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Groceries in TO

By Rannie Turingan (aka Photojunkie)

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Living in North York, big grocery stores with wide aisles and plenty of selection are abundant. It seem that in the downtown core the opposite is true. Over the years we have talked to many people about their food buying habits and everyone seems to do it differently. Where is your favourite place to do groceries in the city? Or do you just eat out all the time?

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  • Chris Thomas

    Kenisington Market all the way, baby!
    I think I’ve been in one of those big chaing grocery stores ONCE since I moved to Toronto, and that’s when I was out of town visting Stratford.
    THe Market is where it’s at. NEVER not been able to find something there.

  • Luke Tyszkiewicz

    Groceries in TO? That’s an easy one.
    Two words for that one. Roncesvalles Avenue.
    With its plethora of ol’ time polish deli’s and fruit markets, one
    is overrun with the fresssssh factor. That’s right. No No Frills
    over here!

  • http://www.boyreporter.ca Boy Reporter

    The farmer’s markets are fun if a bit pricey but there’s something to be said for knowing who grows your food.

  • http://www.smlg.ca Sean Galbraith

    While I don’t do grocery shopping downtown very much at this point, when I do move downtown later this year proximity to a grocery store will be high on the list. Neighborhoods we’re currently considering include the College Park area (24 hour Dominion) and the Liberty Village area (new Dominion there too).

  • Robonto

    Depends when grocery shopping is scheduled. If it’s 3am, I have to go Dominion on Bloor. If it’s during human time, Kensington’s on the way home…. but if I’m in search for meat, I have to go all the way up Bathurst, or up to St. Clair’s Loblaws for the Kosher kind. WHY is there no kosher meat within bikeable distance?
    Hmmm, I guess I can always go vegan.

  • http://www.photojunkie.ca photojunkie

    Robonto, luckily I live in the land of Kosher foods. But you do bring up a good point, the time of day to shop is always a factor.
    But I also know a lot of people who don’t both cooking at home, because they are only “one”. And also know many that shop on a “need for tonight” basis.

  • http://pukegreen.com Gary

    Grocery shopping is one of the challenges of downtown living. Stores are smaller and further between; I think it has to do with land values. Selections are sucky and prices seem to be higher.
    Another problem is that chain store sales are still geared towards suburbanites with SUVs in the parking lot — Dominion in particular likes to put things like 2L bottles of pop and water on sale in multiples of 4 only. Because we have to carry everything several blocks, and because we live in a small condo without much storage space, buying multiple heavy items or a larger package size usually isn’t a practical option. As a result we are punished by having to pay more to buy smaller quantities.
    Markets like the St. Lawrence and Kensington area are good for things like meats, cheeses, fruits, and vegetables, but when it comes to basic staples like cereal, butter, canned goods, and frozen foods it is quicker and cheaper to visit a normal grocery store.
    It is also true, though, that if you look around, there are many small neighbourhood restaurants and cafes where you can pick up a decent (not fast food) lunch for not much more than it would cost you to cook at home. So I think you can eat out a bit more often in the city than in the burbs without breaking the budget.

  • dave

    my favourite is the 12 am weeknight bulk shop. there’s a 24 hr sobey’s down the street from me (broadview) which, despite the time has other nut-cases like myself doing their weekly shopping in the late nights. going to a grocery store on a weekend is like going to see the backstreet boys at the horseshoe. more people than you can fit trying to get the best goods before you do. it’s a fight for your life just to get a bagel.

  • Chris Thomas

    i swear to you: you can find ANYTHING you may want to eat in kensington. butter? check. cereal? check. lychee fruit? check. rasta headbands? check. $2 falafels? check (akram’s: best in town, imho).
    yes, time is the key thing for a lot of people. but, the home-ness of the KM rocks…

  • David

    “Or do you just eat out all the time?”
    hehe.
    Sorry.
    Grocery stores all the way. Yeah, grocery stores. In the school year though I’m a Rabba fanatic.

  • Brad

    St. Lawrence for me! Plus the Church/Front Dominion, on my way home from work. Kensington when I’m up that way.
    (And depending how work went, maybe the Jarvis/Front LCBO!)

