Mid-Michigan Dining

• 2495 S. Cedar St.
• Holt, MI 48842
• (517) 694-4119
• Website

I figured since I seem to be at the grocery store everyday, I’d write  up a few blog posts about why I go to which grocery store.  There isn’t one store where I do all my shopping because there is something that I think each store does better than others.

I’m going to start with Kroger because I had to run there tonight to get some baking supplies to make cookies for my girlfriend.  No, I’m not in trouble.  I just like to do nice things every now and then…and she asked me to because every Thursday is treat day (or something like that) at her job and it’s her to bring treats.  For quick pantry trips, I usually run to Kroger because it’s the easiest to get to from our place.  Meijer may be closer, but it’s harder to get to.  We’ve walked to both stores so you know they’re not too far away.

Usually, I go to Kroger for meat.  In my opinion, that’s where they beat the other major supermarkets.  There are usually pretty good specials (like this week, there are a lot of buy one get one deals on chicken and beef).  Unlike Wal-Mart, they do actually have butchers and meat cutters on site to cut at least some of their beef and pork.  The chicken comes pre-packaged from a couple different places.  I’ve never gotten bad meat from Kroger.  It’s not as fresh as a good butcher, but still pretty fresh for a supermarket.

I also usually hit Kroger for pantry items.  As long as you have a Kroger card, you can usually find pretty good sales.  Their private label brand offers a cheap alternative that doesn’t fail on quality.  Most of the items in my cupbards are Kroger Private Selection.

I don’t buy a whole lot from the produce section.  We usually try to hit farmer’s market’s for those things, but even when we didn’t live near a farmer’s market or in winter, we didn’t go to Kroger for produce.  I’m sure there’s nothing wrong with it, but the selection is smaller than another store, so we would go there.

Overall, Kroger is my go-to.  They have almost everything I need and have a generic brand for most things which helps the check book.  Just being a grocery store is another plus.  Hypermarkets have their place, but when you just need to get in and get out, grocery stores are much more convienent.  Kroger has self-checkout, automated bottle return, a floral department, and they even give you five cents back for bringing your own grocery bags.