Grocery Outlet Vegan Deals

Grocery Outlet is not the 99 cent store.  However, tucked in its shelves and freezers, you'll find some 99 cent vegan deals and more for under $5.  Here's what I found at the Richmond District location:

• 99 cent 10 flour tortillas by Ortega.  It's not in the tortilla section!  It's hidden in one of the adjacent aisles, floor level.
• 99 cent Wild Harvest 12 frozen vegan pea protein meatballs.  Gluten and soy free.  It's really high in fat (coconut oil), so I'm not thrilled, but maybe you will be.
• 99 cent spices: paprika, cayenne pepper, whole black pepper, Italian seasoning, thyme, and small containers of organic ones like sage.

The rest was $5 or under, with exception of one bulk item noted below.

• Gardein bulk vegan chicken tenders, $13.99 for 40 oz.  Trader Joe's vegan chicken nuggets are about 8 oz for about $3.25.  If you do the math and if you have freezer space, this bulk Gardein bag is cheaper (and tastier in my opinion!).
• Oatly strawberry ice cream bars dipped in chocolate, box of 3 . $1.99.  They were creamy and delicious.  This is a bargain!
• Annie and Jack's pulled jackfruit ~$3
• Lightlife 6 vegan chicken tenders- not breaded, frozen. $1.99
• Beyond Meat hot and spicy vegan beef jerky $3.99 for 3 oz.
• Miyoko un-lox cream cheese spread $2.99
• Unlimeat pulled vegan "pork".  Not made of jackfruit, so more like seitan.  Made in Korea by a woman-owned company.  $4.99
• "No meat" brand 4 sausage frozen "no porkies" vegan pastry pockets.  $1.99.  I really liked the flaky pastry crust, like a French pate chaud.  The sausage filling was pasty and not that great.
• "No meat" brand No bull ground frozen crumbles.  $1.99
• Tree-line brand French-style vegan cashew cheese $3.99
• Miyoko cheese wheel $4.99
• Urban Accents Culinary Wingman shelf-stable ground veggie meatless mix.  Makes 1 lb. ground meat when rehydrated.  $1.99 Chili or Morning wrap varieties

I saw these items that didn't have a price tag, so I didn't bother:

• Kite Hill unsweetened vegan yogurt
• Incogmeato Kellogg vegan sausage (frozen)

Dollar Tree Deals

Dollar Tree raised their prices to $1.25, but they're still a bargain in these inflationary times!

In light of the demise of the Berkeley 99 cent store, not to mention how 99 cent store inflated so many of their prices into the $2+ range, I think Dollar Tree is my new go-to place for bargains.  They're not great for food, but for shelf stable items and kitchen ware, I was impressed.

The closest stores to SF are either the Daly City or Oakland locations.  Daly City Mission St. location can be reached via SF Muni (multiple buses!), and the Oakland one via Muni + BART + walking around Lake Merritt and then up a few blocks.

Here are some deals I found 1/21/23 at the Daly City Mission St. location.  Of note, I had searched the Dollar Tree website in advance.  I noticed some things on the website were *not* available in-store here, and vice versa, some deals were not on the website.  

• Apple cider vinegar: they had 3 different brands tucked on the lowest shelf.  I nabbed the 32 oz. bottle made in the USA!
• Spices- slim pickings vs. what I've seen in the past.  I got McCormick bacon bits, which are vegan.  They also had black peppercorns, cayenne pepper, Italian seasoning, dried basil, dried chives, etc.
• Potato gnocchi
• Panko bread crumbs
• Taco shells-  box of 12, yellow corn, made in Mexico
• Jams, pepper preserves
• Pretzels- stick and round shapes which could be used as antlers, horns, or arms for pastry decorating.  Made in Pennsylvania, and expiry is summer 2023.
• Pickles

I have developed an interest in cake and cookie decorating.  They had these supplies:

