359092 Thu Jan 11 00:06:59 -0800 2007 359 32 Chains 0 2175354 Can anyone share their experiences with food from Costco..especially the fresh and frozen prepared food..but even their bulk food like cheeses and olive oil? I just bought and tried the marinated Alaskan salmon, prepackaged in individual servings. It was truly horrible. Extemely salty and just awful. I tried the frozen cooked lamb shanks. They were very good but the sauce had a slightly sweet mint taste. I like the large pans of frozen lasagne but everytime I cook it, the cheese crust burns. I really like the frozen Italian meatballs. The current Kirkland frozen shrimp are good. I really like the french feta cheese. Rhee Thu Jan 11 00:06:59 -0800 2007 41181 Rhee 1 2175415 most of their cheese is fairly solid, in particular their tillamook 2 yo aged white cheddar. I haven't found a can't miss frozen prepared food but i keep trying. Here in Eugene Oregon they have one of the best meat counters in town. Actual butchers instead of celophane jockeys. Thu Jan 11 00:25:36 -0800 2007 2175354 25203 nothingman 1 2175731 The "panda" potstickers are always in my freezer just in case. I always keep a bag of Kirkland meatballs on hand as well. These make a nice addition to my daughter's pasta, a nice sandwich, or a potluck favorite in the crock pot. Thu Jan 11 02:09:21 -0800 2007 2175354 13915 mamamia 1 2175743 I find that I am almost always disappointed by pre-marinated anything. It just never works for me, so I've never tried their marinated salmon. I've never tried their packaged lasagna, but you could put foil over the lasagna to keep the cheese from bunning and then just remove it to let it get brown at the end of cooking time (I do that with my homemade lasagna anyway). I adore that french feta! It's wonderful, isn't it? I like their vegetarian egg rolls (mini size), huge plastic container of kalamatas, most cheeses, big containers of salad greens (usually, if fresh-looking). Also, they have decent ravioli/tortellini and pretty good frozen pizzas--I like the super-thin crust kind that comes three to a box. Very light and decent for frozen pizza. Also, I like their huge bag of french green beans in the frozen section. Even though I'm not a big frozen veggie person, they definitely do in a pinch. They also have very good olive oil. Every 6 months or so I buy their gigantic bag of flour and portion it into gallon freezer bags (this makes a HUGE mess) and store them in the freezer so they remain fresh. Can't get a better deal on flour, and then you're not always running out. Not really whatyou asked, but they also sell half-sheet pans two to a package with a quarter-sized sheet pan for $15. Love that. Thu Jan 11 02:12:23 -0800 2007 2175354 39328 IndyGirl 2 2396214 I've found marinades to be somewhat disappointing in general... try using dry rubs on your seafood and meats! Agree on the feta... also, their pesto sauce is great for being a store-bought... Sat Mar 17 21:23:01 -0700 2007 2175743 64003 bulavinaka 1 2175752 There rotisserie chickens come in handy on busy nights or to make a quick chicken salad. I also like their prepared greek salad if you feel to lazy to put one together yourself. I also regularly buy the hummus in the refrig case - don't know the brand, but they have a plain and a pepper one - both of which are good. They also sell Stacy's Pita Chips. In the bread section, they sell these rectangular bagel bar type things, I think they are called energy bars. But they have nuts, and dried fruit in them. They don't always have them, but when they do I buy a bag. They are individually wrapped and a easy, healthy breakfast. Last week I tried some terriyaki chicken meatballs that were in the refrigerator case. They ingredients looked good, but they were soooo salty. Couldn't eat them. Thu Jan 11 02:15:30 -0800 2007 2175354 56380 JennyHunter 2 2175763 They've gotten pretty creative with that rotisserie chicken. Now they've got a chicken noodle soup made with it and a chicken salad they make with it. Almost bought the chicken salad but figured $8/lb was a little high for it. Thu Jan 11 02:18:43 -0800 2007 2175752 11914 monku 2 2188999 Have not been able to get rotisserie chickens in my Costco since it was renovated a couple of years ago. They replaced the rotisserie with a steam convection oven, and the chickens come out too dark at one end and too light, almost white, at the other. Staff there told me the rotisserie chick had an oyster sauce prep, but now they just spray with Sprite. Yes Sprite! Mon Jan 15 00:41:11 -0800 2007 2175752 56131 jayt90 1 2176087 I've been happy with everything I've tried from their bakery. Thu Jan 11 04:09:04 -0800 2007 2175354 17863 Newkie 2 2184617 Their croissants aren't REAL croissants. Sort of in the same class as Safeway's. Sat Jan 13 09:43:38 -0800 2007 2176087 13619 Sharuf 3 2188976 Well, they are made with real butter, but in a central bakery, then frozen and delivered for bake-off. Their fresh baked breads and rolls are also bake-off. Mon Jan 15 00:33:09 -0800 2007 2184617 56131 jayt90 4 2419868 They used to have unbaked frozen croissants that you thawed overnight and baked at home. They were good, if a little fluffy. Dunno if they still sell them. They also had these gigantic muffins - seriously, like five in one - filled with poppy seeds and dried fruit. Soooo good. But really bad for you, of course. Other goodies: cheese (they have artisanal cheeses at ours), bulk veggies (romaine hearts, baby carrots, etc.), vacu-packed fresh pasta, cereal. Sun Mar 25 17:00:51 -0700 2007 2188976 10681 piccola 5 4068120 TJ's has frozen croissants that you thaw overnight... just like the real deal!! Sun Sep 28 14:34:49 -0700 2008 2419868 15050 random amblings 1 2176123 The Alaskan king crab is the best. 6/9 size(6-9 legs/10 pounds)is the largest you can get and for $10.99/lb-$11.99/lb you can't beat it. Thu Jan 11 04:21:50 -0800 2007 2175354 11914 monku 2 2178904 Agree with the King Crab...only better I've had was shipped direct from Alaska, but a $20/lb PLUS shipping...for the price, these were just as good! Thu Jan 11 21:34:49 -0800 2007 2176123 64155 Bababooey 1 2178416 We live in a small town in central Mexico, so our Costco is a treat. We like the Nancy's frozen quiches. The bakery here makes a terrific Tres Leches cake. In the freezer section I got a 1.8 kilo bag of raspberries, marionberries and blueberries that I made into a huge cobbler for a party. They were fantastic. We also like Sabra hummus with garlic very much. Another party staple. Finally we have USDA choice beef and terrific pork products. Thu Jan 11 20:03:37 -0800 2007 2175354 60822 Pampatz 2 2178845 So is everything there from the US? Is the selection the same as you might expect in the US (if you know). I can say with certainty that I've never done any grocery shopping in Mexico, so it's interesting to me! Thu Jan 11 21:23:57 -0800 2007 2178416 42270 HaagenDazs 3 2184027 A lot of the things are the same, but the bakery has bolillos(a hard roll)and other Mexican pasteries. The meat department has different cuts than we are used to in the US. Example for New Year's dinner we had 14 people over for a Texas style dinner. As the meat course I was making oven BBQ brisket. I bought two large cryopac packages of what looked like beef brisket. It wasn't. It was 8 huge pieces of untrimmed arrachera steak, basically skirt steak. I spent an hour at 7:00 am pulling off silver skin and fat before I could start cooking. Yuck. Food was a big hit since they didn't know any better. Fresh veggies are similar to what you see at Costco NOB (north of border). One thing we can't find is Russet potatoes. They have great new potatoes, but the thin skinned white potatoes that they grow here are awful. Lots of the products are relabeled in Spanish. Other than good potatoes, we lack for little. Sat Jan 13 02:37:24 -0800 2007 2178845 60822 Pampatz 1 2178548 The only brand of cranberry juice that my family drinks is kirkland. Also, we ALWAYS have the smoked salmon in the freezer (i believe the brand name is Nanuk.) My family was crazy for a Mango-Chipotle sauce that was available there, but we havent been able to find it for a year now. Other than those, we have bought the Tacquitos, which weren't bad, and various types of puff pastry hors d'oeuvres which were all ok. Their freshly baked 12 grain triangle buns are also very delicious! Thu Jan 11 20:29:10 -0800 2007 2175354 51490 icey 1 2178878 I cooked the frozen stuffed shells the other night and they were very good. Sorry, I can't think of the brand name and they weren't Kirkland. The ricotta filling was thick and creamy and the shell was el dente. I put my own sauce over them and baked. They stayed firm, didn't get soggy or fall apart. Thu Jan 11 21:30:33 -0800 2007 2175354 16196 AnneM 2 3466125 I think they're Contessa brand, I can be wrong, but I agree that they're great. I also love the preshelled pistashios (haven't seen them in a while), frozen mini egg rolls, muffins, cookies, spinach dip, sliced Mango, clams, and king crab legs. One of my favorite places to shop. Thu Mar 06 10:27:14 -0800 2008 2178878 103854 HunterJay 1 2179685 they make great chocolate chip cookies, rotisserie chicken, their roasted garlic bread is yummy when fresh, their kirkland brand smoked salmon is very good, the goat cheese is pretty good, their quiches are okay in a pinch, the campari tomatoes are the best tasting tomotoes around for the money, the kirkland brand tiramsu is delicious, their romaine is usually fresh. Fri Jan 12 00:46:36 -0800 2007 2175354 12933 meb903 2 2179731 I've been looking for the tiramisu! They had it a few years ago (maybe) at my local Costco, but haven't been able to find it since. I think the same company makes it for Trader Joe's, but it's a smaller size. Which Costco do you shop at? Or maybe I'm just blind...:) Fri Jan 12 00:57:28 -0800 2007 2179685 11955 silleehillee 3 2180835 this is not the old tiramsu that was in the freezer - it is costco's own brand & is with the cheesecakes & cream puff in the refrigerated section in the bakery. i shop in Pampano Beach, FL & Hackensack, NJ Fri Jan 12 13:14:19 -0800 2007 2179731 12933 meb903 4 2186838 Thanks for letting me know...I've tried the Kirkland brand, and it's a little different (it has chocolate cake instead of ladyfingers, I think). It's still good though! Sun Jan 14 03:34:53 -0800 2007 2180835 11955 silleehillee 1 2179867 Their fresh shrimp U-15 at 9/lb is a great deal and they are great. The NY strip steaks on the grill are also great. The grapes are also very good. I do not buy marinated anything, anywhere (thank you Anthony Bourdin). Non=prepared foods - Whole bean coffee, EVOO, sugar packs, lite and fit yogurt, Tropicana OJ, snacks, SPecial K, Poland Springs water, diet coke, Fruit 2 o, Orbit gum Fri Jan 12 01:42:23 -0800 2007 2175354 11290 jfood 2 4798742 Do you mind telling what AB said about marinaded stuff? He does use marinades in recipes I see on the web. Just curious. Thanks, FOTD Tue Jun 23 12:06:01 -0700 2009 2179867 107184 FriendOfTheDevil 3 4798838 jfood actuallyimpressed himself by remembering the genesis of a 2-year old post. AB said that the marinated stuff in large buffets (actually is was the vinegar based salad stuff, but same diff) were normally where they placed the almost bad proteins because the vinegar and marinades hid the smell. Sure AB would use marinades in his preps but this was a slightly different take. Now jfood will NOT buy the Costco shrimp since they come from VietNam Tue Jun 23 12:35:21 -0700 2009 4798742 11290 jfood 4 4798923 Yeah, I wish Costco would source wild caught US shrimp. Whole Foods has some very good Key West pinks that come frozen in a few different sizes. A regional chain, Hen House, has the same product packaged under their house brand, as do the Super Targets here. I don't think this is out of their reach, but I get the feeling Costco isn't expanding their product line like they used to, probably because of poor profits. Tue Jun 23 13:00:33 -0700 2009 4798838 24126 amyzan 5 4799036 jfood prepared some wild us shrimp lastnight for mrs jfood. she tookone bite and asked him where he bought. Oh no, they were bad. She really liked them. Tue Jun 23 13:24:48 -0700 2009 4798923 11290 jfood 4 4798939 Hey, kid. Am I stupid that I don't know what's wrong with shrimp from Vietnam??? Tue Jun 23 13:02:51 -0700 2009 4798838 131001 c oliver 5 4799031 jfood understands some major contamination and quality control. They tasted great but sorta took the air out of the sail. Tue Jun 23 13:24:06 -0700 2009 4798939 11290 jfood 5 4799032 antibiotic soup, anyone? their shrimp farming techniques are quite disgusting, in my opinion. http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=antibiotics+vietnam+shrimp&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 i feel the same about the now-everpresent tilapia. Tue Jun 23 13:24:23 -0700 2009 4798939 105717 alkapal 6 4799047 j&a, I think I'm sorry I asked :( Tue Jun 23 13:28:02 -0700 2009 4799032 131001 c oliver 7 4799084 c -- i know what you mean. it's like, well, there's another food i can't buy! Tue Jun 23 13:33:19 -0700 2009 4799047 105717 alkapal 8 4799246 yeah, jfood stared at them in the case theother day :-(( Tue Jun 23 14:13:54 -0700 2009 4799084 11290 jfood 9 4799451 what about cinnamon, most of it comes from Nam. Tue Jun 23 15:24:26 -0700 2009 4799246 149836 cstr 10 4799512 cinnamon? i don't think there's an issue with cinnamon, as it's not raised in an antibiotic soup. do you know of problems with cinnamon? indonesia is by far the greatest source of cinnamon imports in the u.s., and vietnam is behind sri lanka, according to this u.s. foreign agricultural service data (from 1999-2000): http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp/tropical/2001/03-01/conppimp.pdf according to the f.a.s., here's some info re vietnamese exports: http://www.fas.usda.gov/country/Vietnam/vietnam.asp >>>""Population: 86.1 million GDP per capita: $2,900 (2008 est.) Agriculture: 19% of economy Agricultural Production: rice, coffee, tea, rubber, cashew nuts, fish and seafood Major Vietnamese Agricultural Exports: rice, coffee, cashew, black pepper, rubber, fishery products Major U.S. Agricultural Exports to Vietnam: cotton, red meats, dairy products, poultry meats, hides and skins""<<<<< Tue Jun 23 15:45:00 -0700 2009 4799451 105717 alkapal 1 2181052 Here are the things that i ALWAYS buy from Costco: Hummus Tabule Guacamole (excellent) Rotisserie Chicken Mixed nuts Assorted frozen hors d'ouvres Cheeses-- we always buy the grated pecorino romano. Also, many of the international cheeses that they sell are really good Jumbo lump crab meat -- great for crab cakes! My dad also buys a great deal of meat there. Especially boneless chicken breasts. Also, they sometimes have rack of lamb that is really really good! All of these things are really really good, especially the guacamole. At every party, my family always has some and people rave about it! For those who were asking about the Tiramisu: I shop at the Costco in East Hanover, NJ and they have had it recently! Fri Jan 12 14:44:16 -0800 2007 2175354 50537 NiKoLe1625 1 2181573 I buy their boneless pork chops - excellent. Also their boneless chicken breasts. Their ground beef is excellent - not fatty at all. Their beef filets are wonderful - in general, at our Costco all their fresh meat is very good. Last night I found fresh pork tamales - I believe the brand was Rosalita - that were very, very good. Not too much masa. I like their fresh salsa, also. They've recently started carrying a 2 container package of humus - one garlic humus (1 lb), the other cilantro & jalapeno (also 1 lb) that is fantastic. Over the holidays they had frozen scallops wrapped in bacon that were very good and an hors d'oeuvres sized spanikopita that is excellent. I also regularly buy their Jamaica Blue coffee - 2 lbs for $9.99. And I agree on the campari tomatoes - very good. And their 1 lb can of Phillips lump crab meat makes excellent crab cakes. Fri Jan 12 16:37:02 -0800 2007 2175354 16001 Jeanne 1 2181638 The pork and veg egg rolls are really really good. I don't have any left, have been without for about a week. I like to take about 3 to work with my apricot marmalade. Pistashio nuts chicken breasts pickled asparagus marinated articoke hearts I really like their veg, They used to have a very good shredded hash browns, but haven't seen them for awhile. miss them. That's what a really hate, you get addicted to something and then they stop supplying it. Fri Jan 12 16:49:19 -0800 2007 2175354 65597 chezlamere 2 2185372 I agree. I like costco a lot. However, you get addicted to something and then it is no longer there. Perhaps, I'll BJ. Sat Jan 13 18:27:19 -0800 2007 2181638 10639 Soup 1 2186672 Over the holidays I got addicted to their bufala mozzerella -- a container with four large balls for about $10. I also stocked up on Pacific free range organic chicken broth in the tetrapak cartons -- a box of six one-quart cartons is about $9. A few years ago I bought some Montverde brand roasted red and yellow peppers (twin pack of 23.5 ounce jars) that remain the best jarred peppers I've found. But I only saw them in one store, and I haven't seen them in years. Sun Jan 14 02:21:00 -0800 2007 2175354 10159 Ruth Lafler 1 2188995 Yeah, it's really hit and miss on products. They have something and then you never see it again. Their nuts are great-I always pick up the pistachios and if you use a lot of pine nuts, they're the place to go. I did an obsessive price check for a while (spreadsheet, per ounce pricing compared to supermarket)and a lot of things aren't really a bargain. However, bulk buying makes a difference not having to go to the supermarket for basics. I can limit my supermarket shopping to perishable basics and weekly menu shopping. Mon Jan 15 00:40:02 -0800 2007 2175354 64910 deepo 1 2189011 Costco is