The Kroger Company

10 Items or Less: The Grocery Store Pet Peeves That Drive Us Crazy

My mother shops and cooks for a living. She's there at Randall's or H-E-B or Kroger every single morning -- sometimes Costco, depending on the client -- with her battery of cloth sacks and cold bags, waiting for the day's haul of fresh produce, raw meat and canned goods to rumble down the conveyor b ... More >>

Early V-Day Prep: The "Have A Heart" Cocktail

No sooner have the Christmas M&Ms been cleared from the shelves of Kroger then scores of red and pink chocolate boxes appear in preparation for Valentine's Day. I used to fight such excessively early celebrations. Now, I just kind of embrace it. In the spirit of the upcoming heart-themed holiday an ... More >>

Champagne Cliffs Notes: The Best Bubblies to Buy for New Year's Eve

The weather outside was frightful when I rolled up to the mothership Spec's on Smith Street one afternoon last week. But it wasn't half as scary as the demolition derby that was unfolding in the parking lot there, between the old school Caddys, the C-Class Benzes, and the obligatory and ubiquitous ... More >>

$14 Italian White Delivers Quality & Authenticity at Kroger

As for brand names like Valpolicella and Chianti, U.S. consumer perception of the Northern Italian Soave appellation was tainted in the 1970s by market saturation and a tide of low-quality wines that no longer resembled the wines traditionally produced there. To most Americans in my parents' genera ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Just What Was Kroger Customer Service Thinking?

We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning or afternoon from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula i ... More >>

One Woman's Kroger Nightmare: Thanks to Staff, Wallet Trashed, Credit Cards Slashed, Driver's License MIA

Bonnie Sheeren says she has shopped at the West 11th Street Kroger for 20 years. A former teacher at nearby Reagan High School, she knew many of the employees. It felt like home, less like a corporate leviathan than a neighborhood mom and pop. All of that changed at around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, August ... More >>

Celebrity Wine: Tasting Notes for (Drew) Barrymore Pinot Grigio

According to the Decordi winery's website, "the 2011 Barrymore Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie IGT is a dry and fruity wine made with grapes from the Veneto, Friuli and South Tyrol regions." The Decordi winemaking facility is located in Cremona (in the region of Lombardy), a two-hour drive -- minimum -- ... More >>

Perfect Fit Meals Are Definitely Fit, But Need Perfecting

I am a big fan of grab-and-go meals. I rarely hit the drive-thru and am always on the lookout for prepared meals that only need a quick zap in the microwave. If I'm feeling really fancy, I might do the freezer-to-oven thing, but most of the time I like something that can be ready in minutes, and tha ... More >>

Friday Night: Mt. Eden At Rich's

Mt. Eden Rich's April 20, 2012 Friday, Mt. Eden, a music duo from New Zealand that is not Flight of the Concords, played a show at Rich's. And they were very good. At least, I suspect that they were, and that's the probably closest anyone can get to conclusively arguing an opinion one way or the ot ... More >>

Simple Sides: Delicious Herbed Quinoa

Up until about a month ago, I had never tried quinoa. I was like, "What the hell is it? How do you pronounce it? Is it a grain? Is it...like...pasta? What do you put on it? Why is there so much in my brother's pantry?" So many questions. The bro had recently come back from a little stint in Peru ... More >>

Ingredient of the Week: Korean Barbecue Marinades

When you want Korean barbecue, and you want it fast, prepared meat marinades are the way to go. Now you can have a weekday dinner that's both quick and tasty. What is it? Bulgogi, which translates to "fire meat" in Korean, involves cooking marinated beef, pork, or chicken over a hot grill. In mo ... More >>

Super Market Sushi: Kroger vs. H-E-B

When I think about sushi, I think about my time in the Far East, and I think about something that looks like this: Supermarkets have been trying to capitalize of late upon the massive popularity of sushi. You can't go into a grocery store anymore without seeing a sushi-dedicated kiosk or deli count ... More >>

FBI Releases Photo of Bank Robbers Leaving Kroger

It takes a lot of chutzpah to rob a bank. Doing it in the middle of Thursday afternoon near a well-to-do neighborhood is even more bold. But choosing a bank that is inside a Kroger is damn brazen. Of course, the disadvantage of such a move is that you are likely to have your picture taken by a secu ... More >>

Ode To Recalled Turkey: Top 7 Songs About Puking

jizzrelics.blogspot.com​This will come as a surprise to absolutely no one, but Rocks Off enjoys an adult beverage now and then. Sometimes we even enjoy more than one. And every once in a while we just might happen to, say, spend an entire Sunday drinking champagne on a patio and wake up the ... More >>

