nice and easy was nice and fun...and plastic

went to the nice and easy store in la mirada california on santa gertrudes and imperial highway. it was a weird combination of trader joe's and albertsons, with the lighting of 'one hour photo' thrown in.

IT'S LIKE TRADER JOE'S!

• cheap cage free eggs
• tons of their own 'nice and easy' brand
• pasta is 69 cents for a pound
• organic this and whole wheat that
• super friendly employees
• decent wine section

IT'S LIKE ALBERTSONS!

• self checkout
• accepts coupons
• name brand stuff like fritos and stouffers
• lots of fresh meat [sausages with i think synthetic casing] and fish [we're talking freaking catfish with their heads and whiskers!!!?]

i guess i was bummed about their supposed green approach, which in reality meant: plastic wrappers on individual pieces of produce, and 'reusable' shopping bags, which were like those huge plastic to-go bags that you get at buca di beppo's, except sans the sturdy cardboard bottom. the thing about these is, once they're worn out, you turn them to the store for another plastic bag!??

i was also bummed cos the store wasn't fully stocked [read: shelves were empty];the nice and easy chips are in 10-ounce bags only [although still less than $2.50];and although they carry secret and mitchum deodorant, they don't carry mentadent toothpaste or filo dough.

we went out of our way to shop here tonight, and i think i'd go there in the same way i go out of the way to shop at trader joe's. plus, the food actually tastes pretty damn good. the thing i REALLY like about nice and easy, though, is how they are committed to serving underserved communities with their healthy, somewhat green approach. that's a LOT more than trader joe's can say, with their cropping up in every bougie neighbourhood that doesn't have a whole foods.

shop there and tell me what you think.