Author Topic: Does Grande Sell To The Public? How Did You Buy Their Products? (Read 40434 times)

Chicago Bob · « **Reply #20 on:** October 22, 2019, 11:00:45 PM »

Ok,so... Is there any new source for this grande other than Vern the Burn or the pirates over there in Penn?

And which is the best grande choice for NY style pizza...I really want to know which gives that awesome cheese/sauce meld. No fooling around here folks... Give it to ole Bob straight. Thank you!! 👻

HansB · « **Reply #21 on:** October 23, 2019, 04:57:14 AM »

What's wrong with Vern? I just got some Grande East Coast Blend from them. Excellent service...

jgestner · « **Reply #22 on:** October 23, 2019, 08:19:40 AM »

Hi Gang
I just drive to Vern's about twice per year. $24.95 for 5 lb. shredded 50/50 East coast blend. Lots of things are more expensive, but that cheese is indispensable for my Pizza, as is 6 in 1 Escalon/Heinz ground tomatoes. Lately I have been using General Mills High Gluten All Trumps Flour and a good 4-6 hour fermentation and a 24 to 48 hour rest in the refrigerator, (Ken Forkish, The Elements of Pizza) recipe.

Great ingredients and recipes make great Pizza!
Don't skimp on your ingredients, Life is too Short to try to get by with cheaper parts in your cooking.

Vern's Cheese 50/50 blend. https://www.vernscheese.com/shop-online/shredded-east-coast-cheese-blend/

John

Fiorot · « **Reply #23 on:** October 23, 2019, 09:00:00 AM »

Quote from: jgestner on October 23, 2019, 08:19:40 AM

Hi Gang
I just drive to Vern's about twice per year. $24.95 for 5 lb. shredded 50/50 East coast blend. Lots of things are more expensive, but that cheese is indispensable for my Pizza, as is 6 in 1 Escalon/Heinz ground tomatoes. Lately I have been using General Mills High Gluten All Trumps Flour and a good 4-6 hour fermentation and a 24 to 48 hour rest in the refrigerator, (Ken Forkish, The Elements of Pizza) recipe.

Great ingredients and recipes make great Pizza!
Don't skimp on your ingredients, Life is too Short to try to get by with cheaper parts in your cooking.

Vern's Cheese 50/50 blend. https://www.vernscheese.com/shop-online/shredded-east-coast-cheese-blend/

John

What's wrong with Verns? 5 pounds should be 13 dollars and change. 17 dollars at Gordon Foods and Endico

HansB · « **Reply #24 on:** October 23, 2019, 10:07:31 AM »

Grande ECB is not available anywhere in MI, so yeah $25 for 5# is a bargain...

foreplease · « **Reply #25 on:** October 23, 2019, 10:14:39 AM »

Quote from: HansB on October 23, 2019, 10:07:31 AM

Grande ECB is not available anywhere in MI, so yeah $25 for 5# is a bargain...

People are paying way more than that for Boar’s Head and not complaining.

hammettjr · « **Reply #26 on:** October 23, 2019, 11:53:27 AM »

Quote from: Chicago Bob on October 22, 2019, 11:00:45 PM

...
And which is the best grande choice for NY style pizza...I really want to know which gives that awesome cheese/sauce meld. No fooling around here folks... Give it to ole Bob straight. Thank you!! 👻

Good cheese alone wont determine the melt. I listed some of the other aspects a couple days ago on my thread.

I've been happy with either whole milk or east coast blend, you wont go wrong with either. Comes down to personal preference and how you use it. I'm currently using whole milk.

stevenfstein · « **Reply #27 on:** October 23, 2019, 12:05:11 PM »

Matt, from what I can see the blends come in 5 lb bags. Is it a vacuum sealed bag? For home use would I portion that out into individual baggies and freeze? Would the portions work in a foodsaver bag and freeze or would it be a compressed mess.
Best... Steve

Chicago Bob · « **Reply #28 on:** October 23, 2019, 01:20:46 PM »

Quote from: Fiorot on October 23, 2019, 09:00:00 AM

What's wrong with Verns? 5 pounds should be 13 dollars and change. 17 dollars at Gordon Foods and Endico

. Plus, I'm in NC so tack on another $20 or so for their overpriced shipping and your @ 10 bucks a lb. for cheese that most people get for 2 dollars and change. That ain't very kind Vern. 🤗

But I guess I'm going to order from Vern cause I'm not diggin the restaurant Depot stuff. Supremo New York blend is the only "decent" one I've found there.

Chicago Bob · « **Reply #29 on:** October 23, 2019, 01:27:54 PM »

Quote from: stevenfstein on October 23, 2019, 12:05:11 PM

Matt, from what I can see the blends come in 5 lb bags. Is it a vacuum sealed bag? For home use would I portion that out into individual baggies and freeze? Would the portions work in a foodsaver bag and freeze or would it be a compressed mess.
Best... Steve

Steve
, I've always had great results by storing individual sandwich size baggies with one pizzas worth of cheese in each inside a larger 2 gallon freezer baggie.... No vacuum.

Matt
Have you ever used the grande dice?

