Best Grocery Stores for Produce & Meat in FL?

[ilovepcot]

PUBLIX...where shopping is a pleasure!

 

[JamesLynn]

Do you shop at the John's Lake Wal Mart or the Four Corners Wal Mart?

I've shopped at the Wal-Mart at Cagan Crossings and the one near Kohl's.

DH and I bought some meat from Publix the other night, we'll be trying it out for dinner tomorrow night!

 

[Poohnatic]

We buy most meats at Publix, or Costco when we're making a trip there.

Produce is a different matter. The farm stands are abundant here. When I was finding a place to live, I would visit almost every farm stand I passed. It was bordering on obsession-because I was so excited to know that I could get fresh produce year round.

It's funny, I got down here a month before the rest of my family and stayed at my mom and stepdad's. On my days off, I'd go check out houses in Lakeland, Plant City and around Tampa. Before I'd head back to St. Pete, I'd call my mom and ask what produce we needed for the night-and the next place I saw, I'd go into. (It's a great way to get a local's info on the area, too)

Fortunately, there's a great mom and pop stand about a mile from my house. The owners are so friendly. During strawberry season, I get teased about how frequently I buy a flat! So I must say, find your local farm stand.

Oh, and after the first week of January, take a trip over to Plant City. On 92, Parkesdale Farms is a local landmark for strawberry shortcakes. (and you can get satsuma tangerines really cheap then, too)

Suzanne

 

[Poohs Pal]

Since you are from Michigan are you familiar with Whole Foods Market? They have several in Florida and are going to build a new one in Orlando. Excellant meat and produce. Susan

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

We are pleased with Publix for everything. I do enjoy their greenwise line for meats.

If you have a farm stand--that would be good.

I do enjoy Whole foods, but if you don't plan on buying organic, I wouldn't necessarily bother. I find the organic markets to charge more for conventional than they should like our local Wild Oats.

I loathe Winn Dixie (worked for them for several years and can't stand their stores or their selection). Their produce goes bad pretty quickly, too.

We also have Petty's Meat Market. I am not sure if it is a chain or not. We have a couple here. Not too convenient for me, but their meat was good.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Since you are from Michigan are you familiar with Whole Foods Market? They have several in Florida and are going to build a new one in Orlando. Excellant meat and produce. Susan

The only one in Orlando is tiny. i wonder where they are building the new one and if it will be any bigger. I was spoiled by the one my husband lived across the street from when he was in DC last year. It was HUGE!!

 

[froglady]

PUBLIX or Costco (they have great lamb) I either get my produce at PUBLIX, or take a short drive to a produce stand.

 

[PlutoLuvr]

It varies for us. We've lived all over FL and always found that the Publixes were our best bet for everything.

Where we live now, our neighborhood Publix is the worst! Canned food is about all I buy there. Our neighborhood Winn Dixie, on the other hand, is fabulous here. It has the best produce I've found anywhere in my area -- even including the upscale Fresh Market and our produce markets.

Our Albertsons were all replaced with Rowe's and they didn't even make it a year. So we have two real grocery stores to pick from where I am, Publix & Winn Dixie.

I've asked different guys in various meat departments why FL beef tastes worse than, say, the Midwest or the NE. I've always been told it's because by the time the meat makes it up north, it's effectively been "aged" en route. Fresh beef ain't so good. We get fresh beef here in FL, I guess.

 

[Southern4sure]

I buy just about everything from Publix except for my meat. I buy my meat from a butcher shop which also has a deli. The prices and quality are much better than Publix

 

[ducklite]

I shop at the King's Ridge Publix almost exclusively. Sometimes I'll buy non-perishables at Target if they've got a good sale. I hate Wal-Mart and don't shop there.

When I need a "specialty" produce I'll go to Fresh Market, but their prices can be ridiculous.

I avoid Winn-Dixie like the plague, and haven't been in Sweet Bay since they switched from K&K--although their prices don't seem any better than Publix.

Lots of Clermont people here! There are a few more who haven't even posted on this thread.

Anne

 

[Poohs Pal]

We are pleased with Publix for everything. I do enjoy their greenwise line for meats.

If you have a farm stand--that would be good.

I do enjoy Whole foods, but if you don't plan on buying organic, I wouldn't necessarily bother. I find the organic markets to charge more for conventional than they should like our local Wild Oats.

I loathe Winn Dixie (worked for them for several years and can't stand their stores or their selection). Their produce goes bad pretty quickly, too.

We also have Petty's Meat Market. I am not sure if it is a chain or not. We have a couple here. Not too convenient for me, but their meat was good.

The whole Foods market here isn't to bad price wise. The one I go to is also large. I stop in once a week when I'm in the Ann Arbor area. I have never checked out their store's in Florida. I guess I should since I will start wintering in florida once I sell my home . Susan

 

[JamesLynn]

Since you are from Michigan are you familiar with Whole Foods Market? They have several in Florida and are going to build a new one in Orlando. Excellant meat and produce. Susan

Oh yes! We used to go to the one in Ann Arbor.


I had some Publix produce tonight, it wasn't too bad. But it makes me miss the farmer's market near my MI home!

I'll be trying their meat tomorrow night!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I also shop at Publix. I will say that the cuts of beef available in Florida do not stack up to those I was used to in Missouri. I was also surprised, when I moved to Florida, that produce is as expensive as it is. I assumed it would be cheap since it is the sunshine state. Wrong!

HA! I am here in Texas....yucko on the meat and produce, also more expensive here. We are probably moving back to MO next year and I will be happy to get good food again.