Fast Times: Sushi Counter at Disco Kroger

​Sure, drive-thru windows are fast, but the fastest fast food in town is pre-made anything from the grocery store. Enter: the sushi counter at the new and improved Disco Kroger on Montrose. I haven't had time to explore the store beyond the produce section (so much better!), cheese shop, and s ... More >>

Ribs on the Propane Grill: Please Don't Call Them Barbecue

​True barbecue requires smoke, and I'm not buying a smoker. Great ribs need time, and low heat. So to make succulent ribs on a propane grill, I had to make a few cheats, but in this case, cheaters do win. The first thing I did was apply a rub. There's any number of barbecue spice rubs on t ... More >>

Whole Foods Joins the Party in Montrose, Brings Booze

The 32 foot beer cooler at the new Whole Foods Market in Montrose​I live in Montrose, and I am a big fan of Disco Kroger. The infatuation began almost four years ago, on the very first night I moved into the area. It was after 1 a.m. on a Saturday and I had an apartment full of boxes and only ... More >>

Upcoming Events

VIP tickets will be on sale this Monday.​Bought your tickets yet for the upcoming Haute Wheels food truck festival? No? Good. Because you'll have an opportunity to purchase heavily discounted VIP tickets for the event, which takes place on May 14 and 15 at the campus of HCC Southwest. The Hous ... More >>

Off the Wall: Fit for a King?

​Joanna O'Leary's recent post about frosted cookies created quite a stir amongst readers. But one comment stood out, and to no surprise, it was from one of my favorite responders--trisch. I don't know trisch, but can tell she's a "glass half full" kind of gal. She writes: "Yesterday I was d ... More >>

Stocking Up for the Snowpocalypse

Long lines at Whole Foods on Kirby this afternoon.​"People are panic buying!" read a half-joking email from a friend of mine at Whole Foods this afternoon. "The lines were long earlier," it continued. "It comes in waves." With the threat of a snow day tomorrow that's already cancelled classes ... More >>

Nicknaming the Inner Loop Kroger Stores

Matthew RutledgePosh Kroger is richer than you are.​Kroger grocery stores have a long and storied history in the city of Houston. I worked at one myself when I was in high school. Over the years, they have grown and changed and these changes have led people to give them nicknames. After a fru ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Rat Kroger Edition

​Turns out, you guys feel passionately about your Inner Loop Krogers. We can debate various monikers all day long -- Posh versus MILF Kroger, etc. But HOPEFULLY only one of you has the nickname for the Kroger on W. Gray that commenter Knittingreader does: We live in between Disco and W.Gray K ... More >>

Ingredient of the Week: Quinoa

net_efekt ​What is it? Quinoa is often used in place of a grain, but it is actually a seed. The plant it comes from is called a goosefoot, and it is more closely related to beets and leafy greens than grains like wheat or barley. Quinoa is also unique in the fact that it contains more protei ... More >>

Baja Bob's Sugar-Free Margarita Mix

​Ever since Bethenny Frankel on the Real Housewives of New York City started peddling the Skinnygirl margarita, I have been curious about low-calorie cocktail. I love me a good mixed drink, but as I generally dislike overly saccharine beverages, I find the average margarita rather cloying. A ... More >>

Grocery Snob: 5 Foods That Must Not Be Generic

Photo by voteprimeThe only wiener we want between our buns is Hebrew National...ahem.​Kroger brand granola bars and canned chick peas? They are in the cart. Walgreens brand Ritz, er... snack crackers? Sure. I am a huge proponent of generic selections at the grocery store. For the most part, i ... More >>

Would Walmart Bring Low Grocery Prices to the Heights? Not Really

This could be your grandfather.​To say that people aren't thrilled with a Walmart moving into the Heights is an understatement. Last week's town hall meeting did little to resolve feelings on either side of the issue, with River Oaks resident Michael Ainbinder -- the developer behind the plan ... More >>

What Kind Of Music Stresses You Out The Most?

