North of the border, Costco Wholesale members say vive la difference

Two 3-liter bottles of extra-virgin olive oil from Greece are part of an extensive selection at the Costco Wholesale on Bridge Street in Montreal, above and below. I bought the Elara brand from the island of Crete, right, which is a great deal at $18.99 Canadian or $13.30 in U.S. dollars -- less than $4.50 a liter. I can't find an unblended EVOO for that price in New Jersey.

Avocado Oil and olive oils from Greece, Italy and other countries stretch all the way to the end of the aisle. Although they aren't marked, olive oils for cooking and salads don't contain genetically modified ingredients.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

MONTREAL -- Costco Wholesale warehouses in Canada look exactly like the ones in New Jersey, but sell a few items I can't find close to home.

And with a strong U.S. dollar, there are some great deals to be had. 

I have a minor complaint: 

Costco warehouses in Montreal, where we were vacationing, take only MasterCard, and won't accept the new Costco Visa I use in New Jersey or even a Visa-branded debit card.

The MasterCard credit card I used to make purchases totaling $133 Canadian dollars charges a small foreign-currency transaction fee, but that was offset by the card's 2% cash rebate.

And my actual cost for the items was about $93 in U.S. dollars.

Kirkland Signature Basil Pesto is one of my favorite items from Costco. In Montreal, the price is $10.99 Canadian or about $7.70 U.S., compared to $7.99 in New Jersey.

Three large Canada-grown cucumbers are only $2.99 Canadian or about $2.09 U.S., compared to $3.49 to $3.99 in New Jersey.

I haven't seen shallots like these in the Costco Wholesale warehouse in Teterboro, N.J., or the Costco Wholesale Business Center in Hackensack, N.J.

Three pounds of shallots -- a type of onion with a hint of garlic -- were $4.99 Canadian or $2.80 in U.S. dollars.

When you figure in the strong U.S. dollar, fillets of fresh wild salmon, haddock and cod, above and photos below, cost about the same in Montreal and Teterboro, N.J. In Canada, fish is priced by the kilo (2.2 pounds).

If I ran out of Stanfield's Men's Briefs, which are made in Canada, I would drive the 350 miles to Montreal just to get more. They are the most comfortable I've found because they are cut generously, and come in black, gray or white. I bought two packages of five briefs for $21.99 Canadian each or about $15.40 U.S. I have a 38-inch waist, and buy Extra Large to allow for some shrinkage in the wash.

Two things to avoid buying at the Montreal Costco are gasoline and wine. The warehouse doesn't sell the inexpensive Kirkland Signature house brand wines and sparkling prosecco from Italy you can find at the Costco warehouse in Wayne, N.J. On July 4, Costco members paid $3.94.8 Canadian for a gallon of regular gas or about $2.77 U.S. The sign shows the price per liter.

Costco Wholesale, 300 Rue Bridge, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; 1-514-938-5170. No pharmacy.

A second, larger Costco warehouse at 105 Marche Central, Montreal, has a pharmacy; 1-514-381-1251.

Thumbs down, thumbs up on items from Costco in Canada

Kirkland Signature Balsamic Vinaigrette from Costco Wholesale in Montreal. In late June, two bottles were only $4.99 Canadian after a $3 instant coupon.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

At home, my everyday salad dressing has only two ingredients -- extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar of Modena from Italy.

I'm very happy using the simple dressing on a big mound of organic spring mix or salads with greens, cheese, almonds, blueberries and other ingredients.

During a visit to Montreal in late June and early July, we visited a Costco Wholesale, where I found Kirkland Signature Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Two 709-milliliter bottles were only $4.99 Canadian.

I opened one bottle, but don't like how the dressing tastes. 

There is just too much balsamic in proportion to the canola and extra-virgin olive oils, and when I tasted a half-spoonful, the sweetness of the molasses came through, not the fresh garlic in the dressing. 