great for bulk raw nuts: pine, almonds, walnuts and pecans (I wish they had cashews). Great to keep in the freezer and usually lasts me for a few months. Last summer we hit on these wild salmon 'burgers' in the frozen section and they were fantastic-perfect for throwing on the grill for a quick weeknight dinner but.... I haven't seem them since. Mon Jan 15 00:46:05 -0800 2007 2175354 33941 rosielucchesini 2 3342208 I bought the salmon burgers (Trident brand, 12 per pack) just yesterday for the first time, and I agree that they're really quite good...and that was just pan frying one up quick to try it out plain. I never noticed them before so I can't say how frequently they come and go, but hopefully they'll show up for you again soon. Mon Jan 28 15:28:56 -0800 2008 2189011 48555 roundfigure 1 2189546 Our number one favorite item is the wedge of Cello brand Pecorino Romano. It's so good as a little bite before dinner, and also grated. Second best thing, as mentioned above, is their lox-style smoked salmon. Prices great for both. Mon Jan 15 04:38:05 -0800 2007 2175354 66152 Fiftyishfoodie 1 2201265 Previously mentioned, the garlic bread is phenomenal (warning: for garlic-lovers only). The Bolthouse brand carrot juice (umm-umm good). Sabra Hummus, awesome. Acme breads. Thu Jan 18 11:49:01 -0800 2007 2175354 13964 J T 2 4384270 That Bolthouse carrot juice (esp. the baby carrot one, I've seen two different labels) is damn good. It tastes of a creamier, much more delicious version of what you might otherwise think of as carrot juice. Sabra is pretty good for a large scale brand. The seasonal chocolate truffles in the gold bags (Truffettes de France) are a longstanding favourite -- everyone loves those things when they show up. Had a bag of baby new potatoes (white, red, purple) recently (from British Colombia, I believe) that were fantastic. Tue Feb 03 12:33:00 -0800 2009 2201265 14419 Chester Eleganté 3 4384733 I've seen fingerlings in mixed color varieties--are these the potatoes you mean? They're more elongated than round from what I saw and looked fresh, but I didn't buy them for some reason. If I have a vouch, hmmm, maybe I'll have to go this weekend. Tue Feb 03 14:43:50 -0800 2009 4384270 24126 amyzan 4 4386445 I love the fingerlings. They're a seasonal item but I'll usually go through a couple of bags of them. Wed Feb 04 07:56:00 -0800 2009 4384733 131001 c oliver 4 4386757 Yeah, I think they're fingerlings. Clear bag. I'll check next time I go for the details. I doubt it'd be the same source since these were up in Toronto, but try'em out anyway if you're there. Wed Feb 04 09:29:05 -0800 2009 4384733 14419 Chester Eleganté 4 4435811 Ah, they are from The Little Potato Company. They come in various varieties; I tried the Terrific Trio. They look to be primarily just available in Canada though. here's a pic: http://www.littlepotatoes.com/english/var_terrific.html Fri Feb 20 09:30:58 -0800 2009 4384733 14419 Chester Eleganté 1 2203242 I really don't like their prepared meals in the refrigerated cases. They are expensive and inedible. Some of the frozen stuff is fine, but don't expect to find authentic, restaurant-quality potstickers or lasagna, for example. You must try the real buffalo milk mozzerella balls in water. So delicate and soft--unbelievable! I can't find anything else like this where I live. I know people like the hummus, but it's not made with olive oil. ??? They just replaced their canned sundried tomatoes in olive oil with pre-sliced tomatoes, which are so much easier for the harried cook to use, and still very tasty. The king crab is a great deal also. They sell the red variety, better than the yellow. Thu Jan 18 20:41:50 -0800 2007 2175354 67716 LilLibellule 1 2206160 Carnitas from the refrigerator case 8 minutes in the microwave - shred it and you have the best burrito fillimg in the world.( moisten with a little Mojo) My local Costco does a killer chicken pot pie -good crust, lots of chicken,even though it's huge my husband and I buy one and make 2 meals and a lunch out of it Fri Jan 19 17:00:34 -0800 2007 2175354 19365 eimac 1 2395661 My costco has been carrying organic frozen veggies (e.g., green bean, asperigus, corn). Let me say it is the best frozen corn I've ever had. The TJ's super sweet frozen organic are as good but Costco 5lb bag is so much cheaper. Sat Mar 17 16:19:38 -0700 2007 2175354 10639 Soup 1 2396224 Tuna, Tuna, Tuna. Esp in California right now, I have found cans of solid Albacore at the markets to be more expensive than ever these days. Costco always comes through for me in being less expensive. Also the box of Morning Star breakfast patties, when they have them are also a good buy. :)KQ Sat Mar 17 21:29:19 -0700 2007 2175354 11934 Kitchen Queen 1 2396239 Eggs (Organic and Non), Organic Milk, Fresh grapefruites in the sack, Ribeye steaks, Chicken thighs (raw), Jarlsburg chunk, Glass jar of assorted olives, frozen shrimp (the largest ones they have), fresh whole pineapples, case of seltzer, Folgers instant coffee. Sat Mar 17 21:36:34 -0700 2007 2175354 83710 olympusnyc 1 2396277 Costco cakes are amazing! I mean, for a big store bakery. I was quite amazed by how darn tasty, moist and delicious my first cake from Costco was - and inexpensive. At first, I was bummed that I turned off by the idea of a cake from Costco - seems so, well, cheap but I was so pleasantly surprised! I enjoy the steaks - nice thick rib eyes - excellent NY strips, beautiful eye of round - we love them. Also, the lamb medallions are wonderful on the grill. Rotesserie chicken - huge - inexpensive - great for dinner then making other dishes (chicken salad, enchilladas, sandwiches) The only prepared, frozen foods I've picked up are the mini quiches which make fine simple fast appetizers. Other than that, I go for the fresh meats, nice assortment (though simple) cheeses, and some fruit. A few years ago, before I entered a Costco, the idea of such a place was very unappealling to me - now I am a convert! Sat Mar 17 22:05:43 -0700 2007 2175354 65558 Abacus 2 3312836 Abacus, I couldn't agree more with you on the cakes from Costco. I purchased one for a bridal shower in a pinch, and was floored by how good it was. It was also very beautifully decorated. Once it was out of the box, everyone assumed it was from one of "the" bakeries in town...and who was I to dispute that? :-) Sat Jan 19 17:44:30 -0800 2008 2396277 67610 Suzy Q 1 2408079 Rice Works sweet chili brown rice crisps (like Doritos, but made of brown rice, and so addictive) Tillamook aged sharp cheddar Fresh mozzarella, the small balls in olive oil - great for tomato salad in the summer Kalamata olives in a jar Shelled pecans (usually around holiday baking season) Wed Mar 21 13:11:23 -0700 2007 2175354 55069 2m8ohed 2 2412226 those brown rice crisps are amazing! you are right, they are unbelievably addicting! Thu Mar 22 15:32:49 -0700 2007 2408079 50537 NiKoLe1625 3 4098152 figures, I was looking at these just the other day and just wasn;t sure whether to get them or not...to the OP, I have some of their frozen orange chicken and it was great. The meats and fruits are good though, I always seem to go in there hungry for some reason and every time I leave I have at least a 250 dollar bill...might not be that much for some of you with big families...but it is just me and my 4 year old :D Sat Oct 11 15:11:32 -0700 2008 2412226 232012 Saintwho 1 2411996 The Kirkland Four-Cheese Ravioli is really good. Thu Mar 22 14:22:34 -0700 2007 2175354 12829 Bob W 1 2412014 The stuffed salmon in the fresh seafood section is very good. The other prepared stuff are hit or miss. I liked the meatball lasagna and seafood lasagna, but can't seem to find them recently. A year ago they had osso bucco in the freezer case that's to die for, but can't find it either now. Had the marinated wild salmon, and didn't find it too salty (I generally avoid salt), it taste just OK though. Trader Joe's frozen meatball is juicier than Costco's. Didn't like their lamb shanks with rosemary and mint - too overpoweringly minty. My husband loves the pine nut hummus. Their little brownie bites are very good also. Thu Mar 22 14:29:50 -0700 2007 2175354 46671 notmartha 2 2417468 I love their rotessiere chicken, bought excellent spinach cheese ravioli, they have very good thin crusted margherita pizza. From the meat department their burgers and steaks are good, but the packages are large and you must repack before you freeze. most of my purchases are non food items. They also have good soinach dip, Sat Mar 24 13:17:47 -0700 2007 2412014 85508 linsue 1 2420048 I'm surprised nobody has mentioned their pies. The apple pie, which has now been replaced with a caramel apple pie, is fantastic. The trick is to back it for an hour before serving. We also like their pumpkin pie. The beef and lamb at my local Costco is great. The lamb is an especially good deal. The same for the fresh salmon filet -- not marinated. When they have the king crab legs, they are excellent. I had some from Costco and bought some the following day at Whole Foods. Absolutely no comparison. For packaged foods, I like the hummos (I'm going through a container of roasted garlic/artichoke right now), a lot of their party dips, the frozen hors d'oeurves, and the chicken pot pie (which can feed a family for three days). I also get h Sun Mar 25 18:30:52 -0700 2007 2175354 10568 Jwsel 2 4652851 In my opinion, the apple pie and pumpkin pie have way too much sugar. Can't taste fruit when there is SO MUCH sugar!! Mon May 04 10:36:32 -0700 2009 2420048 175578 gki 1 2421416 Yesterday we sampled some tikka masala simmer sauce. Even the twins liked it! So we bought a tub. You just heat it up and dump it over chicken. We'll see if the kids like more than one bite of it, but mommy and daddy will definitely eat it. It's in the section with the cheeses, sausages, soups, etc., between the wine and the meat. Mon Mar 26 09:22:28 -0700 2007 2175354 12829 Bob W 2 2423681 Maple Leaf Duck Kirkland Smoked Salmon Hebrew National Salami (Great for Salami and Eggs) Mon Mar 26 19:06:16 -0700 2007 2421416 16764 ciaogal 1 2424473 They sell 100% pomegranate juice for an amazing price (Kirkland brand). Tue Mar 27 05:59:15 -0700 2007 2175354 14202 spyturtle008 1 2440864 okay, for my job, I need to shop at costco every week so I am somewhat of a Costco afficianado. Great buys include: all nuts~ walnuts, pecans, cashews, pine nuts... best prices you will find, chicken breasts, salmon filet, pork tenderloin, beef tenderloin, you can cut and freeze in portion sizes you need (some come cryovaced) marinated artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes in oil, cheeses of many countries... the jarlsberg, the french offerings, feta, fresh mozzarella, the dubliner is awsome with little crystals of salt throughout..., in the produce section~ the golden pineapples are a steal, bluberries and black raspberries, and the "french" green beans are great although they are just young, tender green beans and not true haricot verts, english cucumbers too! Also good prepared items include~ the fresh pesto (unless you have time and ingredient to make your own, this is the best I've had), the spinach and feta pie (not the appetizer size) is very good for a simple lunch or dinner, the stuffed shells are of consistent okay quality, as are the chicken potstickers... The seasonal offerings are also usually fairly good, I recently had the corned beef and found it very good and easy to prepare well. I too would never buy any "marinated"meat product and am amazed people continue to do so. I must wonder at the low level of texture/taste/quality many folks find acceptable... anyway, costco offers some great choices and some truly awful... don't forget to glance at the book section while your there, some great finds/buys... Have fun! Sun Apr 01 14:47:08 -0700 2007 2175354 82009 imabigeater 2 2946714 A little late in the game, but I'll post a reply anyway... they sometimes stock Marcona almonds over in the snack-foods section that are very good and a good buy. They come in black cans that look like coffee cans. Their fresh chocolate muffins are also really good-- more like a dense, chip-filled cake than a muffin-- and at $5.99 for 15 or so you can't beat the price. Also have to agree about their hummus-- especially with garlic-- the best prepared hummus I've ever had. Ditto on the Ghiradelli brownie mix-- I've brought them to potlucks and people have raved over them. It's Ghiradelli though, so that's not surprising. Don't miss some of the items in their little "food court" area or whatever you'd call it-- the spot where you can get lunch. The chicken caesar salad is quite respectable (and costs much less than the supersized version over in Prepared Foods). And oh my gosh-- the chocolate ice cream bar is incredible. It comes as plain-vanilla and they dip it when you order, in rich, somewhat bittersweet chocolate. It's like a Dove Bar on steroids. Three of my children shared one and-- get this-- *could not finish it*. The only Costco food I've had lately that I was truly unimpressed with was the Kirkland brand (but supposedly Carnegie Deli recipe) pastrami. It was thick cut and had a lot of fat and gristle to it, making it difficult to chew-- plus the long/narrow size of the pieces made sandwich-making awkward. I'll stick to getting my pastrami from the deli, thin-sliced and cut to order. Sun Sep 16 14:31:07 -0700 2007 2440864 127798 renna 1 2949805 This summer they had a raspberrry/rubarb pie that was very good - my family loved it. I was also glad to see their regular apple pie back - without the caramel topping. Very good. I love the combo packages of humus - 1 lb of plain garlic and 1 lb of cilantro jalapeno - addicting! We also have the tinned Marcona almonds - excellent. I was surpised at how good their alfredo sauce was - with the fresh pasta - is great with their fresh spinach ravioli. Their in-store made chicken enchiladas are good too - popular with my family. I could go on and on - Mon Sep 17 14:37:22 -0700 2007 2175354 16001 Jeanne 2 3305802 I am a huge Costco fan. But I have bought some terrible food there. I agree that the frozen marinated salmon is just horrible and the lamb shank sauce is too sweet. For a while they had terrible frozen shrimp but they have moved away from the bad vendor. I threw out a large container of taboule..too much vinegar and one of bean salad..too sweet. But the pies are great except for apple..strawberry rhubarb is one of the best. We buy the cheap french roast coffee beans for about $3/lb. and like them a lot. Olive oil is excellent, feta and most cheeses are excellent. We buy the romaine lettuce and chicken and beef and pork and like all the meat. We don't like the sushi..the rice is gummy. The chile verde is too salty. The vanilla ice cream is excellent, so are the frozen berries and the frozen cream puffs. The chocolate cake is good..not great. I keep their nuts in my pantry and they have great deals on expensive spices like saffrom and vanilla beans. I buy their dry yeast. I make pulled pork from their pork shoulder. The whole New York strip is a great value and excellent to cut up into steaks for a party. I used to buy the POM pomegranate juice but my local store does not carry it. I buy the five packs of sparkling apple cider. It keeps forever. I have a wine friend who says that their wine can be bought cheaper elsewhere so I buy it as a convenience item Thu Jan 17 12:43:22 -0800 2008 2949805 41181 Rhee 3 3990173 I find their wine selection to be quite good and the prices reasonable. It's almost impossible for me not to grab at least one or two bottles while shopping... Wed Aug 27 00:21:17 -0700 2008 3305802 64003 bulavinaka 1 3305813 we like the costco whole combo pizza for $10 from the food court. I reheat each slice in the toaster oven or directly on the rack of a convection oven long enough for the bottom crust to become crispy. I think its better reheated that way than freshly cooked. This works great for an informal gathering..so cheap. Make a salad from the romaine lettuce and ceasar dressing and you handle a large group of people with almost no effort for under $50. Thu Jan 17 12:47:03 -0800 2008 2175354 41181 Rhee 2 3839519 Question to you Rhee?? I'm not planning my trip to Kansas to Costco till the end of this year,never noticed the Rhubarb pie before,have you seen it come around Christmas time?? I live in Harrison Arkansas,so Kansas is the closest for me to travel,also never noticed the unfrozen shrimp,maybe I was too tired from my long trip,do they alway's have it also?? I would like to add that we have a Sam's club in springfield Mo,which cannot compare to Costco,that's why I travel so far to go to a Costco,having originally come from Miami I will say when Sam's club has a Costco in the same city they upgrade theyre merchandice.thanks in advance. Fri Jul 04 13:36:23 -0700 2008 3305813 53927 mutti 3 4383875 Pies are seasonal. You'll see rhubarb in spring, cherry in summer, etc. Tue Feb 03 10:45:28 -0800 2009 3839519 10117 leek 1 3308465 Their store-made swedish meatballs (packaged on top of fettuccini) is very good for a quick dinner. I'm not usually a fan of their prepared foods but we really enjoyed this. Fri Jan 18 09:47:50 -0800 2008 2175354 140805 mdepsmom 1 3310199 Some of my favorites; The estate bottled olive oil is an absolute steal at around $12 a bottle. The Boudin San Francisco sourdough bread. Lamb, farm raised salmon and king crab. Cottage cheese for $5 a tub! Fri Jan 18 16:43:41 -0800 2008 2175354 155549 Docsknotinn 1 3310712 We don't have a huge need to buy "in bulk" but there are a few things I will seek out if in Costco vicinity....chicken breasts, whole beef tenderloin, feta (it freezes well and then crumbles), Nancy's appetizers were handy over the holidays (quiches and deli spirals), black berries and blueberries...and all the other things that seem to jump off the shelves into my shopping cart!!!! Fri Jan 18 20:21:33 -0800 2008 2175354 18940 LoN 1 3314819 My father in law swears the smoked salmon from there is the best he's ever had. My favorite thing is the pre-made spinach salad. I comes with a poppy seed dressing and is surprisingly good. The cakes are consistently good to, for a large party cake. We also seem to always be getting the Horizon chocolate milk in the shelf safe packaging. DH takes them to work with him, way cheaper than buying them at the cafeteria or Starbuck's. Otherwise, I keep their 2 serving pre-packages chicken breast in my freezer as back up food. For those weeks when I don't make it to the local butcher for a better cut of meat. Sun Jan 20 14:35:56 -0800 2008 2175354 114057 bubblet4me 1 3339628 Not sure if this is available in all Costcos, but I've bought black truffle butter from the San Francisco & Foster City locations. Best $8.99 I've spent in some time. Makes even plain Jane french bread taste amazing, esp. if the bread's been sliced thin and toasted. A little bit of the BTB goes a long way, even if you're slathering it on pasta or scallops.... Mon Jan 28 00:25:13 -0800 2008 2175354 11011 Eugene Park 2 3339660 Really? Recently? In what part of the store was it located? Real bits of truffle? Man, you don't have to convince me. Lulu restaurant in the summer served corn on the cob with truffle butter. It was really amazing, yet so simple. Mon Jan 28 02:22:54 -0800 2008 3339628 27275 ML8000 3 3340997 In the "ready-made" refrigerated section where they keep the raviolis, parm-reggiano cheese, heat & serve soups, artichoke dip, hummus, etc. Real bits of black truffle. The butter is a grey-beige color with black bits of truffle thruout. Just toasted some bread and spread some of the BTB for breakfast this morning. Mmmmmmmmmm........ Mon Jan 28 10:55:41 -0800 2008 3339660 11011 Eugene Park 4 3341373 EP - thanks! I'll be looking for it next trip. So, how much does $8.99 buy? Mon Jan 28 12:14:06 -0800 2008 3340997 27275 ML8000 5 3341408 Eyeballing the container, a little bit less than two sticks worth. Wasn't paying attention when I threw away the wrapper which had the producer and weight info. Mon Jan 28 12:20:15 -0800 2008 3341373 11011 Eugene Park 6 3342896 Thanks again, that doesn't sound unreasonable. Mon Jan 28 19:23:34 -0800 2008 3341408 27275 ML8000 1 3348959 Things we enjoy on a regular basis: 1) Cinnabon sliced bread. (toasted with just a little butter on it!) 2) The pre-made Chicken Alfredo isn't bad. I usually kick it up with some of my own spices and cheeses etc, but it is a nice base and good quality chicken breast. 3) The Kirklands Alaskan Sockeye smoked Salmon (the one in the 1lb slab) was delicious. I bought the other one they had there and didn't like it as much. Seemed stringy for some reason. My dad swears by the rotiessiere chicken. I guess I need to try it. I would be willing to try the pre-made ribs, but they seem very pricey since I know I could eat that whole thing in a flash. I bought the frozen Cajun chicken pasta and it had a really good flavor but was very spicy and had LOTS of garlic as well. Wed Jan 30 12:27:36 -0800 2008 2175354 124708 mac8111 1 3408902 I am not a Costco member, but I've tried their spinach artichoke dip and it is the best that I've ever had! I wish I knew what brand! I've bought the same kind of dip at Sams and it wasn't even close. The Costco one was so good, I won't eat s/a dip unless it's theirs or homemade!!! Mon Feb 18 07:53:20 -0800 2008 2175354 109812 crosby_p 1 3414138 My girlfriend and I are addicted to Costco like junkies are to crystal meth. It's just her and I (she only weighs 110 pounds too!) and last year, our 2% rebate was $350. Unlike most people, I wasnt happy when I saw that figure (hmmm...$350 is 2% of what number again?!). That being said, regarding food, here is what comes to mind: - Easily the best partnership between two products in Costco is the bag of Stacy's Pita Chips combined with the Sabra Hummus. Buy both, enjoy both, thank me. - Buy the guacamole, use one tub, freeze two more. I swear there's like 25 avocados in that product, yet it only costs $5. How do they do it??? - Instead of the pre-marianated salmon, why arent you guys buying the frozen Kirkland-brand salmon that they sell? It's high quality. Same goes for the frozen scallops. - Must...buy....rotisserie chicken. Night 1: eat one breast meat. Night 2: put thigh meat in enchilada sauce and serve with tortillas. Night 3: chicken noodle soup. - The raw almonds are awesome (and MUCH cheaper than anywhere else). - Popcorn - Tilamook Pepper Jack Cheese is INCREDIBLE....thats basically the only cheese we buy now. TheTilamook "Tila-Moos" are great little cheese snacks that are perfect for brown bag lunches. - Amy's Chicken sausages are probably the single-best "find" I've had. 120 calories per sausage and they taste amazing. Tue Feb 19 14:02:07 -0800 2008 2175354 128260 Johnnyman7 1 3431198 The cinammon coffee cake at costco is surprisingly good. Sun Feb 24 20:25:19 -0800 2008 2175354 161870 Cinemaverite1 1 3431228 Costco San Diego has the frozen French Onion Soup that is so good.. I buy my black peppercorns for under $4 3 pound French Roast for under $10 Tapenade is really good Lobster Bisque 18 Eggs for under $3 Paper Towels..the best! Slab of salmon..non marinated Baby Bell Peppers Romaine lettuce Fingerling pots Butter Pecorina/Romano cheese bulk Fat Tire Beer Sun Feb 24 20:47:01 -0800 2008 2175354 97452 Beach Chick 2 3445935 Just got the 3 tubs of Guacamole for $4..really good and I can freeze it too. Thu Feb 28 20:30:36 -0800 2008 3431228 97452 Beach Chick 1 3445974 We love to buy: all our meat there coarse pepper, basil, thyme, oregano frozen sole, cod (I'm soooo buying the salmon next time) chicken fingers, nuggets, dip-its (totally hubby's thing) premade rib 'n sauce that's fall of the bone and really yummy most veggies and fruit (asparagus, brussel sprouts, baby potatoes, oranges, blueberries etc) whole grain bread (2 for the price of 1 compared to safeway) canned albacore tuna. (6 cans for the price of 2 at safeway) The list is endless. It's crazy how much money you can save and the quality of food is usually great Thu Feb 28 20:51:02 -0800 2008 2175354 144814 livetocook 1 3453228 rotisserie chicken avocados carnitas bagels cheeses meat (wish they had grass fed) eggs (they have organic now!) wine lemon bundt cake tortillas sundried tomatoes nuts: pecans, pignolias, cashews, almonds chicken dino nuggets (toddler fuel- and adults when no one's looking) cases of ramen for ravenous yet lazy teenage son I'm sure there's lots I'm missing. But with 7 people living in my house, the stuff goes fast. Sun Mar 02 18:14:46 -0800 2008 2175354 68466 vickib 1 3466104 Careful price comparisons showed Costco is often NOT a better deal, but there are things we have found that are super cheap and we buy on a regular basis: Rotisserie chicken -- cheaper and 100% better than any grocery deli counter Eggs: bundle of 5 doz -- best price around Kirkland butter - bundle of four 1 lb packs -- best price around Kirkland coffee beans - 9.99 for huge bag Boca burgers -- makes an excellent sandwich, nutritious, 100 cals ea, way cheaper than grocery stores, Burritos: big bag of 30 -- very nutritious after school snack that our kids can make themselves Egg rolls: large box of 18 -- ditto Heinz ketchup - bundle of 3 lg bottles, 1/2 price over grocery Stacy's pita chips - addictive, good with ANY kind of dip including guacamole Marcona almonds Excellent rhubarb pies when in season Maple syrup -- way cheaper than grocery store A-1 sauce -- ditto Earthbound farms spring mix salad greens $3.50 (in a big plastic shoe-box like container) -- WAY cheaper than grocery store ($4.99 @ Walmart) Don't buy bottled water -- environmental catastrophe & sorry, but shame on anyone who does (IMHO) While we're there we always grab lunch from their food court. Kids chow on pizza and frozen yogurt sundae, hubby goes for all beef hotdog + drink for just $1.50 and I love their Chicken Cesear for 3.75 (excellent chicken, HUGE salad, eat half and save the rest for lunch the next day) Non-Food: Toilet tissue, laundry soap, dishwasher detergent, books Thu Mar 06 10:21:05 -0800 2008 2175354 155130 maliengus 2 3471971 The stores here stopped carrying Boca burgers which was a major downer for us. I joined Sams club just to buy Bocas. :( Sat Mar 08 02:39:46 -0800 2008 3466104 155549 Docsknotinn 1 3468172 The Basha brand hummus (labeled "Hommus") is the best store bought stuff I've tasted. I also like to get their stuffed grape leaves once in a while. Thu Mar 06 19:20:50 -0800 2008 2175354 23170 reenum 1 3468476 Leg O Lamb w/o bones Menage a Trois wine Applewood Bacon Pork Loin Short Ribs w or w/o bones Acme Bread Blood Orange Soda Canned Lump Crab Strawberries when available Mussels SF French Roast Coffee Nuts (all kinds) Thu Mar 06 21:31:38 -0800 2008 2175354 69675 BBQ Boy 1 3471507 Ghiradelli Triple Chocolate brownie mix is worth the annual fee. Costco is the only place I can find it here. I also like frozen shrimp wrapped in shredded potato. It really crisps up in the oven and actually tastes like shrimp. The macadamia nut cookies are pretty amazing. But I tend to eat 10 before I get home so there are now on my banned list. My usual items are the big bag of Starbucks coffee beans; the dried cranberries and dried blueberries; the 4 pack of asian noodles that come in the square boxes (I have one for lunch almost every week) and asparagus which is usually half the price of Safeway. I used to love the bire in pastry but haven't seen for a while. Fri Mar 07 18:38:39 -0800 2008 2175354 169994 pengcast 1 3474394 Nuts, all types Dired cranberries and blueberries Lobster bisque Spring salad mix Portobello mushrooms Wines (supposedly the mark up is only 13%) Llyod's barbecued ribs Sun Mar 09 00:06:46 -0800 2008 2175354 171674 honu2 1 3489750 I buy all of these items from Costco: President feta cheese, their capers, Spanish queen green olives stuffed with pimiento, the canned organic chopped tomatoes, fresh tomatoes on the vine, baby organic carrots, pink lady apples (when they've got them), Kirkland Signature olive oil (pretty good for the price), Jose's Vanilla Nut coffee in big bags, Kirkland frozen, cooked shrimp and Mahi Mahi fillets, Morningstar frozen veggie sausage patties, and Jarlsberg light cheese in large bags. These are all regular Costco purchases for me. Thu Mar 13 13:06:45 -0700 2008 2175354 124476 FoodieKat 2 3504828 The Jarlsburg cheese is my favorite along with the reduced fat cheddar cabot cheese, the Filandia reduced fat cheese platter, and oh..I guess I like the vegetables, too. Sweet mini peppers are fun and tasty. We buy the Kirkland brand coffee for "weekday" run and go coffee - HUGE 3lb tin for I think $8? Very tasty. We use fancy stuff on the weekends. Those torilla chips are out of control good. Tue Mar 18 13:05:07 -0700 2008 3489750 88683 stellamystar 1 3495674 Costco is my favorite store!!! Some of my Must Haves: Deli-pre-baked pizza - what a steal! Rostisseree chickens - dito Smoked Salmon - simply the best! Fancy mixed salad Greens - another steal! Golden Pineapples are amazing Onions... hello! Guacamole - unbelievable price Kirkland milk, butter, yogurts, and cheeses - can't be without them Frozen Salmon - I love them all Frozen veggies - great deal Kirkland coffee beans - so affordable and so good Tortilla chips in the brown bag - a staple in our house Olive Oil - can't be beat Nuts of all kinds - my freezer is stocked Fresh Mozzarella - so inexpensive, yet so wonderful! Kirkland Vanilla Ice Cream - I'm sure it's made by Haagen-Dazs Kirland laundry detergent, vitamins, shampoo, etc - such high quality for such a great price. I could go on forever.... Sat Mar 15 11:36:03 -0700 2008 2175354 174957 Patrincia 2 3495737 Oh yeah - forgot about onions. Love those huge bags of onions they sell. I use onions virtually every time I cook, so it's a great value. And their tubs of pre-peeled garlic cloves. Makes life a bit easier! Oh, and they sell Kashi, which have above and beyond the best quality level cereals of almost every other brand IMHO. Those tortilla chips are pretty good. What brand are they again? Have you tried those pretzel chips? Those are addictive! Sat Mar 15 11:55:16 -0700 2008 3495674 124476 FoodieKat 1 3504947 King Crab Legs Whole Dungeness Crabs Don Julio 1942 Tequila Bags of Ripe Avocado's Double packs of Cheerios for our daughter. Tue Mar 18 13:35:53 -0700 2008 2175354 26725 swsidejim 1 3507751 Manchego Cheese, as well as Piave, a cows' milk one from Italy Bruce Aidells Pineapple Teriyaki Chicken Meatballs - very bold blackpepper notes; keeps months in freezer; microwaves well from frozen Montecito Brand Key Lime Salsa - haunting lime nuance, yummmm Kellogg’s Special K Redberry - best price, a staple for teenagers Campari Tomatoes - better than any home grown fresh cut Sweet Potato Fries - try raw, then place on cookie sheet, bake til crispy done Wed Mar 19 11:11:55 -0700 2008 2175354 175578 gki 1 3510723 mouse cake ! Thu Mar 20 08:31:36 -0700 2008 2175354 163551 sleepycat 1 3510756 Costco's Campari tomatoes give me my tomato fix outside of locally grown tomato season. The taste is great and they last a long time on my counter. I recently bought a quart of delicious blackberries and used half for cake. I love, love! the Pacific Free Range Organic Chicken broth. The taste is very close to homemade. www.houndstoothgourmet.com Thu Mar 20 08:43:57 -0700 2008 2175354 65673 monavano 2 3512088 Those tomatoes ARE good, the best I've ever tried that were store bought. One poster said they were better than home grown but I disagree. If you've never had home grown tomatoes better than Campari then something is wrong with the person that grew them. But for store bought, these are excellent. All too often the tomatoes look good but have no taste or are mushy; the Costco Campari ones are almost like home grown. Expensive, but worth it. Why pay less for cardboard? Thu Mar 20 13:53:08 -0700 2008 3510756 10764 monkuboy 2 3550820 Oh yes... the compari tomatoes are the very best tomatoes around - and they last for up to two weeks as long as they stay attached to the stems. Tue Apr 01 15:51:56 -0700 2008 3510756 174957 Patrincia 3 4435995 After reading this I'm now hooked on these tomatoes! I go through one package per week and have my husband eating them, too. I now buy them a little green and let them sit on the counter, in the package, and they ripen perfectly. This is coming from someone who only eats homegrown in the summer and always leaves the tomato on my plate when given a salad at a restaurant. Fri Feb 20 10:14:43 -0800 2009 3550820 138943 grouper 1 3510882 We bought a 20# bag of russet potatoes at Costco last month. They were the best potatoes we have ever had. I have prepared them numerous ways and DH is always a happy man. In Mexico, our Costco makes a layered Tres Leches Cake that is really good and miniature cinnamon-sugar donuts. We also buy all our meat there. In Denver we get La Brea Bakery rosemary-olive oil bread. Thu Mar 20 09:17:09 -0700 2008 2175354 60822 Pampatz 2 3521273 We dropped our Costco membership a few years ago - after all, how much can two people eat? A good friend, where I have lunch about once a month, serves Costco in-store made chicken noodle soup and it is fantastic. My understanding is that they use the previous day's unsold rotisserie chicken to make the soup. It is the best chicken noodle soup I have ever had - and, at 65, I have had time enough to eat a lot of chicken noodle soup. Mon Mar 24 04:36:57 -0700 2008 3510882 10288 Milt 1 3541646 My favorites: Tillamook Pepperjack (makes great quesadillas for my toddler, and me too!) Hershey's Triple Chunk brownies (better than the Ghiradelli ones, I swear) Fischer&Wieser Roasted Raspberry Chipotle sauce (yummy as a glaze, great as a dip, just poured over some cream cheese) Batter Blasters (This is a new item...ORGANIC pancake batter in an aerosol can, of all things! Sounds crazy weird, but it makes the BEST pancakes, and no icky chemicals. My toddler LOVES them.) There are lots of other things that I would love to buy/try if I had more freezer space, or more family (it's just me and my little guy). Sat Mar 29 18:18:26 -0700 2008 2175354 168859 itri 2 3550511 FREEZER SPACE!!! What does someone do with Costco food without freezer space. I would love to know. I personally have a drawer full of chicken breasts, one full of hamburger, another with a 5-year supply of spices, cheese and bakery items piled high to the top. Full time job managing all this. Certainly does direct the family's eating habits. We eat out very infrequently with my constant effort to get rid of all that's in my freezer!! Tue Apr 01 14:15:56 -0700 2008 3541646 175578 gki 3 3554513 I just don't buy stuff that has to be kept frozen! I only have a side by side freezer, so not a ton of space. I would love to buy waffles and frozen fruit and veggies, all sorts of stuff, but no room. I stick to refrigerated and nonperishable items, for the most part! Wed Apr 02 14:53:28 -0700 2008 3550511 168859 itri 4 3780251 I agree, its not very practical for a family of two to shop there. Definitely need lot of freezer space. I had stopped shopping at costco, until lately I came to find they offer lot of organic food and also some brands I favor. Some of the things I buy regularly, Salmon burgers ( so good, hope they continue) Wild Alaskan salmon Panda Shumai ( just microwave, great flavor) Amy's burritos Amy's canned soups canned tomatoes, beans, etc Roasted salted peanuts in shells ( my husband loves them) Sat Jun 14 09:39:58 -0700 2008 3554513 200674 chowmeaow 5 3829577 If you eat meat, they offer frozen organic ground beef at 3 lbs for $11.99. Same brand at WF was $6 a pound last time I checked. Tue Jul 01 08:33:12 -0700 2008 