• Offset (i.e. curved) small spatula
• Offset palette knife
• Flat small metal spatula
• Icing scrapers/combs, set of 3 (round, square, and serrated)
• Cake decorating tool set pf 3 (double ended round tool- large and small balls for shaping fondant; small plastic knife for cutting fondant with other end being pointed tool; double ended third tool with fan on one end for molding shape)
• Palettes- 6 wells, set of 6 of them
• Paint brushes- not clear if food-grade, but they come in a pack of 5 medium and "small" brushes.  Larger brushes (pack of 2) also available.  I'm not sure I'll use them as I have finer tip brushes from Amazon designed for use on pastries.
• Cake boards- rectangle and circular with scalloped edges.  Cardboard covered with foil.  Thinner cardboard vs. the Wilton ones I got online, but thin ones may be good for the upper layers of multi-tier cakes.
• Smaller and large mesh sieves/strainers- for dusting on sugar, sieving flour, etc.
• Latex balloons of different sizes which can be used for making clear sugar globes.
• Set of 12 disposable piping bags
• Box of 150 sandwich bags (no zip top)- which could also be used for piping
• Lots of other baking supplies: mixing bowls (plastic), measuring spoons, metal slotted spoon, baking pans (square and pie tins), plastic spatulas, star cookie cutter.  
• Small glass or plastic bowls which could be used for storing different colored icing
• Sprinkles and colored sugar- all made in China
• Paper straws

Sadly they didn't have the metal scraper advertised on their website which could be used, besides for cutting dough, for lifting pastries (might need 2 at a time for large cakes) and/or as an icing scraper.

Adieu, Berkeley 99 cent store

 Alas, the Berkeley, CA 99 cent store is closing Nov. 2022 to make way for housing.  My last visit there was Oct. 2022.  Sadly with inflation, a lot of items are no longer 99 cents.  For example:

• Tortillas- 10 whole wheat or flour tortillas were around $2
• 5 oz. portobello mushroom caps also ~$2
• Dried garbanzo beans, 1 lb, ~$1.25 (still a bargain!).  Other beans and split peas similarly available.

I nabbed the few useful things still for 99 cents:

• Spices- cayenne powder, black peppercorns
• Extracts (made in Mexico)- almond.  Other flavors and food coloring similarly available.
• Hunt's 24 oz. canned pasta sauce 
• Red bell peppers- around 50 to 70 cents each
• Raspberries 

Fresh produce- 10 lb. potatoes for about ~$3-4, cherry tomatoes, celery were also available

R.I.P.  

The Bay area still has a few other locales such as in Richmond and Fremont.  However, with the new higher prices and slim pickings, I will unlikely visit.

Graham Cracker Crumbs and More

 Here were my findings this week at the Berkeley 99 cent store:

• Keebler graham cracker crumbs box- 1 month until expiration
• These boxes go for about $5 at some supermarkets!
• Portobello mushrooms
• Pasta- seaweed pasta, whole wheat pasta, lasagna noodles, penne, jumbo shells, birds' nest pasta
• A1 sauce
• Wasabi paste (Polar brand, made in China)
• A banana.  Yes, only one was left.  Must be due to those shortages caused by supply chain and shipping delays.
• Fresh Express kale spring mix 
• Black and kalamata olives
• Diced canned tomatoes, 28 oz.
• Orange extract
• Parsley flakes, thyme, Italian seasoning, oregano, crushed pepper flakes, Himalayan pink salt, sea salt, black peppercorns, cinnamon, cumin
• Frank's red hot sauce
• Gnocchi (Pampa brand, made in Italy)
• Heinz apple cider vinegar
• Red wine, balsamic, and pomegranate vinegar

They have an increasing amount of food above $0.99.  The price is not always clearly marked, so beware!  It may still be a deal compared to regular supermarkets.  For example:

• Green giant bite-sized potatoes, 1 lb. bag for $2.49
• Champignon mushrooms ~4 oz. for $2.49.  They look like shiitake
• King Arthur's brand flour- for ~$3 a bag

Pasta party at the 99 cent store!

