6.12.2010

inquring minds wanna' know!


i know i'm on the late train with this but i "discovered" (not in the columbus way) that the .99 store sells fucking produce. how come no one told me?! my ass was unemployed for SEVEN MONTHS and if it hadn't been for some amazing friends, there were definitely days i wouldn't have been able to eat but seeing as i got all of this for $9.00 dollars, i coulda' chucked the deuce up at trader joe's. granted, they're great and all but sometimes, eh...i'd rather get my produce from the farmer's market.

if you're looking to save a buck or two, hit up the .99 store. i found this booty at the one on wilshire, off fairfax. not the one on 6th.

a good friend of mine mentioned some caveats about buying produce from there, i vaguely remember what it was about--maybe country of origin or something about radiation?--but i didn't find too much on the subject, i'm sure she'll respond in the comments. i did some digging and found some pieces on it, though.

first, there's the .99 store cookbook (again, something i wasn't aware of) and npr did a piece on the cookbook's author. the ny and l.a. times also did pieces on cheap produce.

for some particulars, the l.a. times mentioned that almost all locations get an "a" from the l.a. health inspector, all stores give a full refund if you're unsatisfied, a lot of the produce is grown specifically for the stores and they buy when, "growers or manufactures have too much of an item on hand." other reasons listed, wrong UPC code, change in packaging, discontinued product and flaws in printing.

either way, worth checking out if you're at all curious.

2 comments:

  1. I'm not sure where I got the idea that the veggies and fruits from the .99 store were irradiated. I think I maybe a read it on the packages. Or something like that. I did a little snooping around on the internet just now and didn't find much so who knows. I did, for a time, buy stuff there and was thrilled with the savings but then I thought I read some bad stuff and decided to go with TJ's. But I have no proof so whatever.

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  2. i got the same results but it was still worth mentioning so people can be encouraged to read their labels and make informed decisions. i still prefer traders and the farmer's market above all else but like i said, if someone is struggling, this might be helpful to know.

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