3780251 109573 coney with everything 3 3828884 I'm single and a Costco shopper. I have a small chest freezer -- 5 cubic feet, because that's what fit in my condo. The freezer, and repackaging stuff in smaller or serving portions, makes Costco-size packages doable for me. Tue Jul 01 02:41:58 -0700 2008 3550511 134716 emu48 2 3550828 What part of the warehouse do I find the Fischer&Wieser Roasted Raspberry Chipotle sauce? Tue Apr 01 15:54:03 -0700 2008 3541646 174957 Patrincia 3 3554505 At my Costco, it's towards the front of the store in the food section, near the canned goods (mushrooms,salsa, veggiesthat kind of stuff). It comes in a two pack of two big bottles. Wed Apr 02 14:51:14 -0700 2008 3550828 168859 itri 1 3554577 The Costco near me prepares these awesome turkey (I think) wrap sandwiches, cuts them up, and sells them about twelve in a pack. I buy them when I'm entertaining, and everyone LOVES them. However, I had to stop buying them just for myself because they're so good, and it's way too easy to eat half the container in one sitting. Wed Apr 02 15:09:33 -0700 2008 2175354 179924 Al_Pal 1 3558763 I forgot about them until I pulled them from the pantry the other night. But as Letterman would say pound for pound the best deal going are the large jars of dried mushrooms. I think the porcinis were about $15-$18 dollars for about litre -- compared to $3 for a little envelope at a speciality store. Thu Apr 03 14:57:38 -0700 2008 2175354 169994 pengcast 2 3579206 This past winter I bagged jars of full thread saffron, not dust, for $23 each. I agree the porcini's are a steal. Some places have full legs of procuitto deparma for around $8. pp. Wed Apr 09 18:48:38 -0700 2008 3558763 147961 treb 1 3835631 are there any costco's out there that still sell santarelli's pierogies? those were the best ever and now the costco by me (s.e. michigan) have started selling pierogies that come in a purple box (i cannot remember the name), but i am not a big fan of them - they are ok, but santarellies were awesome! Thu Jul 03 05:46:02 -0700 2008 2175354 206310 abbey867 1 3835723 The Ghiradelli brownie triple chocolate brownies..someone mentioned this is the only place I know of to get here.. Frozen edamame beans..a big box holds about 12 packs.. Thu Jul 03 06:32:00 -0700 2008 2175354 115868 burlgurl 1 3960971 It took me several tries, but I figured out how to get a decently crisp crust on the ready-to-bake pizzas, at least in my electric oven. Preheat oven half hour at 500 (there's a pizza stone in the bottom). Put pizza on a pizza screen on the middle rack, close door and turn heat down to 400. After 10 or 12 minutes, pull pizza out, sprinkle with grated parmesan, pecorino or grana (all from Costco, either in wedges or pre-grated) and bake an additional three to five minutes. I buy the margherita pizza (tomato sauce, sliced tomatos, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil) and usually add torn up thin-sliced prosciutto (also from Costco) before baking. The crust isn't thin like I prefer, but it's not bad. At my store they put on too much tomato sauce, but in America we're used to that. The fresh tomatoes often are underripe. The result is maybe most of the quality of homemade pizza with way less work and time. You may want to sprinkle on olive oil and salt before baking. Or chopped fresh basil after baking. Raviolis: Costco has some wonderful ones and some mediocre ones. My favorite is the spinach and mozzarella ones, small and triangular and sold frozen in large greenish bags, with little packages of grated cheese/dried herbs inside the bag. Even without any sauce, they're good tossed with the grated cheese mixture. Toss with a dab of butter and finely diced ripe tomatoes and they're sublime. The shrimp and crab frozen raviolis always taste sub-par, which could be a function of the longer shipping time (I'm in Hawaii). Some of the unfrozen (refrigerated) raviolis are pretty good. If you're a ravioli lover, I suggest working your way through all the ones your store offers. You'll find some winners and some not. Like the Ling-Ling frozen potstickers, they're all easy and fast to prepare. Costco imported cheese prices are up with the decline of the dollar, but the ones from Spain and Ireland still tend to be much more affordable than the ones from other parts of the EU. Bagged frozen edamame (edible green soybeans): for the longest time, I resisted buying them because fresh-cooked ones are available everywhere here. I figured the frozen product, while much more convenient to use, would be inferior to the fresh-boiled local product. Wrong! They're every bit as good. Since they're frozen in a large bag, sometimes I pull out just a handful, quickly defrost under warm running water, shell and use them in all kinds of peculiar ways: mixed with basmati rice. In arrozes and paellas. Tossed with the raviolis with butter and fresh tomatoes mentioned above. In salads. These are a great little veggie. The flavor reminds me of artichokes. Try them if you've never had them. Fri Aug 15 15:57:35 -0700 2008 2175354 134716 emu48 1 3964017 In Toronto, Costco has recently added frozen packages of Dunn's smoked meat. For my American friends, smoked meat isn't exactly corned beef, and it isn't exactly pastrami, but it is actually better than either. In Montreal, you can get it fresh from a number of spots, but Toronto has been a desert. The frozen Dunn's, while not the same as the original, is still pretty darn good. The frozen packs microwave in about 2 minutes, and then I either eat it plain on the plate (w/ mustard and potato salad), or in a traditional sandwich. If I'm feeling really ambitious, it makes a great Reuben. Sun Aug 17 11:23:12 -0700 2008 2175354 48210 KevinB 1 3987438 someone brought one of the costco-purchased cakes recently to a volunteers' gathering. it was all gone: cheesecake factory limoncello cake. light, delicious, interesting textures. a hit! Tue Aug 26 06:33:23 -0700 2008 2175354 105717 alkapal 1 3989740 We are huge Costco (Avon, MA) shoppers. It helps to have a freezer. I love their cheese selections and recently enjoyed a French Triple Creme in a wooden box (forget the name), an Italian Trugole, and an Irish Kerry gold cheddar. Lately we've been big fans of their shrimp salad; med size, not overcooked, with a little celery finely chopped, lightly coated in a peppery, herb mayo, on a bed of romaine. One container (about $10.) feeds the 2 of us for 2 days. We had some amazing champagne grapes about 2 years ago and I've been looking for them ever since. Yesterday they appeared again. They're from California and come in a 2lb. box. I don't remember how much but saw the exact same brand in my local supermarket in a 1 lb. box for double the price. It takes a supreme effort of restraint not to inhale the entire 2 lbs. in one sitting. I'd like to make something with them but they're so insanely delicious that we can't stop ourselves from sucking them off their little vines as soon as they're rinsed off. Tue Aug 26 19:35:33 -0700 2008 2175354 10369 mimish 2 4004248 Hey guys, I just got those champagne grapes at Costco, those little pearl sized grapes are loaded with flavor. Tue Sep 02 15:57:34 -0700 2008 3989740 147961 treb 1 4001526 For large work functions the cheesecakes are tasty. Costco usually has good deals on decent cheese. The meat department has good deals on packaged chicken breasts and boneless thighs. My personal favorites are the ribs and pork tenderloin. Mon Sep 01 10:41:08 -0700 2008 2175354 167008 Tonka 1 4001712 This week in the our Costco in Morelia, Michoacan we had chiles en nogada in the deli section. They were very good and much less trouble than making them homemade. Mon Sep 01 12:25:01 -0700 2008 2175354 60822 Pampatz 1 4002557 Long time Costco fan...I usually go about once a week. Some of our favorites: - Prepared Chicken Salad - made from the rotisserie chickens. very nicely seasoned. - Chicken Pot Pie - this could feed a small nation. Comparing this to the prepacked ones you'd find at the grocery store is ridiculous. - Yancy's Fancy's Cheeses - We really like the Champagne and Horseradish - Whole Beef Tenderloin - Mango Salsa - dumped this on some chicken breasts and baked - very tasty and easy. - Boneless Leg of Lamb A couple of things we tried recently that were disgusting: - Some sort of honey chicken salad (not made in house). It was so sickeningly sweet, we had to throw it out. - Bill Bailey's Carne Asada (cryopacked) - this was so salty, no one in my family would eat more than a bite. I forced myself to eat a portion and it made me sick for the rest of the night. Mon Sep 01 20:56:52 -0700 2008 2175354 176868 steinre1 2 4002958 I have to agree with you on the Bill Bailey stuff. We haven't had the carne asada but the tri tip was wayyyy too salty. I won't buy anything from that company. Tue Sep 02 06:53:03 -0700 2008 4002557 10764 monkuboy 2 4003136 Our family had been lamb-phobic until a few recent experiences that have 180ed our views and tastes. We've noticed the boneless leg of lamb but have been undecided... I don't recall but is it preseasoned? If not, how do you suggest preparing it? Also, have you tried the lamb chops? Thanks... Tue Sep 02 08:29:26 -0700 2008 4002557 64003 bulavinaka 3 4005840 I just got lamb chops from Costco last weekend. Hubby bbq'ed 4 of them and they were great--not too fatty, good flavor (of course he cooked them to perfection!). I'm pretty sure the boneless LOL is not preseasoned. Wed Sep 03 10:26:47 -0700 2008 4003136 109573 coney with everything 4 4006248 Our initial interest in the lamb chops was spawned by a couple who also mentioned that they bbq'ed them and haven't turned back since... Thanks for the info... Wed Sep 03 12:45:46 -0700 2008 4005840 64003 bulavinaka 5 4098280 I sear the rack of lamb for about 4 minutes in a hot pan on both sides then I put the entire pan in the oven 350 for about 7-8 minutes, take it out put the rack on the side and add about a cup of some decent red wine to deglaze the pan and it makes an almost chocolate sauce it is soo delicious. Sat Oct 11 16:44:07 -0700 2008 4006248 232012 Saintwho 1 4003229 chicken rotisserie.....one of the best for the money or not......madeleine cookies at portchester,ny store.... you all in portchester, please try it......different /not-as-good in their torrance,ca store....dont undertsand this.....different supplier maybe Tue Sep 02 09:08:40 -0700 2008 2175354 148558 jaymor 1 4008311 I've gotta say, I really like the new snickerdoodles, but find they taste and look totally different depending on the costco that you get them from. I love them from one costco in my area (on rockaway turnpike in ny) but have really really not liked them from the other costcos I've tried them at Thu Sep 04 10:04:14 -0700 2008 2175354 18598 shoelace 1 4068141 The organic (uncured/no nitrates) bacon at both Costco and Sam's Club was very good and significantly lower in price than the Trader Joe's equivalent. But it has vanished from both warehouse stores. Sun Sep 28 14:45:40 -0700 2008 2175354 10864 sel 1 4089232 They carry Lacey's Almond and Dark Chocolate Confections. I'm not so much for sweets but these are like flat almond roca, only tastier. Gosh, they are good... Tue Oct 07 17:16:37 -0700 2008 2175354 14268 Rene 1 4096638 Stacy' Pita chips.....we go through a giant bag a week Odwalla Pomegranate Juice.......waaayyy cheaper than retail Dog Bones..........yummy Wild Smoked Salmon Biscotti - house made and individually wrapped choc brand House made granola Dried Wasabe Peas Heirloom Tomatoes (in season)....suprisingly good Grimaud Duck confit And the 4 pack of Tropicana OJ...........do you realize how much OJ is these days???? Fri Oct 10 16:57:11 -0700 2008 2175354 15774 MSK 2 4278429 I looked at the duck confit yesterday, put it in our cart, then replaced it. Felt like I didn't need to spend any more money :) Did you like or love it? Was it enough for two people? I'm sure they're not going to be sampling THAT any time soon :) Sun Dec 28 16:54:04 -0800 2008 4096638 131001 c oliver 3 4537007 We love the duck confit. One package is enough for two people. We serve it with some sort of starch and a salad. Perfect and easy dinner. Wed Mar 25 10:18:52 -0700 2009 4278429 51435 lamster 1 4100013 It looks like no one has mentioned the excellent parmagiano-reggiano. If you have a dog, you can pay for your membership just buying dogfood -- their Kirkland brand is excellent (way better than the crappy, more expensive Beneful they also carry), both canned and kibble, and great treats, too. Sun Oct 12 18:45:22 -0700 2008 2175354 10159 Ruth Lafler 2 4100041 And not exactly a chow issue, but dog beds too. Sun Oct 12 19:05:45 -0700 2008 4100013 16828 Judith 3 4107074 Why not? Chows need beds, too ! ;-0 Wed Oct 15 16:32:26 -0700 2008 4100041 132857 dockhl 3 4264188 LOL- I bought one yesterday and one of my dogs chewed it up overnight. Sun Dec 21 12:36:57 -0800 2008 4100041 12874 carfreeinla 2 4278431 We've been feeding the weight management Beneful for a few years. What didn't you like about it? I don't believe Costco has a "diet" dog food, do they? Sun Dec 28 16:55:20 -0800 2008 4100013 131001 c oliver 3 4279079 I don't think Costco has a weight management formula, but in fact, you can just feed less of regular food and get the same result -- most "diet" dog food is the same ingredients bulked up with undigestible filler to reduce the number of calories per serving -- in the case of Beneful according to their website, it's 14 percent soybean hulls. But unlike humans, dogs don't really care about how large their servings are as long as their bodies tell them they're getting adequate nutrition. Have you read the ingredients on the Beneful weight managment? They're pretty bad: Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, soybean hulls*, whole wheat flour, rice flour, chicken, soy flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), sugar, tricalcium phosphate, sorbitol, animal digest, water, salt, phosphoric acid, potassium chloride, dicalcium phosphate, sorbic acid (a preservative), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, dried green beans, dried carrots, calcium carbonate, calcium propionate (a preservative), choline chloride, zinc sulfate, added color (Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, Vitamin A supplement, niacin, Vitamin B-12 supplement, copper sulfate, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin supplement, biotin, garlic oil, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, sodium selenite. Basically, it's mostly corn (first and third ingredients), and corn isn't well digested by dogs. Chicken by-product meal is ground up parts of the chicken that aren't muscle meat; the actual chicken is the seventh ingredient, and that's the weight of the chicken before the water was removed to make kibble, which means the weight of the actual chicken in the finished product is less (chicken meal, which is the chicken with the water removed, is actually a more desirable ingredient). "Animal fat" means they don't know the source -- it's just what was cheapest in the commodities market at the time of purchase; you don't even want to know what "animal digest" is. It has two different sweeteners: sugar and sorbitol, and artificial colors, all of which are unnecessary (the artificial color is just there to make it look better to you -- your dog doesn't care what color the food is!). And it has two different preservatives. By comparison, here's the ingredients on the Kirkland/Costco chicken kibble: Chicken, chicken meal, whole grain brown rice, cracked pearled barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and Vitamin E), egg product, beet pulp, potatoes, fishmeal, flaxseed, natural flavor, brewers dried yeast, millet, carrots, peas, kelp, apples, dried skim milk, cranberry powder, potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, rosemary extract, parsley flake, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, chondroitin sulfate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite (source of vitamin K activity), riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid. No corn. No flour. No by-products. No generic animal ingredients. No "gluten" (gluten is a cheap way to increase the protein content). No artificial colors or preservatives. I don't think you need to be an expert to read those two ingredient lists and know which one is better, but if you want to learn more about ingredients in dogfood, this is a good site: http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=intro Or you can look at the test here -- Kirkland Chicken formula got 110 points (A+) while Beneful got 17 (F): http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070413232151AALDKwB Sun Dec 28 23:44:37 -0800 2008 4278431 10159 Ruth Lafler 4 4279592 Ruth, I am in a state of "shock and awe." The Beneful is going away and Kirkland is coming in. I am also going to share this with all my friends. Amazing. And you are beyond amazing to take the time to do this for me - and others. Thank you SO much --- and the "kids" thank you too. Next time we're in SF, maybe we can share a bowl of kibble - Kirkland only please :) Mon Dec 29 07:52:10 -0800 2008 4279079 131001 c oliver 5 4279861 You're welcome! When I got my current dog (see avatar) and started learning more about what goes into dogfood it was a real eye-opener. When I see people at Costco buying Beneful I have to bite my tongue -- I hate to see the "kids" eating that crap, and I hate that marketing and pretty pictures of veggies on the package have been so successful in convincing people that it's good food! I think you'll notice that your dogs are healthier, have shinier coats, etc. Mon Dec 29 09:21:57 -0800 2008 4279592 10159 Ruth Lafler 6 4287176 ruth, sorry about your old dog (i recall your avatar), and congrats on the new dog. nice looking! anyway, may