owned since 1919, coarser grind and not pasty at all. It is like crack to liverwurst lovers...
Just returned from Buffalo/Lewiston and thought I'd share some of our purchases here along with some observations.
Trader Joe's - while it's great to have a TJ's closer to home I was disappointed that they didn't seem to have as broad a selection of products as stores elsewhere. I asked about a couple of items on my list that we couldn't locate and was told they don't carry them. That said, we did manage to find a lot things we were looking for. Thanks to the tips here for the freeze-dried fruits...we've already gone through 2 bags of the blueberries!!
D'Avolio - It was great to see more locations have been added including at the Outlet mall and downtown Lewiston. If Lewiston would just get a Penzey's and a Wegman's it would be a one-stop food-lovers destination!
Penzey's - Perhaps it was just because it was the weekend but this was the first time I've been in a Penzey's where the staff weren't helpful. In fact, the 2 women working in the store were so engrossed in their own conversation the didn't even acknowledge the customers in the store. Elmwood seemed pretty quiet for the July 4th weekend.
Wegman's - I so wish Wegman's would come to Toronto. It's always such a pleasure shopping there! We found everything we were looking for here and more (as usual). Their potato hamburger buns are always a must have, we tried their donuts based on tips here and they were good but Paula's are definitely better still. The jalapeno corn bread (pictured) was new-to-us...and delicious. We also picked up a new "Black & Blue" loaf from Wegman's bakery. It's a blue cheese and fresh-cracked black pepper bread. We've frozen and hope it doesn't suffer much for it as we just couldn't possible eat all the bread we brought back. The Japanese misos in squeeze bottles were also a great find here.
Paula's Donuts - How did we not know about these?!! As you can see from the photo, there are a few missing from the box! The custard filled ones were hands down favourites.
Other items in the photos, found the cheese paper and bags at Premier Gourmet. We've purchased these in NY & Chicago from Eataly in the past. Kummelweck's are from DiCamilo's. Williams Sonoma was having a terrific summer clearance sale and with an extra 20% off the tea towels were $11.98! They make great hostess gifts so I grabbed a few of these.
We decided to have lunch in Lewiston and opted for a riverside view at Water Street Landing. The view was terrific but the lunch was just meh.
Finally, we swung by a new Lepinski winery in NOTL on the way home as we're lovers of big reds and wanted to check out The Big Head Winery. Andrzej and his son Jakub were gracious hosts serving complimentary cheese and crackers as we tasted 4 of their wonderful reds. I wish we'd had more time to spend there and look forward to returning. This place is well worth visiting, I'd highly recommend it. We left with 5 bottles.
You did incredibly well! Thanks for posting your loot photos.
Paula's and Wegmans are very special.
I really like the TJ's at Boulevard Mall. I've been to many and for me it's just as good as any other location.
Was not happy with DiCamillo's kimmelweck but loved their chocolate hazelnut tart. Wow. And their Main St. store is beautiful.
Thanks magic! We also got some great deals at the Outlet Mall on NFR items so it was a really productive and fun few days away. Do you have a place you'd recommend for Kummelwecks? I'll let you know what we think of the ones from DiCamillos. It's been a couple of years since I've purchased them but we'd been happy with them previously. Mind you, with the juice from the beef, they get mushy so it's tough for us to really assess them!
Maybe that's why I didn't like them, perhaps. I didn't use them for beef on weck, just for regular everyday sandwiches. I found them too bready, not at all soft, and felt their freshness decreased dramatically too quickly.
The kimmelwecks at Wegmans actually looked pretty good I remember. Other than this I'm afraid I'm useless for kimmelweck suggestions. I haven't bought them all that much.
You should see the bounty I come home with from U.S. runs. It's embarrassing. A lot of money is spent.
Attached is a pic of that DiCamillo brownie tart I mentioned previously (I believe that's what it's called actually). It was great.
That tart looks sensational magic! I've added that to my list for my next trip. We haven't been to Di Camillo's on Main though I did see it this time around and it looked beautiful from the outside.
We actually came back with a lot more grocery items than I photographed here, I know what you mean - it's easy to spend money there. My Penzey's bill alone was $147 US!
I froze the Wegman's Jalapeno corn bread and we defrosted some last night to have with chili. If it suffered any for being frozen we didn't notice anything, it was terrific with lots of jalapenos and corn kernels to keep it moist. I'd highly recommend this. Their bags of Chesapeake Bay clams are another "must-buy" item if you love clams. They're very clean and don't require soaking and the meat is super-sweet.
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