 It was a pasta party at the Berkeley 99 cent store with these findings Labor Day weekend:

• Canneloni 8 oz. dried 
• Jumbo shells 8 oz. dried
• Tagliatelle 8 oz. dried
• Gnocchi, Parma brand, made in Italy

I have a hard time finding canneloni, jumbo shells, and tagliatelle at conventional big box supermarkets, so this was a boon!

The other useful veg*n findings that day for $0.99:

• portobello caps 4 oz.
• cremini mushrooms 4 oz.
• crushed red pepper flakes 3.5 oz
• crushed tomatoes 28 oz.
• Clabber Girl baking powder can
• La Victoria hot sauce
• Heinz apple cider vinegar
• black olives
• Seneca apple sauce 4 cup pack

They also had the usual produce: cauliflower, pasilla peppers, celery, lettuce, grape tomatoes.  Nota bene the refrigerated fruit section is pricey and above $1.

Dollar Tree vegan deals- pantry and kitchen supplies

 Dollar Tree's forte is bric a brac more so than food.  That being said, there are some vegan things you can find for only a dollar:

• Spices: Himalayan pink salt, parsley flakes, dried basil and oregano, lemon pepper, black whole peppercorns and ground pepper
• Frank's red hot sauce
• Gnocchi (made in Italy)
• Panko style bread crumbs 
• Dried pasta- penne, spaghetti
• Pasta sauce
• Dried beans- lentils, pinto beans...
• McCormick's bac'n bits- vegan per PETA.  Yippee!

They also have an impressive collection of kitchen gadgets for your vegan kitchen:

• Betty Crocker brand spatulas, measuring spoons, kitchen scissors, large plastic spoon, salad tongs, and other similar gadgets
• Can opener
• Vegetable peeler
• Sticks for caramel apples
• Toothpicks
• Salt and pepper glass shaker set
• Barbecue supplies- grill cleaner, spatulas
• Baking supplies- rimmed baking sheet, broiling pan, cupcake pan, and other pans
• Wooden slotted spoons and forks
• Funnels (set of 3)
• Strainer
• Ice cream scoop
• Dish towels
• Oven mitts
• Knives
• Metal utensils
• Sink strainer

Dollar Vegetable Deals

 Nowhere else in the Bay area have I found such inexpensive vegetables.  You might get these prices during occasional weekly sale deals, but to have them all available at once without having to wait for sales is so convenient.  Here's what I found this week for 99 cents:

• Cauliflower head- huge, fresh, stickered with when they were harvested (mostly a little over 2 weeks ago from Salinas)
• Bell peppers- orange, red, yellow- two for 99 cents.  Great deal for those red ones which tend to run more expensive than other colors.
• Yellow squash- 2 lb. bag
• Oyster mushrooms- fresh, yellow caps, grown in California
• Shiitake mushrooms- fresh, smaller and daintier than the ones from Trader Joe's or Asian groceries
• Baby bella mushroom (4 oz.)
• Portobello mushrooms 4 oz.
• Pasilla peppers in a bag- great for stuffing!
• Herbs, fresh- basil plant; marjoram plant, oregano, and others!
• Lettuce- head or also one that comes planted in dirt and is still "growing"
• Chile de arbol, dried
• Guajillo chiles, dried- I had paid double this price at an SF market!
• Chiles japones
• Serrano chiles
• Celery
• Leeks (2 stalks in a bag)
• Parsley (Italian)- 2 bunches
• Grape tomatoes- carton
• Regular tomatoes- tray
• Hibiscus petals for tea
• Zucchini bag
• Yams/Sweet potatoes- bag of approx. 2 lbs.

Other pantry staples:

• Dried beans- garbanzo and others
• Olives- black, manzanita stuffed, green
• Masa harina- small bag
• Stevia
• Corn bread mix (Aunt Jemima)
• Corn meal- small bag
• Pasta- 24 oz. penne, spaghetti, rotini...
• Apple cider vinegar
• Spices- whole black pepper, pink Himalayan salt, lemon pepper, Italian seasoning, rosemary, oregano, cinnamon (sticks and ground), parsley flakes, basil leaves

Sadly there was no vegan cheese this time.

Happy salad making!