i suggest that you do those beneful purchasers' canines a favor, and be a (nice, courteous) buttinski. say something like, "hi, have you ever tried the kirkland? i used to use beneful, too, but compared the ingredients. my dog likes it better, too!" you might find that you've helped out a grateful doggy "parent." i know i'd appreciate the info. happy new year! Thu Jan 01 04:02:24 -0800 2009 4279861 105717 alkapal 7 4287398 I think that's a good idea. You figure out pretty quickly when someone doesn't want advice. I've buttinski-ed many times at Costco recommending (or not) a product. Thu Jan 01 08:04:07 -0800 2009 4287176 131001 c oliver 8 4287409 Ditto. I'm always happy to get (and give) a good suggestion while navigating the vast inventory at Costco. Thu Jan 01 08:09:47 -0800 2009 4287398 47777 janeh 7 4287777 Thanks so much for your kind words. I just want to reassure everyone that the avatar is my *new* dog (not so new anymore, it's been three years) and she just fine (lying curled up with me as I type). Thu Jan 01 11:14:34 -0800 2009 4287176 10159 Ruth Lafler 8 4288197 ruth, maybe i've confused your fine canine avatar with mmruth's pooch! sorry about that! i've been away a couple of weeks, so am a bit rusty! Thu Jan 01 14:55:03 -0800 2009 4287777 105717 alkapal 1 4100048 I don't know if it's only bay area, but our local Costco has great buys on Odwalla products including mango tango and OJ. Sometimes they have fresh sliced mango Their apple pie is a great buy. They also have a pretty good lemon cake. Both of those are useful for things like potlucks and office parties. I buy Mexican coke at Costco, and also Swanson's canned chicken broth. I use it in my rice maker and the price has gone up astronomically in the regular grocery stores. And one time during the summer they had fresh halibut for about eight or nine dollars a pound. Sun Oct 12 19:10:05 -0700 2008 2175354 16828 Judith 1 4102576 Alexia waffle fries, damn, they're awesome. http://www.alexiafoods.com/product_info.html?product_id=21# Mon Oct 13 21:26:07 -0700 2008 2175354 67548 azhotdish 1 4103183 How about those $550 fresh winter white truffles? http://tinyurl.com/4quy6z Tue Oct 14 08:47:14 -0700 2008 2175354 12873 OCAnn 2 4103378 I know it's not food related but if you're going to check out their website for odd items, do you know that they carry caskets and urns??? Click on "Funeral". Go figure??? Tue Oct 14 09:52:23 -0700 2008 4103183 15774 MSK 3 4103396 Yeah, I've seen that. I shop at Costco for nearly everything...from milk to bedroom furniture. I LOVE that store! Tue Oct 14 09:57:39 -0700 2008 4103378 12873 OCAnn 3 4103748 Have to order within the state- can't be shipped. I've checked... But oh the flowers...in bulk. The overwhelming beauty of 150 stems of all the same, chosen color for less than $1 a stem... They used to offer carved ice sculptures... Tue Oct 14 11:50:43 -0700 2008 4103378 12123 Cathy 1 4108018 Just saw that Costco is offering imported whole vanilla beans, packed in two tubes of 5 each, for $11., what a deal. Thu Oct 16 06:32:01 -0700 2008 2175354 149836 cstr 2 4111393 I have always needed to watch my sodium intake, and am therefore not used to using much salt. As a result, many prepared items -- especially frozen dinner items -- are just to salty tasting to me. Convenient, but salty. My husband really loves the cheeses, though, and the hummus is awesome. We've recently started to get the chicken burgers (in the cases near the block cheese). Very flavorfull! Fri Oct 17 12:40:40 -0700 2008 4108018 90359 PattiCakes 3 4147093 Just waded through one of Costco's chocolate muffins. I nuked it with a pat of butter and the chocolate chips got all melty. Mmmmm. Now what to do with the other eleven muffins I had to buy? Maybe I'll drop some off to John. Mon Nov 03 14:14:09 -0800 2008 4111393 184593 givemecarbs 4 4148706 Gimme: you make me laugh out loud! The chocolate/chocolate chips weren't enough -- you HAD to add a pat of butter! Looks like you've become a certified Costcoholic! I find that the flash-frozen individual chicken breasts are like having money in the bank. If I'm ever stuck for a quick meal, they make it so easy; there are dozens of things you can do with them. If you are by yourself, then you just need one. If I'm in a giving mood, I buy extra bags & take them to my daughter -- she and her hubby have different schedules, so the individual breasts make providing a non-fast food meal so much easier. Tue Nov 04 08:32:22 -0800 2008 4147093 90359 PattiCakes 5 4149391 I love the flash frozen chicken breasts! I prefer them to fresh from the market. They are always so moist and tender, not to mention priced very attractively. Tue Nov 04 12:40:12 -0800 2008 4148706 14268 Rene 6 4729186 Hubs picked up our flash frozen chicken from Costco today. They were offering Foster Farms previously here in Austin but they are now offering a brand called Simmons. (Disclaimer: Hubs said that they had changed things around so I really don't know the scoop... just that he couldn't find things where they had been the past five years or so). Anyway, we prepared one of the large, fabulous Foster Farms breasts and one of the Simmons for dinner this evening. Both very good. As far as we could tell from our chicken breast preparation, size was the only issue - and size did matter as one of the Simmons pieces is fine for me but too little for him. However, it's easy enough to add another piece. Anyone else have an opinion on this? Sat May 30 22:20:44 -0700 2009 4149391 14268 Rene 7 4731123 So your husband likes one large breast or two small ones? Our Costco carries the Tyson...and we almost always go for the thighs. And these shrink quite a bit during cooking. Sun May 31 18:47:19 -0700 2009 4729186 12873 OCAnn 8 4731151 Heehee - this sounds like serious sukebe talk! :) Sun May 31 18:54:35 -0700 2009 4731123 64003 bulavinaka 5 4151918 He he he! Doesn't everything taste better with butter? Yeah that place is addicting. Wed Nov 05 14:45:13 -0800 2008 4148706 184593 givemecarbs 6 4158834 Those flat pretzels with the Sabra Mediteranean (can't spell!) hummus is my new afternoon snack. The Rosey Goat cheese, coated with rosemary so it's gorgeous as well as delectable, is my favorite cheese. Now it's the holidays, and I can't wait to buy the plastic jar full of assorted chocolate truffles; Kirkland brand on the label but "famous maker" candies inside - about $10. Sat Nov 08 16:24:34 -0800 2008 4151918 238405 JennyEats 1 4159117 In the bakery dept. they have had a cinnamon crumb butter coffee cake. It is fabulous! Not to mention huge and a really good price (I think 6.99 for a very large cake.) One thing I miss that they used to have all the time, but I haven't seen for a few months: spinach-artichoke chicken burgers. They now have (same brand) sun-dried tomato ones which we tried and hated. Wish they would bring back the spinach ones! Sat Nov 08 20:02:00 -0800 2008 2175354 105753 marleymom 2 4341823 Where did those chicken burgers go?? we loved them as well and I'm still hoping they'll get them back after they clear all those holiday cheeses... Tue Jan 20 11:23:51 -0800 2009 4159117 213597 BlackTea 1 4159371 I have been working my way through the refrigerated raviolis. I liked the chicken alfredo ones but the Mozerella, tomato and basil were a big hit with everyone. I had a free sample of the pesto ones and will probably try them soon. Today I bought Ceres nectars brand mago juice, well because it is costo I had to buy two large plastic containers. I love mango juice but this kind tasted weird. I was wondering if it was just me but I really didn't care for it. If I can't doctor it up or pawn it off on others I guess I could try to make smoothies out of all this mango juice. Did I get a bad batch or something? Sun Nov 09 02:51:01 -0800 2008 2175354 184593 givemecarbs 2 4167058 check the ingredients. is it pure mango juice? or blended with other juices and "natural" flavorings? those flavorings can give a weird aftertaste. Wed Nov 12 07:19:49 -0800 2008 4159371 105717 alkapal 1 4161123 Just tried a pumpkin bread pudding which was delicious. It's probably seasonal, so it may not be in every store forever, but my it was tasty. Costco is our go-to for cheese, cereal, dry pasta, and canned goods like tomatoes. I am also a big fan of their store-made chicken pot pie, but don't get it very often as I am the only one in my family who loves pot pie (and the thing is so huge, I can't get through it myself). Mon Nov 10 03:50:47 -0800 2008 2175354 64606 smr33 2 4163012 I really like that pie too! I'll look for the bread pudding. We finally are down to one little slice of a huge pecan pie for only ten dollars. I've made a pact with myself to not get a pie until Thanksgiving because they are so tempting but I want the pies for dessert on Thanksgiving to feel special. This will be hard. I may have to avoid the bakery section entirely. Mon Nov 10 16:19:34 -0800 2008 4161123 184593 givemecarbs 1 4167081 Our latest find is the five-pound bag of frozen cheese tortellini. The brand is Santoroli or something like that. They were sampling these on Sunday and little Cooper was shoveling them in, plain. So into the cart went a five-pound bag. Last night I served them with butter and the twins devoured them. So another hit from the frozen aisle! Wed Nov 12 07:30:15 -0800 2008 2175354 12829 Bob W 1 4167126 i don't know if they still sell this around the holidays, but there was a delicious divided plastic "tray" of chocolate/candy-coated dried fruits. the coating is the same "color" as the fruit would be, so it is pretty. it also tastes delicious, and would be a great hostess or christmas gift. very reasonable when compared with similar products from harry & david! Wed Nov 12 07:48:29 -0800 2008 2175354 105717 alkapal 2 4181372 The cinammon coffee cake was absolutely delicious. Much better than more expensive cakes.` Mon Nov 17 16:26:54 -0800 2008 4167126 85508 linsue 1 4182380 Love the rotisserie chicken soup. Tasty, not too salty, with lots of chicken. Tue Nov 18 05:26:21 -0800 2008 2175354 211049 robert4444 2 4183912 robert I liked the parts of the soup, the chicken, the fresh thick noodles, but at the Costco here near Philly the seasoning was odd and overpowering when I tried it recently so the broth didn't have a chickeny taste. Was the broth chickeny at your Costco? Maybe I just got it on an off day? Tue Nov 18 13:42:59 -0800 2008 4182380 184593 givemecarbs 3 4185742 Hi GMC: I am from Indianapolis and purchased it the day it was made. Just had a bowl in fact. The both was very chickeny and the seasonings, I thought, blended well. If I would have any complaint, it would be that they put too much chicken and veggies and noodles in the mix in relation to the broth. The first bowl can be soup, however the next three or so are more like a stew. Wed Nov 19 08:06:37 -0800 2008 4183912 211049 robert4444 4 4190331 Hmm. Thanks robert Maybe I'll try it again. It sure is soup weather here in Penna. Thu Nov 20 16:38:08 -0800 2008 4185742 184593 givemecarbs 1 4205086 Just tried the chicken enchiladas with salsa in the prepared foods section and they were tasty. The salsa was nice and spicy. too. This may sound odd but I was worried that they would have too much chicken in them and I'd have to add beans or something but they were nicely balanced. I noticed my costco had a dim sum sampler in the prepared food section next to the salads. Has anyone tried that? Wed Nov 26 22:36:28 -0800 2008 2175354 184593 givemecarbs 1 4240385 Here's some favorites from my regular shopping list: NY Strip Steaks USDA Choice: usually very well marbled and a good value Bulk ground beef: 6 lbs. that I separate into 1 lb. chunks and freeze in foil Sweet Italian Sausage: same as ground beef. Valbresso French Feta: very creamy Tilamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese: they have recently replaced the 2 lb. w/ 2.5 lb.--AUGH! Sliced Roast Beef Butterball Sliced Turkey Hebrew National Hot Dogs Now for the bad: Bill Bailey's (?) Marinated Tri-Tip: way too salty Ming's potstickers: taste good, incredibly high in calories Products at Costco always seems to get bigger and bigger. It used to be two jumbo bottles of ketchup, now it's three! I dislike having to buy so much. And I third the irritation of enjoying a product that gets discontinued... But that rant should be saved for another thread. Thu Dec 11 17:57:28 -0800 2008 2175354 21383 Johnny Pastrami 2 4240718 I avoid anything from Bill Bailey's - it's like pouring a whole shaker of salt in your mouth. I guess people must like salt, though, because the refrigerator cases at Costco are filled with their products. Yecch. Thu Dec 11 20:07:16 -0800 2008 4240385 10764 monkuboy 1 4246356 Anyone try the dim sum sampler in the refrigerated foods section? Sun Dec 14 15:15:59 -0800 2008 2175354 184593 givemecarbs 2 4247926 I thought the dimsum was pretty horrid. But then, my family is from Hong Kong, so I have pretty high standards. All of the dumplings had the same weird shimp/fish paste filling, just with different shapes/wrappers. I didn't like it at all. Mon Dec 15 09:21:58 -0800 2008 4246356 29478 chococat 2 4410824 I thought the dim sum sampler was delicious. It was a great deal for $9.99. You get 21 pieces of shrimp siu mai, ha gao, and potstickers. It comes with a soy-based sauce that has a strong ginger flavor. It was funny at first but it actually tasted pretty good. It was really easy to make to. I just microwaved it and it was ready. I highly recommend it. Thu Feb 12 10:01:33 -0800 2009 4246356 266238 iloveseafood007 3 4507960 My friend John loves dim sum so maybe he and I will go in on a sampler soon iloveseafood. I got a fruit cream pie last week for 14.99 topped with strawberries and blueberries. I loved it, it was so light, but quite a big pie. I looked today and didn't see any more. I also tried a sample of the chicken tortilla soup they have now. It was very good but if I bought a vat of it, (made with their leftover hot chickens) I'd have to freeze at least half of it as soon as I got home. I'd never finish it before I got tired of it. It tastes way better than it looks though. Sun Mar 15 18:57:13 -0700 2009 4410824 184593 givemecarbs 1 4246773 I purchase my clams there and the frozen shrimp. I get a huge amount of fresh clams for the price and their frozen shrimp is better than many fresh varieties I've purchased. Sun Dec 14 18:25:32 -0800 2008 2175354 222865 FoodChic 2 4247096 Try Trader Joe's Argentine Red Shrimp. It is by far the best I've had from a chain.... Sun Dec 14 21:13:25 -0800 2008 4246773 64003 bulavinaka 3 4247804 I would if I had a Trader Joe's. :-( Mon Dec 15 08:44:55 -0800 2008 4247096 222865 FoodChic 4 4248506 Sorry... Mon Dec 15 12:23:41 -0800 2008 4247804 64003 bulavinaka 5 4988979 lol! Sat Aug 29 14:52:24 -0700 2009 4248506 175578 gki 1 4248456 Can't beat their USDA Prime boneless rib eye for $9.99 /pp or whole tenderloin for $8.59 pp. Mon Dec 15 12:13:29 -0800 2008 2175354 147961 treb 2 4506109 Our Costcos don't carry any prime meat - darnit! Where are you?? I'm in WA state (western half). Sun Mar 15 02:38:16 -0700 2009 4248456 208311 teric762 3 4506571 I asked at the meat dept. and was told they don't order prime, it just gets shipped to them as a surprise. He said that when it's put out, it always goes quickly, and admitted that employees often get first dibs. I'm in the KC area. There might be some areas where prime is regularly stocked, though. Sun Mar 15 09:07:39 -0700 2009 4506109 24126 amyzan 4 4524423 The Prime started out showing up as surprises here at the Marina del Rey/Culver City store a while back. Now it's in stock almost always on my visits (usually about every two weeks). I'd start making some noise... Fri Mar 20 21:44:20 -0700 2009 4506571 64003 bulavinaka 3 4506821 I'm also in Western Washington- I've seen prime meat (labeled as prime) intermittently in the area. I've also seen some steaks (NY strips) that looked so marbled and fantastic that I asked the butcher if they were choice or prime. He said that the suppliers are contractually required to send meat graded at LEAST choice-- when they run out of choice, they fill the remainder of the order with prime. Costco puts out the prime stuff but labels it "choice". So if you look carefully, sometimes the prime cuts are mixed with the regular stuff. Sun Mar 15 10:55:43 -0700 2009 4506109 29478 chococat 4 4508525 Also true in the Washington DC metro area,maybe even more so.A majority of the diplomatic community shops COSTCO for meat. Mon Mar 16 04:31:24 -0700 2009 4506821 203919 lcool 2 4529237 We get the Prime in Chicago too, also randomly. Look for the blue foam trays under the meat. Def. worth the extra dollar or so per lb. Mon Mar 23 06:30:23 -0700 2009 4248456 10117 leek 3 4535851 It's been available for a few weeks now in the Bay Area. The rib eyes were down to $7.99/lb. at one point (now at $8.99). They also have prime NY strip for a dollar more. As you said, they're in with the regular choice, but they're packed in blue trays. Tue Mar 24 23:43:32 -0700 2009 4529237 10159 Ruth Lafler 1 4250504 I would definitely not recommend the whole organic chicken duo package....I can't remember the brand. They were fatty, bland and cooked unevenly. Tue Dec 16 07:49:26 -0800 2008 2175354 15774 MSK 2 4278749 I have to agree about the chicken. We have absolutely loved all the red meat, fish, and shellfish we have purchased at Costco. However, the chicken just hasn't been as good. We have tried the whole chicken duo pack and the two-to-a-pack chicken breasts. It really lacks flavor and seems to cook up on the dry side. Sun Dec 28 19:36:22 -0800 2008 4250504 42025 jamiski 3 4283030 Could MSK and jamiski please let me know which brand chicken? In KS, Costco carries GoldKist while in CA, it's Foster Farms. Maybe if you all just tell me what part of the country you're in, I'd know whether we buy