Nugget

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Nugget.jpgCovell Blvd. Store

North Davis Location Southeast Davis Location
1414 E. Covell Blvd. (at Pole Line Rd. in Oak Tree Plaza) 409 Mace Blvd. (in El Macero Shopping Center)
Hours Hours
Daily 6:00AM to 11:00PM Daily 7:00AM to 10:00PM
Deli and Meat counters close at 10:00PM Deli and Meat counters close at 9 PM
Coffee Bar 6:00AM to 8:00PM
Phone Phone
(530) 750-3800 (530) 753-6690
Website
[WWW]http://www.nuggetmarket.com
Store Map
northnugget.pdf (unofficial organizer)

Nugget Market, headquartered in Woodland, is a somewhat-upscale local grocery chain with stores in Davis, Vacaville, West Sacramento, Sacramento and Woodland. There are two Nugget Markets in Davis: a newer one in North Davis and an older one in Southeast Davis. Food 4 Less is run by the same company. The newer one at Pole Line Road and Covell Boulevard in the Oak Tree Plaza moved into a building that had been vacant for several years, which has in its heyday been a Safeway, and after that some sort of warehouse grocery store that was short-lived . Rico's Pizza also used to occupy the space, where the Kitchen now exists.

Nugget Markets are the "upscale" markets in Davis. Some are turned off by Nugget Market because it carries a larger selection of expensive gourmet foods compared to generic supermarkets, and thus lead some people to think that everything in the store must be expensive. While a Nugget Market may look nice and offer a large variety of gourmet foods, its diverse selection can still be cost-effective. According to a study done by Amie Gutierrez's high school class, Nugget Markets were often cheaper than Safeway or Albertsons. Note that prices are not necessarily the same at the two Davis stores: a cup of coffee to go is $1.60 at the big Nugget, but only $1.00 at the South Davis Nugget.

nugget_sandwiches.jpgNugget's sandwiches are very popular.

In addition to groceries, Nugget Markets also have a full deli (where you can get the best sandwiches this side of the tracks), fresh smoothies and juice, coffee bar, full service bakery, sushi, fantastic catering menus, and some mediocre chinese food. The Chinese food is only available at the North Davis location, and it's a dollar off during lunch hours. Nugget Markets also sell a variety of ethnic foods. Nugget has the most diverse sampling of gourmet root beers and sodas in town, and in late Summer of 2006, they started to carry Aggie Root Beer in their North Davis location.

Nugget Markets was [WWW]ranked one of the "100 best companies to work for" in 2006 by [WWW]FORTUNE Magazine.

Word of advice: if you are very hungry, Nugget Markets may not be the place to go. EVERYTHING looks good no matter what the price is and you will be tempted to buy it.

Check out Aggie columnist Alex Lubinski's [WWW]column on sandwiches.

StevenDaubert says that they can slice/toast/creamcheese your bagel for free, just head to the smoothie counter. If you are ever up around 6:30 AM go in for the piping hot fresh bagels!

Recommendations

Paul L recommends

Sandwich: Sausilito Turkey on Ciabatta, pepper jack cheese, mayo and djion mustard, extra pickles, lettuce, a little bit of peppercinis, pepper and GRILL it. Cost: $5.49. Taste: teh yum.

Terra S recommends

Sandwich: Havarti cheese, half or whole avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, sprouts, pickles, aoli spread, honey mustard, salt/pepper, oregano vinaigrette, on a fresh croissant. Cost: $4.99. Taste: yum squared. [Note from greenThing: "Oh my god, this is so good! They should add this to their regular menu."]

Ro J recommends

cheese_wheel.jpgWheel of cheese at the Mace Nugget.

Don't touch the wheels of cheese. Yes, they are real, and yes, they will yell at you for touching them. They even made me wash my hands. Don't mistake it for a casino because of the ostentatious architecture of the Nugget on Covell.

I second that cheese wheel touching recommendation. Those things are horribly greasy. The kind of grease that never comes off. I didn't get caught or nothin, but man, don't go around touchin no cheeses than ain't yours, ya hear? - aa

RishiT recommends

The vegetarian panini. So good.

ct recommends

Have some olives. They're delicious, and the employees don't mind a little grazing. Pick up some cheap Chinese food after-hours. Get pannini #2.

