ShopRite Spring Water, bibimbap with squid, a free Costco shopping trip

ShopRite now sells its own Spring Water in the same 24 half-liter bottles as Poland Spring. The label list the source as natural springs in Pennsylvania.

Last week at the Paramus store, a 24-pack of ShopRite Spring Water was on sale for $2.99 each, compared to $3.33 for a 24-pack of Poland Spring Spring Water when you bought three.

Editor's note: Today, I discuss a week of food shopping, eating out and takeout -- from bottled spring water to a meatless Korean bibimbap to a restaurant-quality Italian-style fish dinner.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

ShopRite almost always seems to have a sale on three 24-bottle packs of Poland Spring Spring Water.

But now, you can beat even that deal when ShopRite puts its own brand of Spring Water on sale, as it did last week at the Paramus store (224 Route 4 east). 

An 18-ounce package of blueberries from Chile were $7.99 at the Paramus ShopRite last week, compared to $5.49 at Costco Wholesale in Teterboro. An 11-ounce package of blueberries was $6.99 at ShopRite.

Bibimbap -- a Korean dish of sizzling rice, vegetables and ground beef served in a hot stone bowl -- is available in two meatless versions at So Gong Dong, a soft-tofu and barbecue restaurant. I ordered the Bibimbap with Squid ($12.99) and added gochujang, a spicy red-pepper paste, from a squeeze bottle on the table. It was served without the traditional raw or cooked egg on top.

A pork soft tofu stew, served in a stone bowl, is boiling when it is brought to the table -- hot enough to poach a fresh egg that is provided along with another stone bowl of steamed rice and five complimentary side dishes ($9.99). The stew can be ordered from little spicy to more spicy.

The entrance to So Gong Dong, 118 Broad Ave., Second Floor, Palisades Park. Valet parking is available.

 Free Costco shopping

My wife went to Costco Wholesale in Teterboro on Wednesday -- her first trip in more than two weeks -- armed with rebate coupons from American Express, which issues the True Earnings-Costco credit card.

She bought $261.93 worth of fresh produce, fish, cheese, juices and packaged items, and came home with $10.25 in change.

Fresh wild-caught Atlantic Cod from Iceland was only $7.99 a pound, a wedge of imported Parmigiano Reggiano was $8.49 a pound and a 10.7-ounce bottle of Ground Saigon Cinnamon was $2.49.

Organic bananas were $1.99 for 3 pounds, and a 10-pound bag of non-organic carrots was $5.99.

A 3-pound bag of raw, sodium-free California Almonds was $17.99. They are ideal for roasting at home and dusting with the Vietnamese cinnamon sold at Costco.

She also bought toilet paper, bleach, flowers, body wash and chewing gum, among other items.

Jerry's Gourmet & More in Englewood calls its restaurant-quality takeout dinners Meals To Go, but they could just as well be called A Little of This, A Little of That: The dinner I bought included Sea Trout Fillets, Grilled Zucchini, Eggplant Parmigiana, Vegetable Frittata, Roasted Potatoes, Shrimp and Broccoli Dumplings, and Mushroom Stuffed with Crab Meat -- all ready to be plated and reheated in the microwave.

The dinners are marked down to $5.99 after 4 p.m., if there are any left. On Friday afternoon, I got the last three Sea Trout Marechiaro dinners. Jerry's is at 410 S. Dean St., Englewood.

On Friday, one of the many delicious cheeses you could sample for free was Scamorza, a dried mozzarella.

Among the premium pastas available at Jerry's was Organic Fusilli (1.1 pounds for $6.79), above, as well as 8.8-ounce boxes of Spinosi Pasta for $5.99 each, below. At ShopRite and Whole Foods Market, you can find 1-pound packages of Organic Whole Wheat Pasta from Italy for $1.25 to $1.49 each.