  • soren

    Front Door Organics rocks! Organic locally grown produce delivered to your home.
    KM grocers get their stuff from the food terminal. Hope you guys wash with soap and water, and don’t mind fish genes in your tomatoes.

  • jayseeca

    For me its Kensington, and St Lawrence, or if I need something quick, I go by the Loblaws anyway. But Loblaws sucks for things like zucchini, eggplant, and olives. I struggle to get up on Saturday morning for St Lawrence though.

  • http://leslieville.org/about/ Joe Clark

    Leslieville has a Loblaws and a Price Chopper, which are both convenient even if they are unsightly, hard to reach by bicycle, and located at a dangerous intersection.

  • http://www.photojunkie.ca photojunkie

    You know there is nothing wrong with admitting you like to eat out. There are so many diverse and inexpensive places to eat in the city. And sometimes the busy schedule doesn’t allow for cooking at home.

  • David

    photojunkie, I hate to be a buzzkill, but that’s not why I was laughing at that.
    (Think way less maturely.)

  • katie

    Roncesvalles Avenue never lets me down, The fresh baked goods, polish imports, tons of fruit and veggies for cheap.
    And there is that small sobeys express thats open late.

  • http://karigignac.blogspot.com Kari Gignac

    When I lived at College and Bathurst, I just went to Kensington a couple times a week, and I was eating so healthy! I miss it! Plus we had a garden (talk about knowing who grows your food).
    Now that I’m in Parkdale, I go to the Price Chopper behind the Gladstone. At least it’s cheap. I stopped at an organic store on Queen West (and Ossington, I think), and it was so small, with so little selection, and the prices were high. I think I was spoiled by Kensington, and now my expectations for organic food markets are hard to meet.
    St. Lawrence would be better if it was open later during the week. Then I could hit it up on the way home from work. Alas…
    Eating out is like, my favourite thing to do. Such a moral crisis! It’s expensive, unless you do fast food. And even then, it’s silly how much a full meal will cost you.
    I’m gonna look into Front Door Organics though… that sounds good!

  • http://scottwchris.wordpress.com Scott Christian

    As much as it fills me with rage, the Maple Leaf Garden transformation into a Loblaws will serve an area of housing currently without a convenient, big grocery store.
    It’s still treason, though.

  • Jeff

    Chinatown is awesome for produce, noodles, rice, tofu, etc. Especially for Asian fruit.

  • Betty

    We’re on Queen west of Bathurst and while KM is pretty close we still need to go to a big grocery store for a big shop. For now our choice is the Dominion in Liberty Village – no lines, ever. On the downside, you gotta drive the car there if you’re getting more than three bags’ worth and the produce is grossly overpriced, so I get mine at KM, Price Chopper (behind the Gladstone) or the Square Fruit, a corner store with a remarkably good selection at not-outrageous prices.
    Also, the addition of a Freshmart in KM has made shopping there a lot more appealing. Now I can pick up a cheap litre of milk and other staples to go with my produce, cheese and bread from the local shops. I know some people opposed this “chain” locating there – once I was walking out when some old hippie rode by on his bike and shouted “No Wal-Mart, no Freshmart!” Dude, if you think this small neighbourhood grocery store is akin to Wal-Mart building in the Market, put down your bong. All the Freshmart has done is make KM a more well-rounded market so that I’m MORE likely to spend my money at local merchants (mmm, Cheese Magic) than at the big chains like Dominion.

  • http://www.smlg.ca Sean Galbraith

    Scott Christian: What about the existing 24 hour Dominon one block west of MLG at College Park?

  • http://www.photojunkie.ca photojunkie

    There is also the Dominion two blocks south at the Lofts near Ryerson.

  • http://scottwchris.wordpress.com Scott Christian

    Sean Galbraith: Touche! I guess there’s not much of an upside for anyone then… I can’t believe the new use of one of the biggest toronto landmarks is as a loblaws.
    bah.

  • http://tongueandcheek.ca vanessa

    kensington, st. lawrence market and phil mathewson’s organic market in front of a church by my place. i try to buy local and at the very least organic and these places have been pretty great. you still need to ask everyone about their products to ensure you know what you’re getting. just because an ontario farmer grew it, doesn’t mean it’s organic.
    things have worked out well, instead of cereal i make my own granola and i’ll do without certain veggies and meats for the most part.
    but if you’re looking for down and dirty cheap, no other place than china town ;)

  • Shannon Olliffe

    Yeah, Front Door Organics all the way! brilliant. It’s like Christmas every Friday! ‘sides, shopping at my local supermarket on the weekends, which is really the only time I have, is like driving on the 401 in rush hour. Toxic.