KenNeville recommends

Peoplewatching the employees. Damn are them girls fine! ;)

Drew recommends

Walking around the store for a while. I just went in there for the first time to get a sandwich. Mistake #1 was going in here absolutely starving, #2 was not eating it there so I could just observe store happenings. I'm going back soon. This sandwich was really good - roasted turkey on sourdough with dejon mustard, mayo, and all of the other fixins.

SylviaF recommends

Anything on the rye bread that they've got there...rye bread and sprouts...and a lot of cheese too.

AshleyOrsaba recommends

The #8. Smoked salmon, dill mayo, cucumber, tomato. Get it on a sourdough or seeded roll though instead of the bread it comes with. Sooooo good and great for a lightish lunch.

Haggro recommends

Nugget has the biggest and best selection of root beer in Davis. They have pretty much every kind of soda you can think of. They even carry Sparky's root beer, which is the single best root beer on the planet. It does cost around $3 a bottle though; Virgil's is a more affordable runner-up.

Michael Giardina recommends

1/2 Sausilito Turkey 1/2 Proscuitto on Ciabattato. 2/1 Cheddar/Pepperjack. Aeoli basil spread. Tomatoes, lettuce, red onion, cucumber, mixed greens. Salt/Pepper... Light pepperoncini, light balsamic vinagerette. Yummy. Grilled of course, but then... what sandwhich shouldn't be?

Sienna Grass recommends

Almost any item in the dessert display area. The carrot cake is moist and rich, and the lovely cupcake confections bring you back to your 5th birthday!

Cynthia He recommends

Panini: chicken salad with all the veggies, with some honey mustard, with or without a mild cheese.

John Dudek recommends

The sushi, especially the eel rolls and the cucumber rolls, and especially when Yong Shi Su works there on weekends. He's a 17-year-old at DHS, buy boy can he make sushi. I also recommend trying all the different root beers and different types of bread, which has become quite a fun hobby for me.

rbpk.jpgIf you take a picture of these Root Beer Party Kegs, you could be verbally accosted by a manager.

Photographers should beware: I was approached by an extremely rude manager while at the Covell Blvd. Nugget on Thursday, July 21st. I had my camera with me, as I always do, and I had incidentally taken a single photo while in the store. He told me that they have a "strict no-photo policy", that he "owned my photos", and that he "could take my film out of my camera right now if he wanted to." He was very rude, heightened by the fact he said something like this: "Do you understand me?" to which I responded with, "Yeah," which he then responded again with "Is that a yes?" in a really cocky manner. This kind of thing happens all the time if you carry a big camera with you, but I expected better out of the Nugget. Legally speaking, of course they can restrict photography in their store: it's their physical property, and they could kick me out. However, they simply cannot take film from photographers (absent a court order). Personally speaking, I was offended by the manner in which this manager acted toward me, and there's absolutely no reason to be so rude to your customers. I was, after all, just taking a stupid picture. (see [WWW]this legal reference) —PhilipNeustrom

Comments:

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2005-07-26 14:47:34   Nugget is fine, but the selection of fresh food doesn't give me a woody. —RocksandDirt

2005-08-12 19:23:34   I'm very skeptical of the price savings scoreboard at Nugget stores. It doesn't explain what the numbers mean, and it just doesn't seem possible that Nugget could beat Safeway and Albertson's on price across the board. Produce and dairy prices are pretty competitive, and prices for many specialty items seem more than fair, but just about everything else (e.g. cereal, homewares, pasta sauce) seems to be priced much higher than at other stores. —RickEle

According to their website, the "Price Challenge" is that you bring in $100 of groceries from another store, then they scan them in and see if it would have been cheaper at Nugget. If it isn't, they pay "double the difference" plus $10. The scoreboard presumably tracks wins versus losses on that challenge. Maybe the savings on produce and dairy make up for cereal and pasta? — RyanSandler

2005-08-13 10:53:43   The raw sausages they sell in a variety of different flavors are excellent when BBQ'd. Of particular note in this regard is the pineapple teriyaki sausage. —AlexPomeranz

