Outing: Fresh Market and Tenuta's

Weather here has been beautiful this past week. I've spent so much time at home the last three weeks that any chance to get out of the house is a treat for me.

We were getting low on supplies, especially sandwich stuff. The Greek could live on sandwiches, he likes them that much. So we hopped in the car and went shopping at some of our favorite places.

We stopped at the neighborhood grocery store to pick up a couple of things but also at two of our favorite specialty shops.

The first one is a fresh market. There is one we go to about 20 min from home across the state line in Illinois that is mostly filipino, but this one is predominantly hispanic. They always have great deals on meat and produce. This week is was chicken leg quarters for 59 cents a lb (they go as low as 39 cents a pound sometimes). A couple of weeks ago we got some pork rib tips for 99 cents a pound, they were nearly boneless and so good! We buy in bulk and fill up the chest freezer.

Produce is so cheap and fresh. Eggplant for 69 cents a lb, green onions 4 bunches for $1, and 5lb bags of Vidalia onions for 99 cents!

They also have The Greek's Dietz and Watson Hot Pepper Buffalo Wing Sauce Cheddar for $2 less than any of the other grocery stores in the area.  We also get the best corn tortillas here that come from Chicago.

After we finished there, we drove down the street two or three blocks and went to Tenuta's Italian Deli.

Tenuta's has been in business over 60 years. When you first enter they have pictures up of all the famous people who have visited there. If it's Italian, they have it. We buy our favorite olive oil from here. It was recommended to us by one of the owners. They have all kinds of canned goods, spices, pasta - both dried and fresh, a variety of olives. They have a bakery the serves up cakes, cookies and cannoli and a case of homemade meatballs, pasta, I even saw pastitsio this last visit.

They have bags of candies, licorice, nuts, dried fruit and chocolates. The Greek's favorite wine is often buy one get one free along with a wide variety of others.

The main reason we go is for this.

The Choices!

The deli (remember sandwiches?) is filled with salads and olives and peppers. The cheese case is extensive. I love their fresh mozzerella and smoked string cheese. We stock up on Volpi Genoa Salami, Hot Capicolla, Prociutto, Pancetta, Corned Beef and House-made Roast Beef! As soon as we get home, The Greek makes a sandwich. Listen to him and you'll believe he died and went to heaven!

This is a shot of  what is across from the deli.  You can get almost any kind of wine, beer or liquor here too!

I love both those places, I just wish there was a real oriental market close by.