the same brand at Costco. I ask b/c fresh chicken is one item I haven't yet bought, and I just joined last month. I'd hate to waste my money if we're talking about the same chicken. Tue Dec 30 09:54:49 -0800 2008 4278749 24126 amyzan 4 4283069 IMHO Foster Farms is the best mass-produced chicken out there. I had a friend who had a brother who inspected chicken processing plants here in California and she told me Foster Farms was the only brand he would eat. Someone mentioned the ice-glazed chicken elsewhere and how it cooked up moister and more tender -- that's because ice-glazed chicken is injected with sodium solution. Basically, it's brined. Which is fine if you don't mind paying chicken prices for up to 15% salt water. Tue Dec 30 10:09:08 -0800 2008 4283030 10159 Ruth Lafler 4 4284569 I can't remember the brand. The chicken breasts come in clear packaging with red and blue lettering. Unfortunately I remember even less about the whole chickens. And I live in Iowa - hopefully that is helpful where my memory is not! Tue Dec 30 19:36:09 -0800 2008 4283030 42025 jamiski 5 4287533 Jamiski, since Iowa is in the same region as KS where Costco's concerned, I'd bet you bought GoldKist chicken, same as we get here. I've had it from Hen House before, and found it allright, but not as good as others that are available for a little more, like the Petaluma or Bell and Evans birds at Whole Foods. GoldKist is certainly not as bad as say, Pilgrim's Pride, which I found absolutely deplorable both in processing and flavor. I have a frozen Empire kosher bird from Costco in the freezer, but haven't tried it yet. I'll report back when we cook it. Thu Jan 01 09:17:47 -0800 2009 4284569 24126 amyzan 6 4380343 We roasted the Empire chicken last week, and found it a good tasting bird. I probably won't buy it again, though, because it had LOTS of pin feathers I had to pull out, which took almost half an hour to get them all. I despise poorly processed chicken, so this is pretty disappointing for such a flavorful bird. I also noticed this chicken had lots of fat. Mon Feb 02 10:17:25 -0800 2009 4287533 24126 amyzan 7 4417678 All Kosher fowl will have pin feathers. They are not dipped in the boiling water so the feathers all do not come out. The flavor of the chicken(or turkey) makes the work worth it. To me. Sat Feb 14 14:19:00 -0800 2009 4380343 12123 Cathy 8 4417930 Do you have any tips for removing them easily? It took too long, and I can't quite understand why they don't remove them during processing even without the boiling water bath. I don't mind pulling a few, but this bird had a LOT of feathers attached. My grandmother used to process chickens, and she called this kind of work lazy, haphazard, etc. Okay, we've happened upon one of my rants, but I'm annoyed that processing standards have lowered quite this much to where I regularly find an abundance of pin feathers, broken bones leaching blood into flesh (not on this kosher bird, but on others), and wing tips trimmed completely off where I cannot truss the bird well. Rant over. Sat Feb 14 16:22:38 -0800 2009 4417678 24126 amyzan 9 4418619 Call or write the council and or specific group next time you have such poor processing.Pin feathers of that quantity and broken bones aren't SOP.It is sloppy,lazy and questionable.The Kosher chicken to kill to table is reckoned to be a higher standard.I my opinion you are getting maybe a good bird,but crappy handling. One thing that helps with the "pin" feathers is timing,there are not huge numbers 365 day of the year on the bird.Why not time the slaughter so as to please the customer??? Sun Feb 15 04:39:27 -0800 2009 4417930 203919 lcool 9 4420056 Dip it into boiling water for a few seconds. (I get it to a rolling boil and shut off and then immediately dip) (you should test the depth levels to get the whole bird submerged whe the water is cold...) You have run into some nasty chickens. Sorry. Sun Feb 15 16:35:29 -0800 2009 4417930 12123 Cathy 10 4420608 My brother told me to do the boiling water dip for the bloody birds, too. His ex girlfriend, who grew up in China, showed him that technique, and I now use it for soups where I want the broth to be exceptionally clear. Thanks for the tip. It's a bit of a pain, but it does make for a succulent bird for soup, enchiladas, etc. Do you do that for birds you're going to roast, then truss after the dip? Sun Feb 15 20:51:40 -0800 2009 4420056 24126 amyzan 11 4420980 how long to dip? Mon Feb 16 05:14:41 -0800 2009 4420608 105717 alkapal 12 4422852 Briefly, basically just long enough to submerge the whole chicken. I've also poured boiling water from a kettle in and over a bird, though that's trickier than using the dip in just enough water to cover after measuring by displacement. If you can use chopsticks to hold the bird, you're less likely to break the skin than with tongs. I'm still working on my chopstick "chops," so I'm less enthused about doing this before roasting a bird, where I want the skin intact and presentable. I guess it'll take practice to keep the skin intact. Mon Feb 16 15:53:44 -0800 2009 4420980 24126 amyzan 4 4303558 I am in N. CA where they do carry Foster Farms but I am referring to the organic whole chicken 2 pack in green packaging. Can't remember the name. I was there yesterday but will try to notice on my next visit. Wed Jan 07 07:30:09 -0800 2009 4283030 15774 MSK 5 4380182 The brand is Coleman. Mon Feb 02 09:44:55 -0800 2009 4303558 15774 MSK 1 4261891 chocolate layer birthday cake with chocolate shavings (from the bakery)! - mmmm, yummy, awesome! but there is no Costco near/convenient (Manhattan, NY) & I don't really want to pay $50 mem'ship for the privelege of buying a $15 cake ;-( Sat Dec 20 09:24:44 -0800 2008 2175354 170435 choosieeats 1 4264201 I like to compare the Costcos around the country- had a great time at the one in Encinitas ( at least I think that was where we were!). They had a gluten free chocolate cake mix that my kids gobbled up ( my local branch had the same brand but not gf cookies), dried cut up peaches- perfect for cereai ( again locally, they had a different fruit mix but whole). I also notice that pricing is not quite the same- pair of pants was 3 dollars more here ( NYC)than in El Paso. Bought a fresh turkey yesterday- what a pleasure not to only find frozen. Sun Dec 21 12:43:46 -0800 2008 2175354 12874 carfreeinla 1 4279109 In my opinion the price of membershipat Costco can be justified by the meat counter alone. The steaks and chops are better than you will get at 99% of neighborhood grocery stores. I also love the cheese selection and the wine case; Costco is America's largest wine retailer, you can find some great buys there. I find the seafood to be a bit hit and miss; you can usually find good shrimp and crab but the salmon and halibut are iffy. My wife loves the prepared chicken salad that comes with dried cranberry's we get at the Costco in Salem, OR. She refers to it as crack. Mon Dec 29 00:30:27 -0800 2008 2175354 206877 jpc8015 2 4279198 I can justify the cost of membership on the gasoline alone, everything else is a bonus over the mega-marts. Mon Dec 29 04:42:23 -0800 2008 4279109 149836 cstr 1 4279696 I'd keep my Costco membership for this product alone: HoneySmoked Salmon from the Honey Smoked Fish Co. in aurora, CO. (I DON"T think this is what Rhee said was horrible -- since it doesn't come in individual servings.) Comes in 1 lb. vacuum packages -- which have an extremely long shelf life until you open them. (Helps if it's a hike to your Costco and you go infrequently.) The store nearest me used to carry several different flavors, but now just does "Original," which is a shame. There are lots of recipes on the company's website, but I most often use them to add protein to lunch salads. High-quality taste, amazingly low in sodium, esp. considering it's smoked. A friend always brings this to parties as an appetizer, with capers, egg whites etc. and boursin cheese as a spread. I was eating this up to 4 times a week until I realized this is Atlantic farm-raised salmon -- this and albacore tuna will produce mercury overload if eaten too often. But it's still a wonderful product. This next product used to be available only at Costco although now it's more prevalent: John Soules brand chicken fajita strips. Again -- I'd use them a little at a time in salads. Much better than all the other brands. Just tried Costco's large shrimp tray, found in the frozen section, for a Christmas Eve party. I was very skeptical about boiled shrimp that had been frozen, but it was very good and so much more reasonable than Whole Foods or a fish market for a large quantity. Caveat -- this takes at least 1 1/2 days to thaw in a refrigerator. Once thawed, we rinsed them. Also tried their (probably seasonal) Cranberry goat cheese log -- which was good. But it's more of a spread -- it tended to fall apart when a helper tried cutting it into slices. Mon Dec 29 08:28:26 -0800 2008 2175354 241240 MarkeB 1 4279721 Forgot one product tried for Christmas Eve -- the chocolatey-"Lacey" cookies. Very very good. The lady I hired to help me said she had seen them at almost every party she had served at recently -- so perhaps they're not a big secret. Mon Dec 29 08:38:00 -0800 2008 2175354 241240 MarkeB 1 4286006 We're big fans of the Cabot 3-year cheddar. It's a steal at appx. $10 for a two-pound chunk. Cheese selections vary greatly by regions, so it's not available at all Costcos. Also, they had a cheese sampling table the other day, and had a phenomenal triple-cream for around $10/lb. Wish I could remember the name. St. Something-or-other, I think. :o) Wed Dec 31 11:30:50 -0800 2008 2175354 15807 Steve Green 2 4287338 I'm guessing the triple cream cheese was St Andre. It's a delicious french triple cream and is commonly available. I know the Costco in my area always has it at a far better price than anywhere else. Thu Jan 01 07:21:20 -0800 2009 4286006 43422 cheesymama 3 4291240 I went back today, and it was Le Delice De Bourgogne, by Lincet. Picked up a pound, which is an awful lot for us at one time. Can this type of cheese be frozen successfully? Fri Jan 02 19:01:08 -0800 2009 4287338 15807 Steve Green 4 4292106 I would only freeze it if you are planning on cooking with it later, it won't matter wuite so much in a recipe. Check the best before date on the package, soft ripened cheeses like this are at their best right around the BBD, and they are usually sold well before their date, so you might have quite a while to enjoy the cheese before you need to worry about it going bad. Sat Jan 03 07:41:21 -0800 2009 4291240 43422 cheesymama 1 4293866 This may be too late to benefit anyone til next year but.... Costco during the T'giving/Christmas season generally sells rack of port - 7 or 8 ribs to the rack. We buy them, cut them in half, freeze and have for a couple of months. Had the first dinner tonight (our late New Year's dinner) with black-eyed peas and collards. It's so tender and good. I wish they had it all year. We also have been buying for a while now the uncooked flour tortillas. You can freeze half. So thin and good. Sat Jan 03 20:48:33 -0800 2009 2175354 131001 c oliver 2 4299186 Where do you find the uncooked tortillas? Do they also have corn? I love our new Costco... but, find it difficult to get anybody to help locate desired items. Mon Jan 05 18:33:39 -0800 2009 4293866 14457 onrushpam 3 4299218 We've bought them at two different Costcos. One had them in the cases with the cheeses. The other had them in the tall cases, the ones with the glass doors. Only flour. They are really so good. We've had them for B, L, and D. I'll be devastated if they stop carrying them. Mon Jan 05 18:45:52 -0800 2009 4299186 131001 c oliver 4 4299720 We love these tortillas as well. At our local Costco, they're in the refrigerated dairy case, near the butter and shredded domestic cheese. Since they come in huge packages and there's only two of us, I immediately portion them out into packages of 4-5 tortillas using Glad's press & seal sheets, then stick the single-use packages into a large ziploc bag. The night before, I grab a pack from the freezer and defrost them in the fridge. Mon Jan 05 23:03:17 -0800 2009 4299218 197650 cvhound 5 4300233 Good idea. There are just two of us also and, at 22 to a pack, we eat them like mad :) But we've kept them thawed for three weeks in the ref with no sign of mold. Mmm. Maybe we'll have them with scrambled eggs this morning :) Tue Jan 06 07:38:29 -0800 2009 4299720 131001 c oliver 6 4301317 Good to know they'll keep for 3 whole weeks with no mold! I always fear they'll go bad before we use them (it takes us months to go through the entire package), so what I like to do is immediately freeze one of the two packs (unopened) in the freezer in the original bag. I then open the other bag, portion them into single serving packages (love that press & seal stuff!), then place the sealed packs in a large ziploc bag in the freezer. Tue Jan 06 12:41:48 -0800 2009 4300233 197650 cvhound 5 4341842 I just discovered the uncooked flour tortillas...AWESOME. I've been eating them plain because they're just so good. Makes a great late night snack. Tue Jan 20 11:30:12 -0800 2009 4299720 56183 soypower 6 4348748 ok, what is the kind of flour tortilla on the regular grocery store shelves? Thu Jan 22 14:26:08 -0800 2009 4341842 105717 alkapal 7 4379286 those are cooked. the ones at costco are like wonton wrappers, uncooked. and so so yummy. Mon Feb 02 00:22:55 -0800 2009 4348748 56183 soypower 8 4379570 hmm, next time i tag along with my costco-friend, i'll look for these. my list is growing, and growing.... Mon Feb 02 06:54:14 -0800 2009 4379286 105717 alkapal 9 4380312 If you find them I'd be greatful to know at which COSTCO.On the MD side of the river I've not seen them. thanks Mon Feb 02 10:10:46 -0800 2009 4379570 203919 lcool 8 4382684 and they're in freezers (where), or in the open refrigerated cases , near <?>. ( i can't recall if you guys said which, upthread....). Tue Feb 03 00:17:51 -0800 2009 4379286 105717 alkapal 9 4386452 Definitely not frozen although they come in two packages so you can freeze one. I gather that, depending on the store, they're in different refrigerated cases. And as someone noted, they're really, really thin. Breakfast time here - maybe scrambled eggs in a tortilla. Wed Feb 04 07:58:16 -0800 2009 4382684 131001 c oliver 10 4389392 "scrambled eggs in a tortilla".....con pico de gallo, por favor! Thu Feb 05 06:17:07 -0800 2009 4386452 105717 alkapal 11 4389608 si, y chorizo y queso! Thu Feb 05 07:40:39 -0800 2009 4389392 131001 c oliver 12 4392509 mmmmmm (en español, same as english!) ;-). Fri Feb 06 06:21:29 -0800 2009 4389608 105717 alkapal 1 4337809 I recently had a VERY good experience with their organic tortilla chips and organic salsa. Back in the day, I really liked to go to town on their $4.99 rotisserie chicken. So indulgent. By and large, I find most of the food products at Costco to be noticably bland and of course the portion size is way out of control. It's still fun as heck to shop there; the free food samples are enough to serve as a substitute lunch or dinner in a crunch. Sun Jan 18 20:44:12 -0800 2009 2175354 258488 NewDude 2 4338895 "By and large, I find most of the food products at Costco to be noticably bland and of course the portion size is way out of control." Are you referring to the number of portions in the mostly bulk size packages sold at Costco? While the value certainly lies in the per portion cost of large packages, I don't see that the portion sizes on the nutrition label are actually larger. That's entirely up to the consumer. People may be more psychologically inclined to eat more when there is more to be had... Mon Jan 19 10:39:54 -0800 2009 4337809 24126 amyzan 3 4343590 Here's what's massively oversized: 1. muffins. I mean, come on. Do they really need to bake a muffin the size of a softball? 2. bagels: humongous. 3. wontons: way too big. 4. costco pizzas. It's at least 16" Or is it 18" Or 20"? 5. kirkland's turkey and ham slices in the deli section: I have to fold them over (twice) to fit on a slice of bread. 