2005-08-15 18:46:55   They raised the rice bowl price in the last few months. Used to be 2.99 - which was a great deal. Now it's $3.99, except for "Happy Hour 11-2 $2.99" during random days/weeks. —ES

2005-10-04 21:47:02   While I have no information about prices at this store, back when I intensively did compare prices between a health food store and supermarkets I discovered that it's critical which items you are comparing. The 'health food' items were considerably cheaper in the health food store, and the 'unhealth food' items were cheaper at the supermarkets. I assume this has to do with supplier volume. —SteveDavison

2005-10-22 12:15:46   HORSESHIT They raised the price of their sandwich by a full DOLLAR (they're now $6.50). —MattJojola

2005-10-26 11:32:22   The panini sandwiches are tiny for $6.99, and not particularly wonderful. —ApolloStumpy

2005-11-12 01:09:22   Always a wonderfully rare little oddity bit of food to bring home and try. Nugget wasn't that expensive really, and they always carried the strange ingredients I needed for more exotic cooking. Friendly staff, lots of cheese (woo!), and a fantastic selection natural or exotic foods. If there's one thing I miss about Davis, it's Nugget. —TarynHornen

2005-12-10 21:41:46   If you like brussels sprouts, try their brussels sprouts salad with pancetta and pine nuts. It's even better heated! —JohnnaSarkis

2005-12-21 04:27:57   I think the Nugget is too expensive for me. That said, I happen to like their Chinese food. Late nights, at like, 9:30, they'll clean out the bins and put the remaining food into big containers to sell off for $3.75 each. They're pretty good, I think. —SaulSugarman

2006-01-18 12:49:37   I was pleasantly surprised by the dolmehs here - they are quite tasty! they have a healthy amount of lemon juice in them which enhances the tang of the grape leaf flavor. pretty darn good for a non-middle eastern establishment! —AhuShahrabani

2006-02-10 12:41:05   The selection of cheese here is probably the best in Davis. Also, they have a diverse selection of sodas, including old sodas such a Moxie, and Green River (Which according to my mother, tastes the same as it did over 40 years ago). The strength of the Nugget here is the availability of goods, which makes it worthwhile for adventurous people who are at a cooking level above instant ramen. —MatthewTom

2006-04-28 18:35:55   The sushi here is pretty good. However, the deli roast beef (boar's head brand) is not. Safeway's deli has much better roast beef. —AlexPomeranz

2006-05-04 19:51:09   I had the Artichoke Bisque back in February and haven't seen it since. It was awesome. I would love to know how to request soups. I'm craving my artichoke bisque! —JenCam

2006-08-25 00:52:55   A gal came into work today from the nugget! She was a sweetheart! It sounds heavenly! —GehLei

2006-08-26 17:46:09   I would like to say "buyer beware" regarding the nugget. I don't mean to be slanderous, but it is a fact that I and my boyfriend both had a mild case of food poisoning after eating a sandwich from the nugget in Davis (yes, we ate them within 1 hour of preparation). I have shopped for the past 5 years at the Nugget in Woodland- only to have accidentally purchased or avoided purchasing the following items that were past their sale date: Haagen Dazs sorbet, Newman's own "newman O's", Gold Medal organic white flour, Western Family brand peach preserves. These are things that I noticed IN PASSING that were past sale date. Now I make a point of looking. I have had other "negative" experiences here, but there are some good things such as the bread...and wine selection. But the CO-OP has good bread, wine and cheese that is less expensive and probably not as outdated. —DianaChristofersen

good news for fellow java junkies: the size large less than four dollar espresso drink still exists; although, perhaps last in all the land! large soy white mochas with extra white chocolate = $3.70!!!!!! <3 —Frenchie

2006-11-08 21:15:31   some of their on sale items are to expire in a few days. thanks goodness i saw that before purchasing! theres some good higher end stuff here, but for the normals foods and grocery items i would go elsewhere where its cheaper. —AnnThiNguyen

