Vincenzo’s Italian grocery store is a staple in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. I grew up in Waterloo and have always remembered going to Vincenzo’s. They are well known for their wide selection of European imported foods, fresh pastas, a wide range of olives, cheeses, deli (the create your own sandwich is a staple for most that live close to Vincenzos), a hot food counter as well as an amazing selection of pastries, cakes and other bakery sweets. If you haven’t been, it is definitely worth a trip! Recently, Vincenzo’s has started to offer many items package free by allowing you to bring your own container.
Bring your own container for:
- deli counter- deli meats for my carnivore friends as well as create your own sandwiches and salads
- cheese counter- a large variety of cheese from standard cheddar to specialty cheese worthy of your charcuterie board 🙂
- hot food counter- a daily selection of take out foods featuring hot pastas & meat dishes, check their website for the daily features or just take a chance…it’s all good!
- olives- so many olives to choose from… I love the garlic stuffed ones but I was just introduced to the oven roasted ones which can be served warm….yum!!
- bakery- loose buns, bagels (definitely recommend the Montreal style bagels but they go fast)
- fresh pasta- seasonal pastas as well as traditional filled pastas like meat or cheese tortellini
- pastries- love the French Macarons and in house made Cannoli Siciliano, also a large selection of gluten free options
- salads- so many salads from the traditional Stone Crock Potato salad to pasta salads, bean and grain salads, and marinated vegetable salads
- the Bauer Butcher- in house butcher for all of your fresh meat needs
- fresh produce- some they wrap in plastic for convenience but you can ask to have it without packaging if it is something that they have packaged in the store
Vincenzo’s is a family owned business run by Carmine and his brother Tony. I spoke to Carmine and he told me that they try to be as flexible and accommodating as possible for zero waste shoppers. Vincenzo’s supports lots of local small businesses by showcasing and providing a retail outlet for their products. Check their website for daily pop up lunches put on by local chefs and restaurants. As well as bringing your own container, Vincenzo’s offers a wide selection of zero waste items for sale including jars, metal straws, beeswax wraps, reusable mugs and water bottles, snack bags, produce bags as well as many other products. Some other great finds are Eby Manor milk in glass bottles, Chocosol dark chocolate bars in compostable packaging, many oils and vinegars in glass as well as Nutella in glass jars 🙂
It’s always an adventure at Vincenzos! I love the hustle & bustle and the small aisles packed with interesting items. To me it feels like I’ve walked into a market in Europe! So come and support a great local business and get the feeling of a European vacation without the cost or carbon footprint 🙂
Find them at 150 Caroline St S., Waterloo, Ontario or https://www.vincenzosonline.com, https://www.instagram.com/vincenzoswaterloo/, https://twitter.com/VincenzosTweet
What’s your favourite Vincenzos find?
Zero Waste Balance 