Comparisons between local grocery stores offer food for thought

Sarah Siegel Staff Writer

Amidst constant grumbling over meal-plan prices, Vassar students often turn to other sources for grub. But for those of us who lack the money to eat at Miss Saigon’s every night, the options are fairly limited: the College Bookstore, Adam’s, or Super Stop & Shop.

When you don’t have a car or a friend with a car, the Bookstore is easiest. There’s also something to be said for reading chairs, fuzzy Vassar sweats, and friendly service. But, unless you’re buying Burt’s Bees products, don’t look for a deal there. Prices are uniformly at or above those at the grocery stores, and the selection is, well, limited.

Adam’s Fairacre Farms is a significant step up. With its own sprawling complex including a greenhouse, gift shop, nursery, power tool depot, grocery store, sweet-shop, ice-cream parlor-come-café, and independently-owned bakery, Adam’s provides friendly service, the benefits of a locally-owned business, and a variety of products to buy. At Adam’s, you can get everything from Stilton cheese with apricots to fine-china teapots to plush Easter ducks with shiny polyurethane rain-hats.

One can also make more practical purchases at Adams—the meat, milk and produce are incredibly fresh and varied—as well as packaged food that brings you back to simpler times (think Yodels and Ding Dongs). The candy corner is lined with jars full of brightly colored sweets; you can get a three-vegetable pâté over by the cheese section, and Italian cookies on your way to the tea and coffee station. You could pick up some fresh delphiniums and roses to give a big middle-finger to the recent cold weather. But you won’t find Easy Mac there.

For “the cheesiest” and other college staples, you should go to Super Stop & Shop. There, you’ll find a vast selection of pre-packaged foods, as well as the benefits of pharmaceuticals, stationery, cookware, home/dorm-ware, magazine and party supply sections. The produce, milk, meat, and prepared food sections aren’t as fresh and don’t have as much variety as the aisles at Adam’s. Additionally, the service isn’t as good, but the food does tend to be cheaper.

While you’re there you can get anything from packages of the ubiquitous “red cup” ($1.59 for 20) to a specially priced, watermelon-shaped block of Friendly’s ice cream. It also has a decent-size section of natural foods that’s great for vegans and vegetarians. If you like those “Simply Asia” noodle bowls now sold in All College Dining Center (ACDC), it would be smart to go to the natural foods section to get them. At the grocery store, one noodle-bowl is $2.99. At ACDC they’re 5.49 points. If you’re on the Standard Plan, that means you’re spending more for a single meal you put in the microwave. Whew.

Many of the foods at Adam’s were actually cheaper than at Stop & Shop, but for staples Stop & Shop had the lowest prices. A half gallon of milk costs $1.68 at Adam’s and $1.74 at Stop & Shop. On the other hand, a pound of Granny Smith apples will cost you $1.49 per pound at Adam’s, while Stop & Shop charges only $1.29 per pound. In respect to prepared food, a can of Stop & Shop brand soup is $1.99, but a can of Adam’s homemade soup, twice as big, costs $5.63.

So, if you need another Vassar t-shirt, go to the Bookstore. If you need Ramen, go to Stop & Shop. But, if you need some “Berried Treasure” ice-cream or six different flavors of natural honey, head over to Adam’s.

The nearest branch of Super Stop & Shop is located at 2540 South Road in Poughkeepsie. Adam’s Fairacre Farms is located at 765 Dutchess Turnpike in Poughkeepsie.