6. pies and cakes. The list goes on and on. We had family and guests over during the holidays and still couldn't finish one pecan pie. It's just too big and too rich. How much sugar do they put in that thing anyway? Even the clothes are oversized. They seem to rarely stock men's shirts in size small. But they seem to always have plenty of XL's and XXL's? I guess you could cut the muffins in half or eat half a bagel, but I think most people are inclined to believe that a costco bagel is "one serving" when it's actually two or three...or four. Wed Jan 21 00:35:43 -0800 2009 4338895 258488 NewDude 4 4348756 newdude, do you really think most people are that stupid? and what, you don't think people can cut a serving less than the size of alcatraz? Thu Jan 22 14:28:06 -0800 2009 4343590 105717 alkapal 4 4349215 I don't buy much at the bakery, since I'm in a two person household. I can see where the muffins are too large a serving for one sitting. The rest of what you mention I don't get your objections, really. I mean, what's the big deal about folding lunchmeat or eating only pne piece of pizza instead of my usual two, or eating half a bagel? The cakes are decorated in serving size delineations that seem fairly normal for birthday cakes unless you're going by WW2 standards. I think maybe you're overreacting for effect? Thu Jan 22 17:02:56 -0800 2009 4343590 24126 amyzan 2 4341493 "..of course the portion size is way out of control." "Of course?" You make it sound like you are stating a fact or an opinion universally accepted. Costco does sell things in larger packages than other stores but that doesn't mean the portions themselves are "out of control." And if you are referring to the absolute size, that is one reason why the cost per serving is so much lower than grocery stores, etc., because of the economies of scale. I don't find any of the portion sizes to be out of control; I simply adjust my intake accordingly and save the remainder. Tue Jan 20 09:19:13 -0800 2009 4337809 10764 monkuboy 3 4342027 Monkuboy, I'm a Costco noob and I am learning this the hard way monuboy. My downfall is the pies. I know enought to freeze some of the muffins and loaves of pumpkin bread and stuff, but I really need to cut a pie in half as soon as I get it home and freeze it too. It's messier and harder to do so I get lazy and end up throwing some of my colossal pie out. I have noticed the steaks keep a bit longer in the fridge than steaks from some supermarkets. I kept a t-bone in my fridge for four days, stuff kept coming up, and when I finally cooked it the meat was fine, despite the fact that it had turned more grayish. And I am very picky about my steak tasting fresh. I guess it is because the beef is fresher to begin with? It is the only reason I can think of. Tue Jan 20 12:22:54 -0800 2009 4341493 184593 givemecarbs 4 4343594 I'm actually getting a lot better about getting my costco stuff home, then immediately portioning stuff up and freezing (most of) it. But when Costco first opened? I loathed the place. It really was symbolic to me of American excess, it's embarrassingly rapid expanding waistline, and mindless devotion to consumerism. I tried giving it a second shot, lured in by below market gas prices at Costco pumps, and cheap, quick reasonably tasty fast food pizza and dogs. Currently, I am a moderately enthusiastic supporter of Costco. They treat their employees pretty well. Their wages are competitive, and they get health care (if I understand correctly). In a world of imperfect choices, better Costco than Sam's Club and WalMart. Edit: Costco's has an increasing supply of (semi) organic fare, which makes me feel a little better about shopping there. But let the buyer beware. Some of their products labeled as such, are not actually. For example, their "organic" milk was being sourced from suppliers which did not follow federal guidelines. Wed Jan 21 00:42:48 -0800 2009 4342027 258488 NewDude 5 4348761 then the organic milk is mislabeled. could be a fda violation. milk police, alert! Thu Jan 22 14:29:17 -0800 2009 4343594 105717 alkapal 5 4349079 As far as I know, the lawsuit, filed in 2007, alleged that the supplier failed to follow organic guidelines. I don't know what happened, but I think it's a fair bet that given the allegations Costco has to have straightened out their sourcing by now (if the allegations were true in the first place). Thu Jan 22 16:14:51 -0800 2009 4343594 202198 ferret 5 4506102 I asked several of their employees about the work practices there (was helping my son look for a job a while back), and everyone I spoke with said the same thing - Costco is an awesome place to work. They treat their employees very well, good benefits, 401(k), competitive wages, etc. Now I'm unemployed - maybe I need to go apply myself! LOL Sun Mar 15 02:25:10 -0700 2009 4343594 208311 teric762 1 4380294 One of our recent favorites is a big bag of pita chips. They are irresistable. We've found them in a display at the end of the aisle where the other crackers are. Mon Feb 02 10:06:32 -0800 2009 2175354 12829 Bob W 2 4397393 My local Costco in Portland, OR stopped carrying these lately. I'm wincing spending $3.50 for the small bags at the grocery store! Sat Feb 07 21:49:02 -0800 2009 4380294 195256 jules1026 3 4413763 Our Costco didn't have them for a while but they reappeared recently. May be a supply glitch. Fri Feb 13 07:29:34 -0800 2009 4397393 202198 ferret 4 4417275 I just checked today when I was shopping and they're back. Sat Feb 14 10:58:46 -0800 2009 4413763 195256 jules1026 1 4382113 Just went today to get organic spring mix and grape tomatoes. Love the organic spinach and multigrain bread. I cannot live without the mega can of plum tomatoes. We always have the frozen organic broccoli (tastes better than fresh!) in the freezer. Recently tried frozen crab ravioli which were outstanding (other ravioli not so great) Can't miss on the big bags of walnuts, almonds, pecans, prunes. Garlic hummus and guacamole. Admit I do like the chicken enchiladas. However, rotisserie chicken too salty for the hypertensive. Frozen scallops are also outstanding. Miss the Dr. Praeger's veggie burgers. Seasonal fruit is usually excellent. Mon Feb 02 18:52:16 -0800 2009 2175354 57303 lvhkitty 2 4382686 i recall the nuts to be a fabulous, fabulous value! what's a bag of pecan halves, these days? Tue Feb 03 00:19:34 -0800 2009 4382113 105717 alkapal 1 4423302 I know this was mentioned before, but since I just had it yesterday again, have to give a shout to the take and bake refrigerated pizza. We had one once before when they put out a coupon. Very good, seems to be the same ones they cook in the food court or very similar tasting and same very large size. First time all they had was cheese, but this time we snagged a margherita which just looked too good to pass up with the fresh mozzarella and basil leaves on there. There were two left, and someone *right behind us* took the last. It was quite good, two meals worth for the two of us, heh. Haven't been much for other food stuff recently there, just frozen fruit which is generally a good value if you're looking for such things. I went in a while back looking for frozen blueberries, and they had a 4lb package for I think 9 bucks, just what I was hoping for. Mon Feb 16 18:22:19 -0800 2009 2175354 40162 CrazyOne 1 4430638 I really like the Jack's Special Salsa - fresh-tasting and a teeny bit spicy. Sabra hummus is good, too. They usually have good yogurt as well - our store almost always has Stonyfield Organic and lately they've had a greek-style called Chobani that I like. I get a big thing of cheap olive oil there to use for basic cooking and marinades, and figure I save enough money that way to justify also keeping a small bottle of good extra-virgin for simple salad dressings and other times the flavor will really show. Wed Feb 18 19:15:56 -0800 2009 2175354 45885 lissame72 1 4433840 I used to love the Kirkland Four Cheese Ravioli but haven't been able to find them recently at either of the two Costco stores I use. Can someone tell me if they're still available elsewhere? Thanks for the help. Thu Feb 19 16:30:58 -0800 2009 2175354 27712 alohatoall 2 4433862 kirkland is the "house" brand. i don't know who manufactures them, so that you might find them under a different brand elsewhere..... where are you shopping, your profile doesn't say....? Thu Feb 19 16:39:32 -0800 2009 4433840 105717 alkapal 3 4433913 Sorry, I shop on Oahu. I realize that Kirkland is Costco's house brand and never thought that the ravioli might be available under a different brand name. Thu Feb 19 16:56:06 -0800 2009 4433862 27712 alohatoall 2 4506135 I used to buy these also, they are pre-cooked and exceptionally light and delicious. They do have a new brand, but I forget the name. The thing I look for is the 3 Cheese, Pre-Cooked Ravioli. I believe the bag is dark blue and white. I hope this helps. Sun Mar 15 04:09:35 -0700 2009 4433840 15691 mcel215 3 4526140 Thanks for that info - I'll look for them. I did notice that the company that made the 4 cheese ravioli I loved (Seviroli) now provides shrimp/crab ravioli, but I haven't tried them yet. Sat Mar 21 17:09:29 -0700 2009 4506135 27712 alohatoall 1 4482457 I buy the big packages of White Cheddar Cheese - same package sold elsewhere but a couple of bucks cheaper at Costco. I also buy the big packages of goat cheese - at our store it's about $5 for four times as much as you'd buy at Trader Joe's. I also buy milk there - can't beat the price! Oh, and the Kirkland coffee we recently purchased actually says something like "Roasted by Starbuck's"... my husband says it tastes the same as the Starbuck's. Sat Mar 07 10:29:42 -0800 2009 2175354 270902 hbpthomas 1 4482610 My costco has recently started carrying Delice de Bourgogne and I am thrilled Sat Mar 07 11:49:34 -0800 2009 2175354 136906 lucygoosey 1 4483093 I've only seen this at a few Costco's, butt end tenderloin, aka (the large end) same price as the whole tenderloin. You get the best part and leave the tail behind. Sat Mar 07 15:49:57 -0800 2009 2175354 149836 cstr 1 4506097 Several things I ONLY buy at Costco: Hamburger, and at our local Costco's, you can ask the meat dept. guys and they will sell you a 10-lb chub of 92% lean for about $2.05/lb. It is the way they buy their burger, then they add fat trim to it to make up the packages they sell in their refrigerator meat case. It is not labeled 92% (I don't know why, but they assure me it is, has something to do with the fact that they are re-packaging it), actually it says no less than 8% fat, or something like that). Carnitas (I saute bell peppers, onions, and add the warmed meat, then tomatoes for a wonderful fajita-style fillilng) Boneless Chuck Short Ribs - like a smallish but long piece of steak - for about $4.00/lb, add a little meat tenderizer and they are AWESOME on the grill - and I am a steak snob, just too poor to pay for my favorite prime ribeyes at Top Foods. Cashew Chicken (frozen section) - for a frozen dinner, pretty darned good butter (they now carry unsalted) - at about $1.40/lb, a pretty good deal) Chocolate cake from their bakery - it is like 7 lbs of pure chocolate, with chocolate shavings on the side even. Death by chocolate! Yum! Their Brie is pretty darned good, and very reasonably priced Love all of their artisan cheeses Pasteurized lump crab meat (goes in my homemade artichoke crab dip, buzz me for the recipe) Kirkland brand low sodium bacon - we can't eat any other kind anymore, everything else is too salty For regular cooking, I use the Shredded Four Cheese Mexican blend for about everything. The seasonal truffles in the funny shaped brown box - we wait for those things every year. Can you tell Costco is one of my favorite stores?? We call it the $200 store. Sun Mar 15 02:17:23 -0700 2009 2175354 208311 teric762 2 4507528 teric762, just an FYI, Costco sells whole rib-eye for $4.99 pp, skip Tip Top. Thanks for the burger tip. Sun Mar 15 16:02:27 -0700 2009 4506097 149836 cstr 1 4506116 I just got a Costco card in the UK but have not been there yet - does anyone have any UK recomendations? Sun Mar 15 03:01:52 -0700 2009 2175354 40746 Peg 1 4506809 Big Bummer! Costco no longer carries REAL maple syrup!!! The have Log Cabin and some low sugar stuff. I asked and they have no intention of bringing it back. I guess they assume that's something people would cut back on in a bad economy. Let's create a groundswell in protest against High Fructose Corn Syrup!! We only want Grade A dark Amber!!! Sun Mar 15 10:50:59 -0700 2009 2175354 15774 MSK 2 4507530 Look hard, I saw both at 2 Costco's in my area. Sun Mar 15 16:03:51 -0700 2009 4506809 149836 cstr 2 4508056 I saw it at our Costco this weekend, too. Hopefully yours will carry it soon, too. Sun Mar 15 19:33:01 -0700 2009 4506809 168697 Leepa 2 4508533 it is on the shelf at all the DC area stores,GRADE B never left the shelf Mon Mar 16 04:35:45 -0700 2009 4506809 203919 lcool 2 4585757 There is now a new brand on the shelf. MUCH smaller bottle I might add. While I was there my eye caught Choc. covered pomegranate. Didn't get it but the thought did "plant a seed." hmmmmm Fri Apr 10 16:52:53 -0700 2009 4506809 15774 MSK 2 4652878 I shopped around and found TJ's has their brand in clear glass wine bottle-like vessel for less. Mon May 04 10:43:20 -0700 2009 4506809 175578 gki 1 4507889 Love this thread! We just rejoined Costco after a many year hiatus (First joined before it merged with Price Club in SoCal.!) and I've been wondering about the quality of some of the items that look so enticing but we haven't tried yet. Specifically, the fresh fish? I wonder how they can keep the fish fresh in the case? (It seems like it wouldn't sell very fast since they offer such large packages of fish.) And the Golden Kist chicken? I've never heard of this brand and we are fairly picky about our chicken. Any thoughts? Also, our chicken pie and our chicken soup (made from the rotisserie chicken~~I guess probably Golden Kist!?)) were so salty. Is that the case all the time or just the result of how one cook happened to season the dishes? And I'm wondering how the buying is done for the different stores? Are they stocked and managed regionally? Or do most stores carry the same stock? (If they are by region, I'll make a point of stopping at Costco's when I travel.) Items we liked: The ground beef, the strip steaks, and we just had a delicious roast rack of pork for Sunday dinner that elsewhere would have been $50 (Garden Fresh Market) and Costco price was $17. I couldn't believe it! Likewise, a rack of lamb that we did on the grill. Right there we earned back our membership $$!!. And I buy the haricots verts, the boston lettuce, and the hearts of romaine in the veggie section. And the berries! What a deal. (Not so much the apples, though. They were not tasty.) BUT, I just saw Alice Waters (Chez Panisse) on 60 Minutes tonight talking up the Slow Food Movement, and it made me feel so guilty that I love Costco so much! What a conundrum! (I did hear somewhere that the generic prescription drugs were quite the deal also and I'll have to check that out.) Sun Mar 15 18:28:10 -0700 2009 2175354 249199 dumas 2 4509066 Between my Costco card and my AMEX Costco card, my membership fee is covered by the cash back every year and I save at least .05 per gallon on gas for the cars. The meat dept is a very good deal, my Costco offers USDA Prime for a fraction more than the Mega-marts charge for USDA Select. Also, the Kirkland brands are on par with brand name stuff. Mon Mar 16 08:40:55 -0700 2009 4507889 149836 cstr 3 4524371 My fiancee's family just got me a Costco membership for my birthday, and I've already been twice! I love that place. Today I went there and got a pound of nice sliced genoa salami ($5.69), two pounds of sliced provolone cheese ($6.69), a bag of 20 soft pita-style flatbreads that look way better than the bland, dry Toufayan pitas at Publix ($4.39), and three one-pound tubs of fresh guacamole ($8.69). I've had the guac before, and it is pretty damn good. The prices can't be beat! Wandering around, I had a tiny sample of their Kirkland smoked salmon on a little bagel wedge, so I'll definitely be back to try that. Of course all the meats and other cheeses were calling my name too. QUESTION: last year, I accompanied a friend to Costco and we got Cahill's Irish Porter Cheddar cheese, right around St. Patrick's Day. It was absolutely beautiful cheese with dark brown marbling and a touch of rich sweetness. I was disappointed that they didn't have it this year, although they did have an Irish Whiskey Cheddar, also from Cahill's. Whole Foods and Fresh Market don't carry the Irish Porter Cheddar either, but has anyone else seen it at their local Costcos? I'm in Orlando, FL. Everyone speaks highly of their cakes and pies, and they also have these individual-sized tropical sorbets that come in hollowed-out pineapple halves! I was thinking about how I totally want to serve those at a party, and then tonight I saw Paul Rudd and Jason Segal snacking on those very things in the new movie I Love You, Man. Cracked me up. Fri Mar 20 21:13:07 -0700 2009 4509066 14120 Big Bad Voodoo Lou 4 4527621 Sounds like you're into it already. Some Costco's carry USDA Prime meats, last week I got USDA Prime boneless rib eye steaks for $7.99 pp. On the cheese, it's all about cost, if Costco can't buy right, they'll pass because they will not compromise on customer value. And yes their pastries, cakes pies, etc. are very good, and if you don't think so, you can always return it, no questions asked. Also, don't forget Costco.com, lots of stuff there as well. Sun Mar 22 12:11:02 -0700 2009 4524371 149836 cstr 4 4586139 Something that may have already been posted, but I'm not going to expand 290 post to check, anything at Costco that ends with a price of .97, is going away. It's usually marked down, but what you see on the shelf, or in the cooler is gone, it's gone for good, or at least for a long time. Also look for the asterick on the price tag. That usually means the same thing. Fri Apr 10 19:39:49 -0700 2009 4524371 10737 Bobfrmia 5 4586241 Interesting. How on earth did you find that out? Fri Apr 10 20:27:03 -0700 2009 4586139 131001 c oliver 6 4586282 Consumer Reports, and if you ask them, they will admit it. Don't know why they don't just tell people. The thing is, if the product still isn't moving, it keeps coming down in price until it's gone. There is also a "tell" for items at Sam's Club, but I don't remember off hand what it is. Fri Apr 10 21:05:39 -0700 2009 4586241 10737 Bobfrmia 7 4586688 For Sam's, I think it's either .81 or .61. I used to know but, like a lot of things, I've forgotten it. Thinking about it more though, I'm pretty sure it's any price ending with a 1. Sat Apr 11 05:59:50 -0700 2009 4586282 168697 Leepa 8 4587111 OK, I looked it up. At Sam's club a C at the end of the item number means it is being cancelled. Just a couple of examples. At my local Costco, they had 4 packs of Reeds Ginger Beer, in 1 liter bottles. 9.99. Then 6.97, then 4.97, then 1.97. I bought 40 bottles. 