re: Schwegmann's - greatest grocery store ever

I think to truly appreciate Schweamann's you have to be a certain age and experienced grocery shopping in other parts of the country.

I was lucky that I did cause I admit it was the greatest grocery store I've ever shopped at and there isn't anything like it left in the country. Not that anything ever really compared

Don't know why i remember this, but Airline Schweg had $.90 highballs...dad would have a bourbon/coke or two every trip, while mom made groceries. It was better hanging with Dad at bar than shopping with mom.

circa 1968 or so

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Don't know why i remember this, but Airline Schweg had $.90 highballs...dad would have a bourbon/coke or two every trip, while mom made groceries. It was better hanging with Dad at bar than shopping with mom. circa 1968 or so

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Damn! SOB, I missed a great era in grocery shopping

When i was a kid, my coussin and i would stay at my grandmaws house during the summer and she lived in Gentilly. She would do groceries at the big, two story Schweggsma on Gentilly Blvd. My coysin and i would go with her and we would go look at the fishing gear, and then go to the pet shop. Once a month we would get a haircut there also.

This is easily the best F&DB thread in months.

Not just politics on the bags:

Schwegmann's Real Italian Meatballs and Spaghetti

SAUCE

1 stick butter
1 cup chopped green onions
2 jumbo onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2 cups bell pepper, chopped
½ cup parsley, chopped
5 toes garlic, chopped fine
2 tablespoons Italian dry seasoning
5 fresh bay leaves
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled Italian tomatoes
3 (6-ounce) cans tomato paste
3 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

MEATBALLS

2 pounds fresh ground beef (coarsely ground if desired)
1 cup chopped green onions
1 jumbo onion, chopped
2 cups chopped celery
½ cup chopped parsley
1 cup bell pepper, chopped
5 toes fresh garlic, chopped
6 whole eggs
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute vegetables and seasoning in butter for about 15 minutes in a large iron pot, then add whole tomatoes. Cook slowly for 1 hour then add tomato paste and sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer 2 hours. Add sugar, let simmer another 2 ½ hours.

Meanwhile, prepare meatballs by mixing all ingredients together. Roll into 1 ½- to 2-inch balls. Saute in 1 cup of olive oil until nicely brown. Set aside.

Add meatballs and continue simmering another 30 to 45 minutes. Serve over spaghetti (cooked al dente) and top with freshly grated Romano. For a complete meal, you only need to add a green salad, some crisp French bread, and your choice of a good red wine.

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It went under because they bought the bankrupt National Food Stores chain and assumed a ton of debt. Same reason Piccadilly went bankrupt and was sold because it bought the Morrisons chain which was going under and the same reason Godchaux's Department store went under and sold to Dilliards because it bought the Robinsons store in Florida which were essentially bankrupt and the same reason Copeland lost Popeyes because it bought a heavily in debt Church's Fried Chicken.

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Holy frick that's all one sentence.

Schwegmann's was also responsible for a unit of measure, a Schwegmann bag, approximately the same as a bushel. As in "I got about 2 Schwegmann bags full of clothes to drop off at Goodwill".

Actually it's two sentences and I do believe the second is correct. I could be wrong though.

The Schwegmanns in BR and the one out in the East that was built around the same time, had catwalks around the perimeter with small lookout one way glass windows so they could catch shoplifters. I worked on both of those buildings when I was young and in school.

The bags were used to cover my school text books.

I recall shopping there with my mother, I never really shipped there, I do love Dorignacs and always go there when I am in town.

I swear by Wegmans now, great app for your phone, and the staff is very nice and drop whatever they are doing to help you find something