beckytx

Hello, we're spending spring break in San Diego in a condo on Mission Beach. Could anyone recommend a good place to pick up a few groceries between the airport and Mission Beach? Ideally I'd like to stop at a high quality place like Whole Foods where we can get good meat to grill, cheese, produce, wine. I see there is a Trader Joe's on the way, but I don't love their wine selection. Does anyone have any tips? We arrive very late in the afternoon and I don't want to get stuck ordering pizza for dinner, since my research shows MB is not a big restaurant area. Thank you!

DebitNM

https://www.google.com/maps/search/s...17.1819724,12z

Albertson's is a good chain. Sprouts is another good store with a very nice liquor department.

This is on way: http://obpeoplesfood.coop/

I would try Trader Joes, they're inventory in CA may be quite different from your local TJ

beckytx

Thank you!

rjw_lgb_ca

Seconding Deb's reco on Trader Joe's. The wine sections in CA TJ's tend to be much, much better than the selection in other parts of the country. TJ's prepared foods are always fun.

You will find that most supermarkets here have great produce sections. Even Ralphs (a Kroger brand) has organic sections for meats, dairy and produce. I'm a bit cool on Albertson's in my area (a bit run-down); the Vons/Pavilions chain has better selection all around, although it's a bit pricier. Ralphs is always acceptable-- a good mid-range choice. Note that the major grocery chains have full liquor licenses, so they sell hard alcohol and wine/beer.

If you have a Sprouts on the way, the meats, eggs, dairy and produce have wide selections in the organic/free-range arena and great fresh seafood, and on a whole it's much cheaper than Whole Paycheck. However, the Sprouts I've been to up here in LA Metro only sell beer and (a nice but concentrated assortment of) wine.

nanabee

In Pacific Beach within a mile or two of Mission Beach, you can find these grocery stores:

Sprouts
1260 Garnet Ave, Pacific Beach (San Diego) 92109
(858) 270-8200

Trader Joe's
1211 Garnet Ave, Pacific Beach, 92109
(858) 272-7235

Whole Foods (which you asked about) is not close but the one closer to you would be in Hillcrest (you'd want to go there first directly from the airport). I wouldn't bother as it'd be about 15-20 minutes out of your way (each direction).

Whole Foods, 711 University Ave, San Diego 92103 (619) 294-2800.

Von's in La Jolla on Prospect Ave near Girard Ave. (which is about 10 minutes north of MB) has a very nice (small but growing) section of organic produce & products in addition to a very large wine selection.

J62

There's also a Vons (= Safeway) in Pacific beach - not 5min drive from Mission Beach. 1702 Garnet Ave

BigRuss

Trader Joe's is great.

Sprouts is Whole Foods for everyone (with prices about 30% lower than Whole Foods).

Albertson's you should know about if you're Texan, it's sub-Kroger and sub-Safeway/Tom Thumb.

clarkgriswold

Albertson's has recently switched back to USDA CHOICE meats, at least in my neighborhood. Vons is still carrying the inferior "USDA SELECT" which they sometimes label "Rancher's Reserve" or some such nonsense.
Sprouts quality is hit or miss, aren't they owned/operated by Smart n Final? The bakery section is particularly bad, and lots of their store-brand products are iffy, like cottage cheese full of carrageenan, yogurts full of gelatin, etc.

DebitNM

"Albertson's you should know about if you're Texan, it's sub-Kroger and sub-Safeway/Tom Thumb."

Does this mean is a SUBsidiary or that it is subquality of those chains??

Here in NM, Albertson's is our top of the line large chain grocery store.

And if it meant Albertson's is a SUBsidiary, they are not.

DebitNM

"Albertson's you should know about if you're Texan, it's sub-Kroger and sub-Safeway/Tom Thumb."

Does this mean is a SUBsidiary or that it is subquality of those chains??

Here in NM, Albertson's is our top of the line large chain grocery store.

And if it meant Albertson's is a SUBsidiary, they are not.

Dukey1

TTT..what a welcoming thread!!!

Jean

In January 2014, Albertson's announced the closing of about a dozen stores in SoCal and another dozen elsewhere in the western U.S., all occurring by the end of February 2014.

rjw, if 'your' Albertson's is at 450 LB Blvd., it's gone.

IMDonehere

Yikes, where's the nearest In N Out Burger?

Jean

https://www.in-n-out.com/pdf/locations_printable.pdf

But I prefer: http://www.habitburger.com/locations/all/

nanabee

http://www.burgerlounge.com/

They serve grass feed meats. And I think their salads are organic as well. They also have quinoa and veggie burgers as well.

Their Cesear Salad is no longer on the menu but you can ask for it. It's my favorite.

nanabee

clark: "Sprouts quality is hit or miss, aren't they owned/operated by Smart n Final? The bakery section is particularly bad, and lots of their store-brand products are iffy, like cottage cheese full of carrageenan, yogurts full of gelatin, etc."

Yuck! I had no idea. Will check this out. That's why I do like to shop at Farmer's Markets or Whole Foods. Even though I pay a little more - it's better quality and WF in our area sources a lot of local stuff.

jpie

beckytx-we have been renting in SD in Pacific Beach for a month now and while I totally agree it isn't cuisine central-we have enjoyed a couple of places here that we think are pretty good-so if you get stuck the first night-the places we thought that are better than the rest are The Fishery on Cass (loved the mussels with linguica in particular):

http://www.thefishery.com/

And also we enjoyed California Kebabs especially because it is also a local micro brewery, Amplified Ale

http://www.cali-kebab.com/zgrid/them...ntro/index.jsp

I don't think you would disappointed in either of those if need be.

beckytx

Thank you all! It sounds like Von's or Ralph's will be great. Our Trader Joe's here has either high end California wines ($25+) or their cheapo house brands, not much in the $15 range, but its still worth stopping in for cheese and some goodies of course.

I've heard several folks mention the Fishery, so will def check that and CA Kebabs and burger places you all mentioned.

jpie

Yeah TJ's wine is kind of like that here-but one good thing they do sell is a good selection of the local craft beers if that interests you. I prefer the Ralphs here to Vons but both are fine.

The big advantage of Vons is that in the same little complex there is a great cupcake place called Pure Cupcakes:

http://www.purecupcakes.com/

They have an amazing salted caramel cupcake that is to die for

For excellent wine selection you also might like Bevmo-the Point Loma store will be right on the way from the airport if you don't take the freeway but go Harbor to Rosecrans

3210 Rosecrans Place
San Diego, CA 92110

Doesn't look like you have BevMo in Tx-it is great they have MANY bottle that are full price for the first and then 5 cents for the second bottle-so if you normally buy $15 bottles-you can 1 for $15 and the second same one for 5 cents-and they have bottles like that at all price points.

Anyway I better stop before everybody thinks I am too decadent with my cupcakes and wine

Have a great time-we leave on Monday and have had a great time here.

jpie

okay one more thing before I stop-the other great little lunch place we like in Mission Beach is Rubicon Deli-huge portions so try the "half" size first because it is actually not half-just a smaller version. They make 6-7 kinds of breads-all yummy-I really liked their meatball sandwich and love their twisted Caesar salad: http://therubicondeli.com/