Chicago Bob · « **Reply #30 on:** October 23, 2019, 01:35:12 PM »

Quote from: foreplease on October 23, 2019, 10:14:39 AM

People are paying way more than that for Boar’s Head and not complaining.

I'm not one of those people. 🤪

I tried the hoars head and thought it sucked. 😆

jgestner · « **Reply #31 on:** October 23, 2019, 01:55:26 PM »

Hey Bob
I just tried checking Fiorot's math on Gordon's Food Service Store pricing for Grande Cheese...

The folks at the nearest store to me confirmed that they could get Grande, but as others have mentioned only in full case lots, and for our Shredded Grande 50/50 that means 6 five pound bags for 30 pounds total. The price was $109.95, and they needed a few days to get it to their store. That comes out to $18.325 per five pound bag, and that only works if you have friends and family to help buy and store some of the 30 pounds of cheese in that full case box.

I guess if you can find a GFS store within driving range and plan a few days ahead with those pizza loving friends and family, you can get Grande cheese for $3.665 per pound.

Enjoy!

HansB · « **Reply #32 on:** October 23, 2019, 03:12:12 PM »

Quote from: Chicago Bob on October 23, 2019, 01:35:12 PM

I tried the hoars head and thought it sucked. 😆

First complaint I've ever heard about Boars Head. Doesn't get much better...

Chicago Bob · « **Reply #33 on:** October 23, 2019, 04:18:09 PM »

Quote from: HansB on October 23, 2019, 03:12:12 PM

First complaint I've ever heard about Boars Head. Doesn't get much better...

well, maybe I was having an off night. ☠️

Hans, maybe I'll give it another shot. I'm going to try making one of those Roman pies in the Blackstone tonight. Probably around 650 degrees F..... Do you think I could use the boars Head on this pizza? The BH is whole milk/low moisture? They only sell 1 type, correct?
Thank you.

HansB · « **Reply #34 on:** October 23, 2019, 05:18:49 PM »

Quote from: Chicago Bob on October 23, 2019, 04:18:09 PM

well, maybe I was having an off night. ☠️

Hans, maybe I'll give it another shot. I'm going to try making one of those Roman pies in the Blackstone tonight. Probably around 650 degrees F..... Do you think I could use the boars Head on this pizza? The BH is whole milk/low moisture? They only sell 1 type, correct?
Thank you.

Yep, whole milk/low moisture. I ask them to cut a piece off the block then shred at home. Or you can use it sliced. Hope you like it! It's nice because it's always available locally.

hammettjr · « **Reply #35 on:** October 23, 2019, 05:24:06 PM »

I've liked Boars Head too. No reason not to use it in Blackstone at 650.

Bob, I've never used the pre-diced cheese.

Steve, agree with Bob, the pre-shredded freezes fine. I wrap portions in plastic wrap (instead of using baggies, but no particular reason I do it that way). They actually fill the pre-shredded bags with gas, which allows them to only include pure cheese. No anti-caking agents like you find in the supermarket.

Fiorot · « **Reply #36 on:** October 23, 2019, 06:13:07 PM »

Quote from: jgestner on October 23, 2019, 01:55:26 PM

Hey Bob
I just tried checking Fiorot's math on Gordon's Food Service Store pricing for Grande Cheese...

The folks at the nearest store to me confirmed that they could get Grande, but as others have mentioned only in full case lots, and for our Shredded Grande 50/50 that means 6 five pound bags for 30 pounds total. The price was $109.95, and they needed a few days to get it to their store. That comes out to $18.325 per five pound bag, and that only works if you have friends and family to help buy and store some of the 30 pounds of cheese in that full case box.

I guess if you can find a GFS store within driving range and plan a few days ahead with those pizza loving friends and family, you can get Grande cheese for $3.665 per pound.

Enjoy!

What was I off by a dollar? Anyway not all GFS stores force you to buy a case. As for Endico I wanted a bag of the Provo Cheddar Blend but was told I had to buy the Case but they sell the WM and the East Coast Blend all the time by bag and once I was able to buy a Provo Cheddar Blend. Do not vacuum I did that once , breaking it up was difficult. And if on Long Island NY go to http://www.sansonefoods.com/products-by-category/ I also think a Real NY Pie is made with shredded cheese not slices.

stevenfstein · « **Reply #37 on:** October 23, 2019, 06:52:31 PM »

when you go to restaurant depo can you buy just a single block of grande or a single 5 lb bag or do you have to buy the full case.

Thanks.. Steve

Fiorot · « **Reply #38 on:** October 23, 2019, 07:35:43 PM »

Quote from: stevenfstein on October 23, 2019, 06:52:31 PM

when you go to restaurant depo can you buy just a single block of grande or a single 5 lb bag or do you have to buy the full case.

Thanks.. Steve

RD does not carry Grande as far as I know Where are you in NY?

jgestner · « **Reply #39 on:** October 23, 2019, 09:03:58 PM »

Hey Steve
I agree with Fiorot! Restaurant Depot has the big #10 Cans of Escalon 6 in 1 ground tomatoes at a nice price, but NO Grande products in Wisconsin or Minnesota.

They may have some good cheese but I will hold out for Grande. Maybe it is just a home state thing for me, but that doesn't explain why so many New York City parlors use it.

John