Of Superballs and Steak

Posted on 27. Oct, 2009 by Jordan Thornburgh in Community

College students have been known to resort to hunter-gatherer methods to obtain what they need to survive if they feel that their needs aren’t being met. And if your needs extend beyond burritos and pizza, chances are that the average PUC student will find him or herself stalking the aisles of a grocery store.

There are two real options for stocking your fridge if you attend PUC. There’s the college market, and Safeway. Depending on what you need, the right decision can be the difference between a panini and a pop tart. And so I’ve been asked to play Consumer Reports to tell you what you can expect from both.

In our very own front yard, we have the college market. If veggie meat is what gets you out of bed in the mornings, look no further. The freezers are nigh stuffed with the little devils, ranging from the rubbery to the crunchy. And while Safeway carries a few types of garden and veggie burgers, the local market definitely has a wider variety.

The college market also has the advantage of being connected to an Ace Hardware Store and the bookstore. And while this is a little like bribing your grandchildren to come visit by offering them cookies, it is a handy fact if you want to run multiple errands in the least amount of miles. Since the market is within walking distance, it means you don’t have to wait for your friends to go to St. Helena if you don’t have a car or are too lazy to drive yourself. Overall, the local store boasts convenience over its competition.

Safeway is the other option, since WalMart isn’t sophisticated enough to operate in wine country. In Safeway, you will find a wider variety of the same things offered at the college market –veggie products excluded. The biggest difference is most likely the entire quarter of the store dedicated to the booze. But since we’re all angels, this is a moot point.

Also, if you don’t like chewing on something with the consistency of a superball, you can find real meat at Safeway. If it was alive at some point, and humans can eat it, it will most likely be there. This is the deal maker for me. A side note is that there is a wider variety of DVD’s at Safeway, but I’ve never been that hungry myself. Overall, the mainstream contender offers more. Period. And if you get a membership, you can get more for less, just like all the bad slogans tell you.

Both of these establishments will offer what you need (probably). And you will wind up at one or the other at some point in time here at PUC (if you’re normal). But I guess the bottom line is that the college market is like a Motel 6. Convenient in many ways, and it will get the job done. But the Safeway is like a Marriot. It’s a bit more trouble to get to one, but it offers everything the Motel 6 does plus a mint on your pillow.