by Samantha B.GJ N.Karen D.Gwen F.Jeremy K.
I really love this place, though it's not perfect. They have a huge variety of produce at great prices. This is one of the few places where you can find lemongrass, rambutan, curry leaves, chinese eggplant, etc etc... Their prices on dried fruits and nuts are also very reasonable. For me anyway, it's not a one stop shop- I always have to go somewhere else to finish up getting my 'practical' things. But, the majority of what I eat is home-cooked, so being able to shop here drastically brings down my weekly grocery bill. Their cheese selection is one of the best in the area, but I do have one gripe: their cuts are too big! A lot of times I'll just want a small cut for one recipe, and I'll only be able to find massive chunks for $10+. It's a waste of money and food to have to buy an unnecessarily large piece of cheese. I've noticed that this is a recent thing- they used to have much smaller cuts available. Now here are some of my other issues with the store...I know it's not their fault that they're busy, but it really gets on my nerves. Yes, it is cramped, but people are unnecessarily rude here. People will be totally oblivious that you're trying to get by, have their carts block aisles, etc etc. There isn't much space for people to line up at the registers, so they inevitably bleed into the produce area and block people. Though I love their produce selection, it's not consistent in quality. One week the eggplants will be gorgeous, and the next they'll be tiny and shriveled. I'm not sure what the reason for this is, but it's not worth the trek from Somerville if they're not going to have produce that's up-to-snuff. Also, they don't consistently take spoiled products off the shelves. They don't mark expiration dates on everything, so there have been times that I grabbed some mozzarella or tempeh, only to come home and see that it was rotten. Even though I have plenty of issues with Russo's, I still love them and will continue to go there. Just don't come during the weekend rush!Haiganoush Kouyoundjian is not in the mood today.Born in 1915 in Constantinople, she survived the Armenian Genocide, immigrated to Watertown, became a Women's Air force service pilot in WWII, raised 17 children and now, just battled for a parking spot at Russo's. (Going the wrong way, blinker firmly, steadily ON.)You are no match for her and battle-ram shopping cart so do not place yourself between her and the fresh bocconcini.To survive, you need a plan. Lists are for the meek at Russo's where seasoned veterans can pick four sizes of bok choy, two perfect pears, an entire palette of fresh egg noodles, fresh cut flowers, bread, red cedar mulch, grape leaves and European chocolates before you can locate the chicken broth and Arborio rice.I submit the following as a 10 year veteran of Russo's. Memorize your list. Quart 'a milk, loaf 'a bread, stick 'a buttah. Scan the store floor plan before shopping. Learn a phrase or two in Spanish and Portuguese then endear yourself to the employees. They can pave a path through the store for you with their rolling carts of berries and basil, as well as let you cut in the 20 cart deep register lines. Build a scale model of the store and plan the best route without redundant paths. Beware of the deli counter, if you do not have business there, keep away.Now that you have been advised you will have an expedient and pleasurable experience at Russo's - the best produce and gourmet market this side of the Hrazdan River.Where can you find strawberries and tomatoes this time of year that are really red and and flavorful? Russo's is the place. Russos has a huge selection of fresh produce that you don't have to pick through to find the good ones. I always find a fruit or vegetable that I have never seen or heard of before, so it is always interesting. The prices are great as well.In addition to the produce, the bakery is phenominal. Two of my favorites are the pear tart and the almond macaroons. In fact, I have to pick up some desserts tomorrow morning for Thanksgiving. I don't know if I'll be able to restrain myself from snacking on my way to work, but it doesn't count if you eat it in the car, right?The only caution here is that the place is tightly packed and does get busy. I avoid going on weekends, but if you can't go any other time, just prepare yourself to navigate the busy aisles and that one person who insists on leaving a cart where people can't pass to go grab another cumquat.Three thousand years ago, the Roman god Superus Marketus had a torrid affair with Princess Leia. The sheer awesomeness of this union upset the balance of awesome between Narnia (you know, where Star Wars lives) and this earthly plain. To make terra firma just a little bit more awesome and thus restore equilibrium to the universe, the powers that be created A. Russo and Sons. (And Padma Lakshmi.)Yep, I really dig Russo's. Most of the produce looks like it was picked hours before it was placed on the shelves, and the prices put the big box stores to shame. I'll be honest - with such a diversity in fresh stock, I didn't even know what some of the green and leafy things were. Whatever some of those things are, they have a lot of 'em.I'm a fan of Honeycrisp apples, and most places have a meager selection of spotty and anemic fruit. Russo's stock was robust and gleaming, AND the apples were 10 cents less per pound than the pick-yer-owns at the last orchard I visited. Wow.Oh yeah, and I picked up a *vat* of tofu for less than two bucks. I'd say it's twice the amount of tofu you get at most places, for less than half the price.Shall we talk cheese? Because yes, Russo's has that covered too. Expect a wide range of cheeses complete with descriptions of the taste and origin of each. Nearby is a fairly impressive selection of crackers; I found some very tasty garlic herb ones that weren't too expensive. They went fabulously along with the aged cheddar I picked up.Of course, as with all things, there is a downside to this foodie nirvana. That would be the weekend crowd. I recommend visiting after work. I love Russo's. This place is like Candyland. Only, you know, with asparagus.In an era where most Americans find plastic-texured salads acceptable I say no and I stand proud and say that I've had enough of low quality fruits and vegetables. They aren't even that much cheaper and they don't taste good. I want good. Hell, I want great.This is where Russo's stepped in. I found it thanks to you, Yelp and promptly got into my car and GPS'd my way to it from Kendall square. Arriving into their big parking lot I parked my car as close to the entrance (yes, I'm that lazy) and made my way inside the place.It's big and every inch of it features some delicious, high quality produce. Apples, pears, oranges, you name it, they have it. They also have a ton of more obscure stuff like brocolini, star fruit, Asian eggplant, amongst others. Along with it, they have a meat station, a cheese station and a bakery. There's basically everything that you could think of there, even jams, cereal and a whole bunch of other stuff.I also found some dried kiwi which I had never had before (wasn't all that great) - Although I wouldn't buy everything there, this is definitely a great place for people to stock up on groceries, especially if you live nearby. I would totally go more often if I could, but it's 25 minutes away and I have 2 WholeFoods within 1 mile from me so it's not as worth it for me... But yeah, I love this place!
by Rebecca K.
Produce, produce, everywhere! *commence drooling now*This place makes me wish I had a bigger kitchen. As in much bigger. And tons of people to cook for. And the ability to cook well. I thought that the tales of this place were being exaggerated. Nope, they were totally accurate. Russo's is home to rows and rows of ridiculously amazing, cheap, and fresh produce. And then there's a bakery. And then there's cheese. Seriously, every foot of this place just makes it better and better. I knew enough to have a (mental) list before going, so I would know what I wanted to search out. Wouldn't you know, I left with soo much more than I had gone in for and still payed less than I thought i would originally. I've heard that this place is crazy at peak times, like weekends, but I went in the afternoon during the week and it was definitely manageable. Manageable, perhaps, but deadly for my wallet. it's probably a good thing that I don't live closer to this place. I suppose there are worse habits to develop than produce habits, though...
(9.41) 34 Votes 1034