I don’t live near one anymore (sad!) but I used to love the selection and prices of their fresh herbs!
Agree that the Sepulveda and Sherman Way Jon’s is quite nice. People who work there are friendly enough. The baguettes (as mentioned elsewhere in this thread) are actually some of my favorites, as long as I don’t look at the ingredients. Let’s just say they wouldn’t meet the Décret Pain for their simple ingredients…
Oh, and also agree the produce prices are very, very good. I have to checkout the deli more - it’s big, and has its own seating area.
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That reminds me. I still really fucking miss Storefront Deli.
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If you like Jon’s you’ll love SuperKing, on San Fernando. Bigger deli with even better prices; often more interesting produce. (Not only verdolagas but mamey,). Dave’s thin-sliced bread, too.
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Me too. Great burgers. Shit location.
I was a serious Jon’s shopper - until Super King.
That said, in the last year, Jon’s has stopped up their efforts to compete - they’ve upgraded stores and their prices and produce are better then the past. Super King is still my first choice, but I will now also shop at Jon’s (and I’d stopped for a few years.)
SuperKing can be a little too “full contact,” especially if you decide to visit while hungover or stressed out. I’ve seen overt pushing and shoving and have had to bite my tongue more than once when a shopper reached over me or otherwise invaded my personal space. This happens at Jon’s as well but with less frequency than at SK, where the odds of getting shanked by an Armenian granny seem relatively high.
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Thug life: L.A.
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i agree with this. the aggravation of getting there, parking there and shopping there is usually too much
to bear no matter what kind of head i have on.
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There’s no denying, if you go on a “sale” day, it can be intense. But since they’ve opened up more locations (Altadena and Northridge) the traffic isn’t as bad. And as I work from home, I’ve learned the best off-peak hours to hit for my sanity ; )
If you go from 11am to 3pm on a weekend? Let the battle begin!
I frankly like’em in part specifically because they are the “Anti-Gelsons’”
The stock differs from one to the other. I will drive all the way (for me) to the one in Glendale (glenoaks?) - seems like more extensive international selection there. For my regular stuff, the one at Laurel Cyn and Magnolia is fine.
Heartwarming story: So I was shopping at Jon’s and needed raisins. So I found a young Russian/Armenian-looking man stocking the shelves and asked him if they had raisins. “Aheeezins?” he replied. “Ray Zins” I responded.
He looked at me, slowly contemplating what I was saying “…Ahyeeezins. I find out.” At which time he went charging behind the butcher counter and convened a meeting of all the butchers to find the ahyeezins. They talked in Russian or whatever language they were speaking, then they all looked over at me, then back to the serious matter at hand. “Excuse me, Ahyeezins? he called over.” “RAAAYYY ZINS. They’re small, and black and made from grapes.” This brought a new element to the discussion, but ultimately they adjourned the meeting and sent him to the store manager to inquire about the ahyeezins.
I followed him over there, where he pleaded his case to the store manager who immediately said, no they don’t have them. He apologized to me, and I was falling all over myself thanking him for his trouble, when all of a sudden, a spark came to him. “Like nuts?” “Maybe” I responded. So he led me to the nut section and lo and behold, raisins. Again I gushed my thanks to him, and the look of satisfaction on his face was priceless.
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