JV seems to have new owners since the last review and they have addressed not only the freshness issue raised, but the cleanliness issue also. I no longer feel like everything I bring home from here needs to be cooked a long long time. The new staff are also quite wonderful: they know what is where and how much and seem genuinely pleased to interact with customers.
Now for some hard facts. Food prices are spiraling and JV has some tough competition from the No Frills nearby. Somehow, JV needs to find a way to retain its old customer base--home cookers, often Italian or South Asian, who are looking for good value--and folks in the neighborhood looking for deals. The high-end health food market is spoken for. Evergreen, at Bathurst and St. Clair, has a loyal and deserved following--health food stores just don't get any better than this little jewel.
This being said, I feel a little disappointed that the new JV no longer carries it's grind your own pb and various Indian goodies like paneer. On the plus side, their coffee bean selection is good, although a wider price range would be nice, and their dried bean selection is great. One thing that would get me there more often would be a website that posted weekly specials.
These are extremely pleasant people to deal with and I am hoping they will be able to find the right balance between selection and price. They're not there yet but I'm willing to keep trying, if only because it's just a two minute stop before charging into the No Frills.