I think the best way to navigate Mediterranean Wholesalers is to bring your own Italian nonna. Really, they should offer a No-Nonsense Nonna rental service along with the shopping trolleys.Since no such service exists, I was left to face the fomidable rows of dried pasta shapes on my own. The supermarket also sells pallets of other mediterranean goods, from caranoli rice to tomato passata, jerry cans of olive oil, frozen filled pasta, as well as offering fresh bread, wine, sweets and deli products such as chorizo and baccala. When you're done with your shopping, you can even settle down at the authentic-looking Italian bar for an espresso and a slice of super-cheap apple cake or marble cake.
My shopping basket:- frozen beef tortellini ($5.50)
- Carmelina sundried tomatoes ($4.55)
- Mazzetti pesto because I don't have enough basil to make my own now ($4.65)
- La Risera Arborio rice - just picked a brand randomly ($2.99)
- Reggia pasta - again no idea, but I spotted a little old lady stocking up on the sale items, so figured it must be ok ($0.99-$1.19)
- Di Martino bucatini - mainly just so I'd have a point of comparison for the Reggia pasta ($1.19)
- Di Martino Calamarata - cos it came in a nifty box and was an unusual ring shape ($2.29)
- Montefiore mozzarella and prosciutto for my pizza ($3.99)
- Giant hunk of grana padano - 600g was the smallest I could find! ($11.91)
- Arroz de Calasparra - the best rice for paella as told to me by a snobby Spaniard ($7.95). It's double the price at Simon Johnson!
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