​Recently, Forbes magazine released a list of America's most stressful, and stressed-out, cities. Houston came in third, behind Las Vegas and Los Angeles. We know, we thought it would be higher, too. Forbes based its calculations on six factors that are either causes or effects of stress, and ... More >>

5 Power Breakfasts to Get You Through Your Day

​Mama always told us to start our day off right with a healthy, satisfying breakfast. To make it until lunch, and hopefully avoid that dreadful ten a.m. slump, you need to eat a meal that includes a good mix of protein, carbohydrates and fiber. We all know this, but we often tend to make bad b ... More >>

The Shameless Chef: Lemons, Lemons Everywhere

You'll want to jam this out as you cook. It'll make everything taste better. I had a bit of a quandary this week. I was considering two dishes for the column, but both were too simple. Yes, there is a such a thing as "too simple," even for me, so don't be a smartass. Luckily, I realized the two di ... More >>

Wishes for Wilshire Village

Plus: Reviewing the reviewers on Yelp

Yuca Frita con Mojo

​This Christmas we decided to combine the best parts of traditional Cuban and American cuisine for our big dinner. While the flavors ended up working perfectly with one another, one dish was such an unexpected hit with everyone that we've decided to make it again for our New Year's Eve Party. ... More >>

Health Department Roundup: No Joy in Turkeyville Edition

​While everyone's still making grocery lists and arguing over casserole, the Health Department has been making its rounds early in preparation for Thanksgiving, hitting up grocery stores and bakeries across the city. Kroger at 10306 Post Oak had violations in almost every department - meat, p ... More >>

The Couple That Robs Banks Together Stays Together

Photo courtesy FBI​ Fun with Dick & Jane was pretty much a bomb for Jim Carrey, but it looks like one couple really liked it.They walked into a Wirt Road Krogers this afternoon and robbed it.As the FBI puts it: At approximately 12:55p.m., the couple entered the Kroger and proceeded to the bank ... More >>

Sampler Plate: This Week In Food Blogs

Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. H-Town Chow Down: Albert runs not only one of our favorite local food blogs, b ... More >>

Food Fight and Common Decency

Highlights from the Blog at HOUSTONPRESS.COM

Nutella® vs. Gianduia vs. Kroger Hazelnut Spread

Photo by J.C. Reid​Nutella, for those who've never tasted it, is the "original creamy, chocolaty hazelnut spread." Popular in Europe (it's made in Italy), Nutella is mainly eaten at breakfast or for dessert by smearing it on bread or a croissant, or folding into a crepe. "Nutella" is a brand n ... More >>

Kroger Fired Him, But They Kept Using Him In Ads Because He's Black, Man's Lawsuit Claims

Kroger will do anything to lure African-Americans inside their stores. At least according to one former African-American employee who is accusing the grocery store chain of repeatedly airing a TV commercial that he starred in -- aimed at buttering up a black audience -- well after the company had fi ... More >>

I Am Loving Me Some Cake Boss

Photo courtesy TLCFor a TLC show, you could do a lot worse than Cake Boss, which follows around a chubby Italian guy named Buddy Valastro who earns a living making fancy cakes in his family's Hoboken bakery.I'm talking super fancy cakes. Cakes shaped like fire trucks that light up. Cakes that have l ... More >>

Look Out, (Really Minor) Lawbreakers: There's A Warrant Sweep Today

If you've been ignoring all those pesky notices about paying that traffic fine or dealing with that $10 hot check to Kroger's, better lay low today.HPD is having another of its occasional warrant round-ups, where they knock on doors or storm into cubicle farms to arrest hapless citizens who are ... More >>

The Heights Is Getting A Supersized Supermarket

Logo courtesy KrogerSwamplot has a collection of photos of the vast destruction being wreaked upon the strip mall at 11th Street and Shepherd that includes a Kroger.What's going on? A huge new Kroger store -- the largest in the city -- is being put there, a spokesman tells Hair Balls.The current sto ... More >>

New H-E-B Store Says Go Fish

The scene at the grand opening of the new H-E-B (8900 Highway 6 in Sienna Plantation in Missouri City) last night was more low key than the opening of the nearby Kroger this past weekend. There were a few red balloons tied to the wrists of kids, but no bands or football players signing autographs. ... More >>

Recession, What Recession? Kroger Opens a Huge Store in Missouri City

OK, there was a line for the football player signing autographs. The crowds intermingled with a walking crayon and some other cartoon character. Free samples of cheese and meat were everywhere and wait, there were even free samples of wine and beer being handed out. The contents of the rows of food ... More >>

Battle station: Kroger’s

Disco Kroger Gets SexyAttacked

Feature Photo

Miss Pop Rocks: I Think Babies Need to Grow a Pair

Butterball Run

Mystery Bopping

Racket searches for the hoppingest grocery store in town

Cafe? On Aisle One.

At some supermarkets the question is, why wait to get home before you eat?

Letters