  • http://www.dandickinson.com Dan

    We use the little ValuMart in the Manulife centre for a lot of stuff, but we pick up smaller things from all over: St. Lawrence Market, Whole Foods, the five thieves at Summerhill, the Dominion at College, Cumbrae’s, produce from all the places in Bloor West Village…we’re nomads.
    Once we move downtown next spring, though, it’ll be all Front St. Dominion and St. Lawrence Market.

  • b

    i shop at karma co-op, and can now honestly say that i enjoy grocery shopping… lots of local and/or organic foods, small store, friendly staff and a great member community!

  • a

    kensington market when i have time, whole foods when i have money and yuppie tendencies, the dreaded no frills at dufferin mall when i’m broke and the fridge is empty. and we get front door organics, which means we avoid having to grocery shop more than once every week or two.

  • http://www.robotpilot.com teva

    fiesta farms is a fantastic independent grocery store on christie, a couple blocks north of bloor.
    every time i go there, the organic section is bigger & t hey have an entire aisle of pasta, an international aisle, low prices and a great garden centre.
    other than that, i shop at st. lawrence market on lunch at work, or bike through chinatown and kensignton on my way home. there are corner stores with unique fantastic selections all over my neighbourhood. i go to each one for different things.
    i love grocery shopping in this city.

  • http://www.photojunkie.ca photojunkie

    Teva, I have seen Fiesta Farms on Christie and always wondered what it was like on the inside, I may have to give it a whirl just for kicks.
    I noticed that no one has mentioned the big Loblaws at Jarvis and Queen’s Quay. Who shops down there? I guess no one who reads the Torontoist. I think I have been on a couple of occasions when I was in the area and needed to pick up some small item.

  • rocco

    Nova Era for bread, then O Nosso Talho, baby, then the Korean grocer for fruit & veggies.

  • AP

    Kensington Market & Chinatown for just about everything.

  • http://htt://www.bethmaher.com beth maher

    I like the Loblaws at Jarvis! It is conveniant if you have a car but live (relatively) downtown because it is right off the highway and has lots of free parking (it is also conveniant because you can walk up the street to check out St. Laurance market if you are so inclined).
    We pretty much only shop there and The afore-mentioned Gladstone Pricechopper (with the occasional daytrip to Kensington of course). As Parkdale get’s gentrified that particular Pricechopper gets better and better. Cleaner, wider variety of goods and great deals on stuff you only used to be able to find at fancier stores like organic field greens and a wide variety of soy products.
    I don’t know why anyone would shop at the 24 hour Dominions, (especially the Liberty Village one) unless it actually was 3 in the morning and you had no other choice. It is sooooooo overpriced, it is ridiculous. There’s a reason why that place is always empty.
    Six dollar ketchup? Shrink wrapped produce? No thank you.

  • http://blog.jamestilberg.com James

    Word. I have the 24hr dominion downstairs (Church and Gould) and I shop there purely for the convenience. Once in a while when I am tired of burning money, I take a drive to (any other!) grocery store (Loblaws, Price Chopper, doesn’t matter) and buy large.
    24hrs is nice though. Even though they usually only hire one cashier for the 3am time slot…
    And no fresh bread at that time of course.
    And you have to wait until around 9:00am for fresh croissants!!
    I hate Dominion… :)

  • http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/LoblawFundScrip/index.html Steven Jonas

    While i am completely addicted to President’s Choice Pad Thai, their cookies and a host of their sauces, i will be boycotting their stores.
    My grandson’s school used a program called FundScrip to raise funds for computers, playground equipment that sort of thing, and Loblaws in their infinite wisdom has stopped participating because they only want to support registered charities. Move over PC, and say hello to Compliments!

  • john

    There is a great Portugese butcher shop at Dundas/Dovercourt called Nosso Talho. Beef, Lamb, Pork, Chicken, a wide selection of cold cuts. And it’s half the price of any other place.