540 thread count king size sheets 89.99. then 59.97, then 25.97. Sometimes it's almost like shoplifting. Sat Apr 11 09:33:44 -0700 2009 4586688 10737 Bobfrmia 9 4587141 I remember seeing a news segment on "shopping wisely," or something like that. The "expert" was a self-made millionaire where part of his wealth-building strategy was being thrifty. In proving his point, he went to Costco with the reporter, and among other things, he pointed out the ".97" as something to watch for as these were items that Costco was reducing the price on for close-out. Another good strategy: if at all possible, avoid the natural inclination of grabbing one of those behemoth shopping carts. Reason being, if you really need it, you'll carry it. Obviously, this isn't practical for those loading up once a month or for large items in general. But the carts make it too easy to toss in another item here, another item there. So if you're constantly going in there to seek out deals or what's new, this tip is for you. Sat Apr 11 09:46:16 -0700 2009 4587111 64003 bulavinaka 5 4613177 As a costco employee I'll second this. Many items get marked down until they are dirt cheap when it's the last batch we get. Much of the time though word will get around the store and employees will stash stuff away until their next break. I've gotten a case of beer for $9.97, Three pack of mascara for $4.97 and a two pack of those lemon bar mixes for $2.97. Mon Apr 20 18:03:12 -0700 2009 4586139 83462 Lixer 6 4652883 That's a good tip. Last Xmas, I stumbled on some really good chocolates that were originally $22-something, that had been marked down to $9.97 and then $5.97. I stocked up! Mon May 04 10:44:52 -0700 2009 4613177 10159 Ruth Lafler 7 4729969 Hmm.. my wife and I love the Martha Stewart chicken slab pies. The price is $4.97 for a two-pack. I guess we better load up on them! Sun May 31 10:07:12 -0700 2009 4652883 10764 monkuboy 1 4531931 Was racing around Costco like a fool this past weekend and skidded to a stop when I saw double chocolate cream pies! Dunno if they are just being offered for the spring holidays but I was happy to snag one, there were only about six left. I love the graham cracker crust and the way the pie smells so chocoately when you open up the container. I did learn my lesson and force myself to cut and freeze some slices immediately. I saved a sturdy cardboard box leftover from a frozen cheesecake when David's Cookies set up on Valentine's Day weekend and popped the slices in there to freeze. Doubt they will last long, I really like this pie! Mon Mar 23 19:21:46 -0700 2009 2175354 184593 givemecarbs 1 4537683 Thanks to eye-catching packaging, I just tried a new citrus fruit called a "sweetie." it's from the Jaffa orange people in israel. It's a cross between a pummelo and a white grapefruit. It has the thick skin of the pummelo, with segments that are pretty firm. It's the size of a small grapefruit. The flavor is very sweet. A bag of 8 was $6.49; we actually got 9 in our bag. Definitely worth a try! Wed Mar 25 13:15:21 -0700 2009 2175354 12829 Bob W 1 4576351 Costco is discontinuing their imported whole vanilla beans, 10 beans for $5.97 a steal, get'em while they last. Tue Apr 07 14:59:57 -0700 2009 2175354 149836 cstr 2 4579587 Thanks. I'll pick some up soon. Wed Apr 08 16:32:45 -0700 2009 4576351 168697 Leepa 2 4594638 will the beans stay good for a while, or can they be frozen? If I stock up I won't be able to use them up quickly. Tue Apr 14 10:03:02 -0700 2009 4576351 265047 puddin head 3 4594978 They come in 2 sealed containers of 5 beans each. I think they'll be fine and will last for a long time. Tue Apr 14 11:38:52 -0700 2009 4594638 149836 cstr 1 4576891 New product, I hope nationwide: Grace's Best sunflower seed petite cookies. They're butter based, no trans fats, and at $6 and change for a pound and a half, a good price for such quality. They're crunchy and oaty and good with milk, 'nuff said. Tue Apr 07 18:33:45 -0700 2009 2175354 24126 amyzan 2 4579590 What part of the store are these generally in... the bakery or the packaged snack section? Wed Apr 08 16:33:25 -0700 2009 4576891 168697 Leepa 3 4583498 They were in with the packaged snacks at the store here in KS. Thu Apr 09 22:08:11 -0700 2009 4579590 24126 amyzan 1 4580371 Tri-color chick pea salad in the refrigerated section. Wed Apr 08 22:21:24 -0700 2009 2175354 64003 bulavinaka 2 4581972 I didn't know they came in colors! Will have to check that out. Thu Apr 09 12:25:27 -0700 2009 4580371 131001 c oliver 3 4583357 The usual color (like cooked chicken), green, and burnished brown. The chick peas are tiny, but the salad (IMHO) is very enjoyable, and seems relatively healthy as well. Thu Apr 09 21:05:03 -0700 2009 4581972 64003 bulavinaka 4 4612131 Yes its pretty good. Also found Italian white bean salad. 2 weeks ago, found Japanese cheesecake from Sogo bakery. Mon Apr 20 12:58:42 -0700 2009 4583357 200674 chowmeaow 1 4583396 Four one half pound prime tenderloin filets for $18. They look fabulous and I can't wait for the weekend to grill them. I think in the local market (large and great store, while not fussy or anything, they have a great variety and many unique items), I think they are between $23-28 per pound... In any restaurant in Austin, Texas, I don't think you can find one prime filet for that little money anywhere. Thu Apr 09 21:20:04 -0700 2009 2175354 14268 Rene 1 4586244 Since its only me and my SO and have NO room in our littel apt, I only buy a few things that I can keep for a while such as their Pacific Chicken broth, olive oil, canned anchovies, marinated artichokes, and barilla whole grain pasta- all of which have multiple uses. I dropped my first bottle of artichoke hearts halfway through:( spilled all over the kitchen floor. Now I plan on putting them into smaller jars going forward. I love the produce section especially the organic baby spinach (which costs less than conventional spinach in manhattan), those little sweet assorted color bell peppers (not sure what they are called). Too bad I live in Manhattan and dont have a car. I LOVE Costco! Fri Apr 10 20:29:14 -0700 2009 2175354 136362 jisun1 2 4586248 Do you have a grill? Those little peppers are so good grilled. Just slice in half lengthwise, drizzle with some olive oil and whatever seasonings you like. Mmmmm. Love those peppers. Fri Apr 10 20:37:19 -0700 2009 4586244 131001 c oliver 3 4586339 No- I would love a grill. I only have a George Foreman Grill. Next time I go to my parents in NJ, I may have to try that! Gosh I love those little peppers. I think Costco was the first time I ever saw them. Now I see them at Trader Joes but not nearly as fresh and not such a great deal. The ones at Costco are so fresh and flawless! Fri Apr 10 21:35:10 -0700 2009 4586248 136362 jisun1 1 4603044 3-pack of Chinese sausage, $8.88 at Mountain View, California Costco (Also, if you are anywhere near the vicinity of Mountain View Costvo, that particular shopping center has Goldilocks Filipino Bakery, where you can get mango cheesecake! And also In'n Out Burger) Thu Apr 16 19:35:38 -0700 2009 2175354 233226 batchoy 2 4630194 I bought Citterio prosciutto di Parma from Costco in SF, and it's a tremendous value. This is the real deal and prefectly sliced - straight from Italy. It cost $13.25 and it appears to be disappearing pretty quickly from my refrigerator ... Sun Apr 26 13:24:09 -0700 2009 4603044 49974 osho 1 4633024 I recommend the salt and pepper PopChips in the snack aisle. You could eat the whole bag on the way home. Mon Apr 27 12:22:55 -0700 2009 2175354 12829 Bob W 1 4653017 Sorry if this has been mentioned before, but I'm going to add the whole wheat pitas I get at my DC area Costco are soft, fresh, delicious and best of all, 110 calories per pita. I've been making sandwiches and pita pockets with leftovers all week. Also, I sampled Kellogg's Special K Snack Crackers-Multigrain. 17 crackers are 90 calories. Not that I just look for low cal foods at Costco! Mon May 04 11:17:29 -0700 2009 2175354 65673 monavano 1 4653532 Just got back from the Westlake village/thousand oaks , CA costco and they had choice Fillet Mignon for 8.99/lb looked real good my son and I will try them tonight, heck the boneless rib eyes were 9.99/lb. Mon May 04 13:29:44 -0700 2009 2175354 12130 malibumike 2 4653657 In Northern California the boneless ribeyes that are $9.99/lb are *prime*; the choice is less expensive. The prime ribeyes were as low as $7.99/lb this winter; they also have had prime NY strips for a dollar more. The prime beef is easy to spot in the meat case: the styrofoam trays are blue, while the regular choice are white. Mon May 04 13:58:59 -0700 2009 4653532 10159 Ruth Lafler 1 4658821 just made two awesome pecan pies with the costco's shelled pecans. used the light karo syrup (recipe on back of the bottle), lessened the sugar by 1/3, and used the pecans, as chopped in the processor till medium-small chunks. used the pre-made regular pastry crusts (don't pre-bake or use "deep-dish" crusts) from sweet bay grocery store. still enough nuts to make another pie or maybe two! i still might cut the amount of sugar in karo recipe even more, as i don't like a real sweet pecan pie at all. i like more of the nut tart concept. not using a deep dish pie shell gives a higher nut to filling ratio -- and that's a good thing. Wed May 06 08:13:57 -0700 2009 2175354 105717 alkapal 1 4661386 European butter almond slice cookies in a three pack. These are identical to Trader Joe's butter almond slices and one of the Jules Destrooper cookies, but much more reasonably priced. Wed May 06 21:11:11 -0700 2009 2175354 24126 amyzan 2 4797399 MSK, care to factually elaborate a bit. Tue Jun 23 05:59:04 -0700 2009 4661386 149836 cstr 1 4796785 OK.....so I dreaded to resurect this never ending thread. But now,.................... after seeing "Food, Inc"............I regret almost every food purchase I have ever made at Costco. Mon Jun 22 20:44:53 -0700 2009 2175354 15774 MSK 2 4797219 To their credit, their buyers do try to get local foods. In Ontario, I can get carrots, apples, potatoes, onions, shallots, concord grapes, wheat, meat, fish, eggs, cheese and dairy, all local. In winter, they get greenhouse vegs from the north shore of Lake Erie, and they even send these to U.S. whses. I avoid most of their California or Central/South American produce, and restrict my foreign purchases to citrus and rice. Tue Jun 23 04:08:59 -0700 2009 4796785 56131 jayt90 3 4797969 Why would you avoid California produce??? It is some of the best around! Tue Jun 23 08:49:53 -0700 2009 4797219 12130 malibumike 4 4798514 Or choose a florida off season tomato.There has been much published recently about the labor abuse in florida and mexico tomato farms.Whereas the green houses in St Catherine's (Canada) and Israel farms for off season tomatoes don't have a history of abuse.California can't provide 100% of the national food supply.So perhaps rational is important.Eggs; free range small farm 30 miles away.OR organic,egg farm,near factory 1000 miles away.My choice is the near by egg.Decisions based on complete information are the choice for most of us social choices and carbon footprint and so on Tue Jun 23 11:07:09 -0700 2009 4797969 203919 lcool 3 4799243 Malibumike, there is no denying Ca produce is good, but it drains the water table all the way to the Mississippi for irrigation. One company dominates organic produce, another strawberries, and a single county dominates almonds. Is that good? To get all these fine products to my Costco in Ontario, there is a tremendous amount of storage, refrigeration, trucking, and waste. The same arguments we might make about Mexican and Chilean products. I really am happier with Costco buying local products, and they do that. Tue Jun 23 14:13:05 -0700 2009 4797219 56131 jayt90 4 4989056 All the way to the Mississippi? Have you heard of the Continental divide? Are you suggesting there's some huge continuous "water table" that flows from California under the Sierras, the Great Basin and the Rockies to the Mississippi? However, I do agree that, due to the size of the North American continent, buying food from California is not local by any stretch of the imagination for someone in Eastern North America. Sat Aug 29 15:31:40 -0700 2009 4799243 10159 Ruth Lafler 5 4990067 >>>""" there's some huge continuous "water table" that flows from California under the Sierras, the Great Basin and the Rockies to the Mississippi?"""<<< oh yeah, isn't that the one that flows underneath atlantis, too? Sun Aug 30 07:52:17 -0700 2009 4989056 105717 alkapal 2 4797807 any specifics? rather than hearsay ? Tue Jun 23 08:09:35 -0700 2009 4796785 203919 lcool 1 4798930 I'm sometimes disappointed by Costco's limited selection of some staples and some produce. Last week I couldn't even find celery. But the Kirkland dried mushrooms are very good. The cheese selection, though small, is quite good. And last week, to my surprise, I found Kokuho Rose rice, which is one of the best rices in the world. Tue Jun 23 13:01:37 -0700 2009 2175354 53369 Father Kitchen 2 4799433 You shouldn't be disappointed if they don't have certain products. In the case of celery which I also miss from time to time, if they can't get a good quality product or price, it's not going to be on their shelves, pretty simple. Tue Jun 23 15:18:29 -0700 2009 4798930 149836 cstr 3 4799491 jfood wanted the buffaloe mozzy this week and they were out. urggggh Tue Jun 23 15:38:19 -0700 2009 4799433 11290 jfood 4 4799818 which costco carries buffalo mozz, please? thanks! Tue Jun 23 17:27:07 -0700 2009 4799491 13335 chez cherie 5 4799888 jfood was over friends house and they told him they bought theirs in Norwalk CT Tue Jun 23 17:49:58 -0700 2009 4799818 11290 jfood 5 4801269 further south ;Pa,Md,Va buffalo mozz seems to be a staple in the case perhaps keep looking at the shrimp at COSTCO,there are 2 organic farms in the USA that sell restaurant only with one exception COSTCO Not all the shrimp farms in Asia are cess pools.Granted the clean rational ones are few and priced with US gulf shrimp. Wed Jun 24 06:55:20 -0700 2009 4799818 203919 lcool 4 4801265 That's usually in stock and a deal, could be a delivery timing issue. BTW, I heard that Costco is going to do some house keeping with it's higher end slow moving wines, so if jfood likes the grape, look for the price ending in .97 coming soon. Wed Jun 24 06:54:15 -0700 2009 4799491 149836 cstr 5 4801321 No wines in CT Costcos and jfood does not imbide, only cooks with, wines. Wed Jun 24 07:09:53 -0700 2009 4801265 11290 jfood 5 4810887 Wine markdowns have already started, at least at my local Costco here in the San Francisco Bay Area. Sat Jun 27 10:27:41 -0700 2009 4801265 11011 Eugene Park 1 4876843 Went to Costco yesterday, they had champagne grapes, first I've seen this season. Sweet little pearls of goodness, good price as well. Tue Jul 21 07:20:14 -0700 2009 2175354 149836 cstr 2 4882766 I picked these up as well.....so adorable and delicious! Wed Jul 22 20:00:07 -0700 2009 4876843 11434 FlyerFan 1 4989231 I just discovered the Kirkland Lightly Salted Kettle Chips. I think they just might be the best chips I've ever eaten --- and I AM a connoisseur of potato chips if nothing else. Sat Aug 29 17:17:55 -0700 2009 2175354 131001 c oliver 2 4989413 They are good, and they beat the price of Ms Vickies or the Cape Cod type by quite a margin. They have enough salt for me, not really skimping on it. Sat Aug 29 19:11:15 -0700 2009 4989231 56131 jayt90 3 4989615 I agree about the salt. Just started our second bag :) Sat Aug 29 21:21:54 -0700 2009 4989413 131001 c oliver 1 4991040 I have a bag of their flash frozen Kirkland Tilapia (singularly wrapped) in the freezer and they are very good. But, the last couple of times I went, they didn't have them in stock. Anyone else get these? I'm near Boston. Thanks. Sun Aug 30 16:27:38 -0700 2009 2175354 15691 mcel215 1 5053924 Despite my user name I dashed into my local Costco last night for a big tray of pork chops. Imagine my delight when there was a sign above the pork chops saying that there was an instant rebate of 3.00 taken off at the register on the chops! The item I had intended to buy anyway was on sale, no coupon necessary. Dunno if is a nationwide deal or not. I also got a package with four steaks of beef tenderloin that were very nicely trimmed. Every bite was a delight, no waste. Wed Sep 23 19:23:51 -0700 2009 2175354 184593 givemecarbs 1 5053945 Love their mango-peach salsa Wed Sep 23 19:32:44 -0700 2009 2175354 1102205 brooklynkoshereater 2 5054338 Especially on their St. Andre cheese. Thu Sep 24 01:39:36 -0700 2009 5053945 64459 jnk 1 5056061 I'm bummed that Costco stopped carrying Brazilian canned roast beef. I guess they must be having a shortage over there. Thu Sep 24 14:29:12 -0700 2009 2175354 1106099 ArrowSmith 2 5056214 FYI: Trader Joe's was carrying a really good Brazilian RB hash in a foil vacuum pack. It was way better then anything in the U.S. Very low fat content, not compressed to hell like canned. Thu Sep 24 15:24:07 -0700 2009 5056061 27275 ML8000 1 5060706 Finally got around to trying the frozen Phillips maryland style crab cakes. It had a little blurb saying new recipe or something on the box. I really enjoyed them. I used the defrost and pan fry method. Creamy and meaty. Yum! Sat Sep 26 16:52:01 -0700 2009 2175354 184593 givemecarbs 1 5081328 This is by far the best thread on Chowhound. I'm going to get a Costco membership soon (for the first time) and I think I'm going to print out this whole thread and try everything! Mon Oct 05 18:11:04 -0700 2009 2175354 291929 newkai 2 5151866 Let usknow how you make out newkai Tue Nov 03 08:20:24 -0800 2009 5081328 184593 givemecarbs 1 5211660 Just bought 2-1/2 lbs. of Harry & David's Moose Munch for $14 and the same amount is $30 on H & D website. Picked up a chicken but it wasn't cooked all the way through, so that was gross. How do they get them so big!? I got the most delicious chipotle tri-tip roast over the summer, but haven't seen it since. Anyone know the brand name? Also missing the marinated Foster Farms chicken breasts. Good cheesecake! Feta, salad greens, romaine, and Beringer's White Zinfandel are other things I like. You can get those chocolate truffles at Trader Joe's in a smaller package. Fri Nov 27 16:11:37 -0800 2009 2175354 1127858 TucsonTeacher