The bottled dressing also contains sea salt and Dijon mustard. 

When I make a salad, I use balsamic vinegar sparingly, allowing the extra-virgin oil to be the predominate taste.

Can I return an item I bought at the Montreal Costco for a refund at the Costco Wholesale in Hackensack? Stay tuned.

Update

When I mentioned to my wife I was returning the balsamic vinaigrette for a refund, she said she likes how the dressing tastes.

We kept it.

A salad dressed simply with extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

In brief

However, I love the men's briefs I bought at the Montreal Costco, and find them much more comfortable than the Kirkland Signature Men's Briefs I bought for years in Hackensack.

They are made by Stanfield's Limited in Nova Scotia, and come in white, gray and black.

A package of five 100% combed cotton briefs were $19.99 Canadian (one U.S. dollar was worth about $1.05 Canadian).

They were especially welcome because I couldn't find the Kirkland Signature Men's Brief on several visits to the Hackensack Costco. 

Update

The Stanfield's briefs are more comfortable because they are roomier and longer than the Kirkland Signature briefs, which were made in Vietnam.

I find the waistbands of my Kirkland Signature briefs stretch or sometimes holes appear in the fabric away from a seam, and I throw them away (9/26/2014).

Why I drove 350 miles to buy men's briefs at Costco

Shoppers checking out at the Costco Wholesale in Montreal last Sunday morning. The Canadian warehouse store was both familiar and different than the Costcos in North Jersey where I normally shop.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

The last time I shopped at my hometown Costco Wholesale, I couldn't find a few items, including Kirkland Signature Men's Briefs.

But I found them at the Costco Wholesale in Montreal -- in three colors, no less -- after driving 350 miles to attend the Canadian city's International Jazz Festival.

Our two visits to Costco in  Montreal were both familiar and different than the North Jersey warehouse stores in Hackensack and Wayne I usually patronize.

The Montreal Costco sells wine and beer, and has a gas station, but it is the only one in the province of Quebec that doesn't have a pharmacy.

And the Canadian store's food stand serves coffee, latte and cappuccino, something I really miss in Hackensack, especially when I need a mid-afternoon pickup while shopping there.

Costco members in Montreal also can buy cartons of cigarettes at a nice discount, according to one woman I spoke with while she waited on line to do just that.

I've been enjoying the wild sockeye salmon I buy in Hackensack, but Costco members in Montreal can buy fillets or an entire wild salmon, minus the head.

Costco members in Montreal waiting to purchase cartons of cigarettes.

Made-in-Canada men's briefs

The men's briefs sold by Costco at the Montreal warehouse store are made by Stanfield's Limited in Nova Scotia.

Kirkland Signature Men's Briefs are available only in white, but Stanfield's briefs come in white, gray and black, and I bought a package of each.

A package of five 100% combed cotton briefs are $19.99 Canadian (one U.S. dollar is worth about $1.05 Canadian).

My waist measures 37-38 inches, and I bought one package of L/G briefs (38-40).

But I found they are cut small, and returned them the next day for three packages of XL/TG (42-44), which are too large for me.

I hope they shrink after they are washed.

Shopping in a Canadian Costco holds two disadvantages for a member from the United States.

In Montreal, taxes of nearly 15% are added to your bill, compared to 7% in New Jersey. 

And the American Express card is the only one accepted, meaning I'll probably see a foreign-currency transaction fee of 2.7% showing up on my statement.

That will be outweighed by total cash rebates of 3% from Costco, where I am an Executive Member, and American Express.

I travel outside the United States with a Capital One Visa card that charges no foreign-currency transaction fees.

The Montreal Costco wouldn't allow me to use it and wouldn't accept my bank debit card, which carries a MasterCard imprint.

When I returned the first package of briefs for a refund, a Costco employee said I could avoid the foreign-currency surcharge by using my Visa card to buy gift cards on Costco's Canadian Web site.

To be continued ...