Wegmans

As if free-market South Jersey wasn't already blessed with enough good options for buying booze? Now comes supermarket powerhouse Wegmans, rumbling into the fray with skids of bargain wines to the Mount Laurel location, its first South Jersey store to sell alcohol. Jason Wines & Spirits actually leases the space from Wegmans, but stays true to the store's formula of spinning high-quality and value into irresistible "must buy" displays - the first aisle alone will mesmerize budget drinkers with its mountain range of highly-rated sub-$10 wines.

Saturday, April 20 Behind-the-scenes tour of the pastry and main kitchens in the Rittenhouse Hotel, includes culinary demonstration and a three-course lunch. $85. 10:15 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Rittenhouse Hotel, 210 W. Rittenhouse Square. For reservations, call Albertson Cooking School at 610-649-9290. Plan Now April 25: Cooking for people impacted by cancer , featuring salad dressings. Free. 6:30-8 p.m. at The Suzanne Morgan Center at Ridgeland, 4100 Chamounix Dr., 215-879-7733, www.cancersupport-phila.org . Must RSVP by April 23. April 26: Book signing with Bobby Flay , who is promoting his latest cookbook, Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction . $24.50 for the book.

The Internet offers some great resources for Thanksgiving planning. A few we liked: _ Oprah Winfrey's site, www.oprah.com , has thought-provoking stories on topics such as gratitude, gathering and relaxing, along with recipes. Type "Thanksgiving" into the site search engine. _ Better Homes & Gardens ( www.bhg.com ) has a great Thanksgiving countdown that started in early November. The catch is, you have to register on the site to find it. _ Blueprint magazine's site ( www.marthastewart.

Prints to plates Mounted over a buffet or as serving dishes on the buffet, these functional reproductions of original Marc Lacaze watercolors are an artful addition to any dining room. And the perfect hostess gift for your next weekend at a friend's Shore residence. (Dishwasher safe and microwaveable.) Soups and starters Shortcut your soup-making with a base of prepared stock or vegetable puree. Or enjoy these organic and natural broths and soups straight. Brands include Imagine Foods (a wide selection includes bisques and creamy vegetable purees)

Before there was Wegmans, there was Genuardi's Family Markets. And that's where the tragedy of what was once one of the region's most revered supermarket chains begins and ends. Few in the supermarket industry were surprised when Giant Food Stores L.L.C. announced Thursday that it was buying and converting 16 of the region's 27 Genuardi's locations - or that California-based Safeway Inc. was looking to unload eight others to prospective buyers, shut down three more, and leave Philadelphia entirely.

Acme Markets told workers this week that it will close five unprofitable Philadelphia-area stores by the end of February, three in South Jersey and two in Pennsylvania - locations that union officials said had been hurt by Wegmans and other competing chains. The decisions "were made only after careful evaluation and were guided by what is best for Acme's long-term growth and success as a whole," parent company Supervalu Inc. said in a statement. The sites are in Limerick, Wayne, Cinnaminson, Millville, and Moorestown.

WILLOW GROVE, Pa. - Just off the produce aisle in the newest supermarket here is a room with concert-like flat screens, rows of seats and a massive stove beneath video cameras. This is the cooking school at Super Giant. It is next to the dietitian's office. Which is next to the wireless cafe. Which is by the free day-care center and valet checkout. A sprawling wing upstairs is called the community center. Its meeting rooms resemble what you'd see at a hotel. Did we mention this is a grocery store?

Wegmans' successful supermarkets are known for their extraordinary variety and vastness. But there's one thing they no longer have room for: the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. The New York-based chain recently asked the state beverage ministry to remove its Orwellian wine vending machines from the company's stores within 30 days. Even for a venture as obviously misguided as the LCB's foray into automated alcohol sales, Wegmans' rejection was startling in its fervor and finality - a real business' devastating verdict on the liquor agency's latest attempt to mimic one. Wegmans found that the so-called wine kiosks not only fell short of their stated goal of improving customer convenience, but also appeared to be doing actual harm to the rest of the grocer's business.

When Giunta's Thriftway market locked its doors in the Bradford Square Shopping Center for the last time on March 11, legions of loyal shoppers feared that was the last they would see of the family-owned store. They needn't have worried. Yesterday, family members said they will be back in business in less than two weeks, as Giunta's Family Market. They are moving into a 45,000 square-foot space in Ashbridge Square Shopping Center near Downingtown that now houses Cropper's Market.

"From my perspective . . . I'm absolutely convinced that I could fix this in 10 minutes, but I get the impression we're watching a slow-motion train wreck. " - Phil Orlando, chief equity-market strategist at Federated Investors, on the likelihood the congressional supercommittee will find $1.2 trillion in budget cuts before Wednesday. "People are looking for value today, and if you can deliver it, you'll sell houses. " - South Jersey builder Bruce Paparone. "Maybe it is starting to get strong enough to move out of the ICU to the recovery room.