Where we shop

For fish:  New Deal Fish Market on Cambridge Street in East Cambridge (across from Mayflour Poultry).

For cheese: where else but Formaggio Kitchen on Huron Ave in Cambridge.

For nuts and olives: Sevan Bakery on Mt Auburn St in Watertown.

For even better olives, Greek cheeses and other Greek products: Sophia’s Kitchen on Belmont Ave in Belmont.

For the widest selection of produce at excellent prices: Russo’s in Watertown.

For fresh foie gras: Savenor’s on Kirkland St. in Cambridge.

For Asian produce and groceries: Judy Uhl suggests Super 88, 188 Commercial Street in Medford/Malden.

Heidi Vernon sends these tips for shopping at Trader Joe’s:

  1.  17 ounce Belgian chocolate bars, any flavor with or without almonds (break up the bars and put them in cookie dough). Use the “dark chocolate” without nuts for perfect chocolate sauce. Place the contents of one small can of evaporated milk in a 4 cup glass measuring cup or other microwaveable container, break up 12 oz of the dark chocolate and add to cup along with 2 tbs. honey. Cover and microwave until just short of completely melting. Take out of the microwave and stir until chocolate is totally melted and add 2 tsp pure vanilla extract. This can be frozen, can be used as a glaze on cake, perfect ice cream sauce, and will sit unharmed in the fridge for two weeks if you don’t eat it with a spoon in the meantime.
  2. Trader Giotto’s Pesto alla Genovese in 6.7 oz jar. It is essence of basil. Add a spoonful to your vinaigrette, use as pasta sauce or add to pasta sauce.
  3. Trader Joe’s sweet chili sauce. Perfect on fish, especially salmon.
  4. Trader Joe’s regular olive oil (not extra virgin). It is much more flavorful for cooking and even does beautifully for salads.
  5. Trader Joe’s mozzerella. It is always fresh, soft and extremely reasonably priced.
  6. Frozen brown or jasmine rice in the freezer section. Just microwave for 3 minutes. Sounds terrible, tastes great. Try mixing the rice with Trader Joe’s tomato chutney and serving it with Indian food. 

If you have a favorite place that beats all others, please comment below and I’ll add it to the list.


3 thoughts on “Where we shop”

  1. Heidi Vernon

    For those west of Cambridge I suggest Russo’s for fruit, vegetables, cheeses, flowers (both indoor and especially outdoors for your garden). Russo’s has top quality and a huge selection of Asian fruits and vegetables as well as the more familiar. Its bakery is first rate and French and Italian breads are made in-house. Russo’s has a great variety of delicatessen meats and cheeses. There is a large bread selection from the top middle Eastern bakeries in the area. This is a mammoth store that also carries fresh and dried pasta, sauces, candies, nuts, and dried fruit. Russo’s is on Pleasant Street where Watertown, Altham and Newton meet.


  2. Kitty Selfridge

    Russo’s indeed has lovely produce, including Asian greens, and French mache (lambs lettuce).
    Wilson’s Farm in Lexington also a great place for produce, eggs, standard cheeses, a small bakery, their own chickens, some meat from Dewar’s (like bacon-wrapped pork medallions, small steaks, pork tenderloins), and great flowers and plants (much better in variety and maybe quality than Russo’s) from their fields and their farm in NH.
    For fish: the Fishmonger in W. Cambridge, next to Formaggio’s on Huron Ave. Small, a bit expensive, but good. Also good fresh frozen crabcakes, bluefish cakes etc, made in store. They will also make special dishes, poach salmon, etc.
    Wine: the Wine Cask
    Meat: Huron Village’s Fresh Pond Market. A small general grocery store, with good butchers, produce from Russo’s, and a nice selection of wines too.
    Dewar’s in Newton is excellent for meat and chicken too – bigger, more expensive.


  3. Bill Boone

    For the best fish, I go to Captain Boston in Medford, at the intersection of Main and Harvard. Not cheap, but so fresh you may need to wait a few minutes till they cut your pound of tuna off the giant beast on the gurney.

    Don’t miss the sole.


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