I decided to broach the subject of shopping in Toronto. For me, knowing where to go to buy what I need is critical to feeling settled in a new place. It was tough when we first moved to NYC finding out that there was no place like Target to buy everything I needed, and in fact no large grocery stores in our neighborhood where I knew I could find what I needed (like red hots - I searched for those things for two years before I finally resorted to importing from my mom in Minnesota).
I'm going to start today with food/groceries and the big chains, and I hope it gives you a place to start when deciding where to shop. First, as I mentioned before, you'll find the packaging in these stores printed in French and English. Also, you'll find that there are many brands, especially European candy, that don't exist in the US. That part is kind of fun, and it does make you feel like you're in a another country (which as I explained in my first post you actually are).
The Metro chain has locations all over the city. It seems to be sort-of a go to store where they carry most everything. We live 1 block from a Metro so this is the store I go to most often for its convenience, which is unfortunate because it isn't a place I necessarily WANT to give my business because it is uncomfortably crowded, the selection of food is mediocre, and the service leaves a lot to be desired (see my first blog post and you'll know what I mean). But, the guy at the fish counter knew if the salmon was wild or not (not), and it is open 24 hours.
We live about 3 blocks from a Sobeys. It looks from the outside like it will be a really great store. I was excited when we moved here that this could be our store for fresh food and good service, and from what I understand this is the competitive edge that the store is trying to pursue against its competitors. But the store on Bloor is not big enough to have the selection I'm looking for (I think it is part of their Sobey's Express line so no meat or fish). And, most of the selection is not things I want to buy (fresh, organic, real food - scary if that is the competitive advantage they are going for). Some things I've bought there are not good - like the olives. However, they do have prepared sushi, and the vegetable rolls which I sometimes pick-up for dinner are worth trying. I would also say I wouldn't rule out trying a full-size Sobeys.
The closest Loblaws is driving distance from me on Dupont. It is huge and has basically everything (including a bank and drycleaners), and it is never too crowded to move around. The food seems to be priced comparably to other area places. We got some potato salad and a tuna sandwich on our way to the beach one day and neither were very good. But, I bought a chunk of parmesean and thought it was ok. I haven't bought any meat or fish, which I've had recommended to me, but from my limited experience the store meets my minimum requirements to give it a better try. If I lived close to one, I would try it out as a main grocery store.
No Frills - well as the name says, this is a bargain chain selling mostly generic brands. It was started by Loblaws and then they franchised them. I'd be happy to hear from someone who has been before, but it isn't somewhere I'm likely to find myself anytime soon since the name doesn't scream quality.
Now Whole Foods is somewhere I can shop. The store is clean, the service is good, everyone who works there is knowledgeable, and they have a lot of products I'd like to buy like organic, non-homogenized whole milk from a local dairy. They also list the ingredients of anything that isn't already packaged like baked goods. But, the location is on Avenue Road so for me it is a long walk or a short drive, and you have to pay to park at this location if you spend less than $25. Clearly I won't run there when I just have to pick up a thing or two. And, as we all know whole foods is EXPENSIVE! I don't mind paying for good food, and in fact encourage people to do so, but this is ridiculous. Did I mention I got a bad fillet of expensive salmon once that we couldn't even eat?
As you can see the constant message here is that I care about the food that I buy, and am passionate about doing what I can to eat better quality (real) food. I want to know where my food came from, what is in it, and how it was raised or processed, so the rest of my writing about food will not be on the big stores, but on places where I've found the kind of food that I want to buy.
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