fresh and easy

Well, I've had a request to blog about this, so I'm going to do it. Not that I didn't think about doing it yesterday afternoon when I got back, but one thing led to another and I didn't.

Ages ago I heard that Tesco, the English supermarket chain, was coming to Los Angeles. And they were going to open in places most American chains wouldn't (like Compton). What a great idea! But I never heard an announcement of "Tesco is here!"

On Saturday as I'm driving around, I was listening to Off Ramp on KPCC, which went to the Fresh and Easy in Compton to talk about the somewhat disappointing show of Tesco's debut in the U.S. No wonder I never heard about Tesco, they fooled me and called themselves Fresh and Easy, which sounds more like an advertisement for adult services rather than a grocery store. I had passed by the one in Hollywood before, but didn't know what it was. Then I heard them mention there's one in Eagle Rock. I got all excited! The Hollywood & Highland complex is a disaster and horribly inconvenient, even if it's technically the closest location to me (we'll see if I use it over the summer since work will be a short walk), but tell me there's one in Eagle Rock and I'm there.

One of the commentators on the radio had complained that it's a limited-choice supermarket and maybe that's why it's not doing so hot. I don't know about that. Look how wildly successful Trader Joe's is, and if it ain't limited choice, I don't know what is! I looked it up online (I've linked you above) and saw how conscientious they are with lower energy consumption and good pay and health care for all employees.

I get excited about these things because it's a family trait to be obsessed with food. And I liked the idea that they had a lot of freshly prepared food that wasn't loaded with preservatives since I don't cook. And I'm sick of eating the same stuff from Trader Joe's all the time.

I loved it. I walked in and immediately saw the English touches, which reminded me of shopping in Sainsbury's in Lancaster, Sommerfield in Glasgow, and even Tesco Express in London. The packaging and food display is straight from England, but the food choices aren't necessarily. While they did have black currant yogurt, they didn't have trifle or digestives! The prices are completely reasonable, if not even cheaper than other stores. They sell plenty of non-F&E brands too, including toiletries, detergents, and alcohol. And they have a big tea section, including some choice decaf black teas (always difficult to find).

I bought a fresh pizza (ready to bake), a frozen one, a frozen dinner (that I discovered later was portioned for two, which then made it a healthy choice...I'm going back for the Shepherd's Pie!), two prepared salads, and some other odds and ends like fruit, hummus, and the best croutons in the world (which I've had difficulty finding lately).

You have to check yourself out, which isn't that big a deal, but something you don't see much out here. My problem was that because I was using my own bag the machine would freak out after I scanned every other item, even when I kept punching "I'm using my own bag."

Upon leaving, I was given several coupons for $5 off a purchase of $20 or more over the next couple of months. You bet your ass I'll be using them.