Key Food on Washington Avenue

Is this the Key Foods that just renovated/expanded their beer section?

I wish I knew. It drives me crazy. :x

Hey, if they want to put more $$ in Fresh Direct's pockets, that's their (not very smart) decision.

Subject: Re: Key Food on Washington Avenue

JamesonVandy wrote: [quote=EParker]Does anyone have any idea why the Key Food on Washington Avenue closes at 8pm? I have never seen a grocery store in New York close so early. It's ridiculous and it's such a disservice to the neighborhood. I guess if they don't want my business, I can spend my money on FreshDirect.

We've had some good grocery threads on here previously, and you might want to check them out. As for closing early, I can say that the Met on Vanderbilt closes very early on Sundays and stays open none too late on either nights either. I don't mind, however, as I know that the owners want their employees to have a life. They also are very community-oriented in what they carry. Fresh yucca, for instance, is a money loser to stock (or at least break-even), but they do it because people here like it. Just because the store closes early doesn't mean you have to give *all* your biz to FreshDirect (which I love and use as well)...

The Met on Vanderbilt was rated one of the cleanest supermarkets in Brooklyn last year. The people there are very nice but I still feel that they don't have the best selection. I do Fresh Direct for the bulk of my stuff and then I usually run into the Met 3-4 times a week for the stuff I forgot.

stacey wrote: I LOVE the Key Food on 5th Ave. They have great stuff and if they dont have what you want tell the manager and he will order it for you.

AND they play the BEST music....

11238 wrote: [quote=stacey]I LOVE the Key Food on 5th Ave. They have great stuff and if they dont have what you want tell the manager and he will order it for you.

AND they play the BEST music....

LOL I thought I was the only one who noticed that - I wind up bopping my way through the aisles

Oiseau wrote: The Met has a poor vegeable and fuit selection. Did you see their cucumbers lately? Pitiful. And they nevr give you enough parsley in a bunch. It's also hard to find not pink grapefruit juice there.

Fresh direct may have some good items, but they are pricey and you have to deal with all those boxes.

yea, but CTOWN is the worst. Met Food blows them away!!!! Key Food on flatbush however...

sje wrote: CTown on Washington is downright disgusting. It even smells bad. LOVE the Key Food on fifth, but it's a bit of a haul for me. End up getting most of my groceries at the pricy but always open Natural Land on Flatbush. Met on Vanderbilt makes great deli sandwiches for $3.00!

Key Food on Flatbush has improved dramatically since they remodeled a year or two ago, but they're expensive as well. They also have a huge Beer Wall. We went in to cool off after the parade last Monday, and marveled at the humongousness of it.

You're not kidding about Natural Land. That is the Store of Last Resort. If anyone lacks for sticker shock, just go there.

FLUTE wrote: [quote=JamesonVandy]You're not kidding about Natural Land. That is the Store of Last Resort. If anyone lacks for sticker shock, just go there.

That's true. But the fact that it's open 24-hours makes me glad that it's there.

And the fact that it's the only store in the area whose produce doesn't make me want to lose my lunch rather than eat it.

I think the complaint is not about the fish itself so much as the fact that it is stocked in the produce section, which I find a valid complaint since it SMELLS.

bluedove wrote: I think the complaint is not about the fish itself so much as the fact that it is stocked in the produce section, which I find a valid complaint since it SMELLS.

The salt cod is best stored under refrigerated conditions. Since the produce section is the only section (besides meat and dairy) that has refrigeration units, it's obvious why the stuff is kept there. It can't be safely kept with the meat because it is sometimes used uncooked, and therefore bacterial contamination would be a potentially serious problem. The dairy shelves are generally too close together to easily display the salt cod.

I don't see what the problem is. They are stocking a product that many people in this community want, despite the fact that it's likely not that profitable. Surely we can tolerate a bit of fish odor for the few minutes we spend shopping in that section of the store.

bluedove wrote: I just wish they could keep in in some kind of enclosed container or something. Of course I don't mean to say they shouldn't stock it, but I used to have to literally hold my breath/breathe shallowly through my mouth to make it through a trip to C-Town (it's a little better in there now since the new management took over, though still pretty repulsive-smelling.)

Honest question: Isn't the point of salting something to preserve it? Why does it need to refrigerated as well?

The original point of salting it was to preserve it, but like many other things that were originally developed as preservation methods (cheese, yogurt, ham, lox, and kimchi being just a few examples), it still keeps better with modern refrigeration.