The New York Times seems to think so. Indeed, many grocery stores in urban areas are closing up shop, and all that's left is a big open lot and a smattering of mom and pop convenience stores left in their wake. But despite the name, convenience stores aren't always, well, that convenient, especially when you're in need of fresh fruit and veggies, low-fat snacks and fresh poultry or seafood.

A study by New York's Department of City Planning estimated that over 750,000 New Yorkers live five blocks or more from a supermarket. And when that's the case, most people opt to drive or cab it to the store, especially if they have lots of shopping to do or little ones in tow. And at the end of a long work day, many people just don't have the energy - or the time - to stroll down to the grocery. (The study also found that there is enough need for 100 additional supermarkets across the city).

So what's a hungry person to do? Most people simply go without fresh produce and other things that are carried by larger supermarkets. Others are currently shopping at a store, but worry about it closing, because the only other option is miles away.

What about you? Did you or someone you know ever have trouble getting to a decent grocery store, especially if you live in a populated urban area?

After seeing the huge response we had from all of you readers about McDonald's new premium coffee, it is no surprise that others were curious about it as well as us here at Slashfood. USA Today decided to hold a taste test, pitting four widely available coffees against each other. Included in the test were the new premium blends from Burger King and McDonald's, as well as favorites from 7-11, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks. Dunkin Donuts is the least available variety of coffee, as there are very few store locations on the west coast, but the test was held in Manhattan where there appear to be plenty of all of the above coffee-shop types.

According to the USA Today survey, as of the time I am writing this, Starbucks was still the most popular based on readers' opinion. And they must have good taste, since Starbucks also won the taste test. Out of possible scores of "5 slurps," Starbucks ranked at 4 1/2, while McDonald's followed with 3 1/2 , Burger King with 2 1/2 and Dunkin Donuts and 7-11 with 2 slurps each. While Starbucks was also the most expensive drink in the test, the "dead-serious brew with an intense bitter chocolate aroma, a silky texture and a complex, fruity, almost wine-like flavor" made it worth it to the tasters. The other stores' coffees had flavors that ranged from "watery" to having "tobacco notes."

 

Tired of sandwiches that get mushy and soggy from the filling soaking in the bread? Most people have learned to avoid this by packing their fillings - such as tuna or sauces - on the side and assembling the sandwich immediately before eating. This technique doesn't work with preassembled, prepacked sandwiches, of the variety found in refrigerated cases at grocery and convenience stores. While I prefer to avoid this type of food, others have worked to turn them into non-soggy lunchtime options. Diana's Homegrown has patented a pull-out pouch system that keeps the filling separate from the bread.

This is a great idea until the reality sinks in that your convenience store sandwich may have been stored for quite some time before you purchased it. In fact, CNN said, "The technology extends the lifespan of an unrefrigerated sandwich by as much as a month." Sandwiches should not last this long. No bread that is worth eating should last this long completely undamaged, even if it is kept "fresh" by refrigeration. This presents an opportunity for another company to sell packaged sandwiched fillings in a wide variety of flavors - which is a great idea - and to let the consumers provide their own bread.