2006-12-03 21:54:54   The panini was yummy. —SoCalGal

2006-12-12 12:48:15   I am still stunned by the differences between the S. Davis and N. Davis Nugget (the North one is much much better in many categories). Overall, I like the Nugget and do half my shopping there (other half at the Coop). The Nugget has a great diversity of stuff and some of the prepared foods are quite good (soups especially). I think the Nugget may make some of the best Sushi in town, although I could not tell you what I like about it. The organic produce however leaves a ton to be desired. Much of it rots in a few days. I try to get all produce at the Coop and Farmer's Market now. The cashiers are all absurdly helpful and nice. —JonathanEisen

2006-12-13 21:20:50   The rootbeer selection here is monstrous. I'm not that big a fan, but I have been trying all kinds and I've really enjoyed them. This seems to be nugget's MO to have a huge selection of independent brands for certain products. As mentioned the prices aren't as great as advertised, but the sales here are sometimes out of this world. —JohnHumperdinkle

2007-01-12 10:19:09   The cheese selection is excellent—this is the only place in Davis I've been able to find Spanish blue. —LynnetteWharton

2007-01-17 10:11:26   I don't go here much because the inexpensive milks (2 for $4.30) use rBGH (sometimes called puss milk) —BillAlexander

2007-01-30 13:30:05   Nugget's coffee bar makes the best americano in all of Davis. I'm totally addicted. —AmandaCaudle

2007-02-03 13:34:49   I'm not sure why so many of the comments here are about the prepared food rather than the shopping. I was a Trader Joes patron back in San Diego and have found that the Nugget is the closest I have found to TJ's in Davis. Prices are comparable to Albertsons etc. if not cheaper and the food is usually better (ie. more gourmet or just interesting selections a la Trader Joe's). The atmosphere is infinitely better than most grocers and the checkers are usually very personable. Just my two cents, still would like to see a Trader Joe's in Davis. —AnthonySoto

2007-02-28 18:42:02   My grocery store of choice. Doesn't always have the best deals, but they have quality foods and superior wine and beer selection (very important). My only complaint is that their parking lot is always filled with seemingly the worst mini-van/SUV-driving soccer moms in Davis who couldn't perform a 3-point turn to save their honor student. —BriannaBetancourt

Is this stereotyping of part of the Davis community really necessary? Those "soccer moms" are probably highly educated woman with careers and families. Not an easy job. —JimEvans

2007-03-06 13:11:52   i used to go here exclusively for the chinese food. when the north davis location first opened, the chinese food was cheap, plentiful, and of decent quality. not long after, the quality went down considerably (most notably the quality of meat they use). i still went, because it was cheap, and i could get about 2 meals out of it (id get the combo that got rice, chow mein and an entree). then they raised all of the prices by at least $1. i still contunued to go there, because at least it was a reasonable price for essentially 2 meals. I went today, and to my dismay, the combo that i usually got was less than half the size of what it used to be, and still at the same price, and mediocre quality. needless to say, i will never be getting the chinese food there again. I realized, for about a dollar less, I can get the lunch combo at silver dragon (which is comparable to the combo i used to get at nugget), and you get a much larger portion, and MUCH MUCH better quality —JeffIto

2007-03-19 13:41:35   The nugget in Woodland has raised the price of their basic chinese rice bowl (white/brown rice + 1 entree) to $4.29. I don't know if Davis Nugget has followed. This makes it a total of a 43% price raise in the last year an a half. —AlexPomeranz

2007-04-27 13:19:38   I am rather fed up with all of the solicitors that they have outside of their entries and exits. It seems like every other day they have someone there begging you to buy stuff or sign a petition. Dammit, I just wanna get my groceries in peace. Is that too much to ask? —CaseyBarc

The Girl Scouts? A Little League team? A petition drive? Is it really so terrible if you have to interact with other people in your community. —JimEvans

2007-05-20 15:14:49   Ooookay first I wanna know if Mr. JimEvans is here to simply RAG on people's assertions (which were pretty funny), or if he's going to share something worthwhile about the NUGGET; that IS the topic at hand. ANYHOO - I think that when it comes to the Nugget vs. Albertson's you have a Mercedes vs. a Honda. Both are GOOD products, but one's a little nicer than the other. I like the checkout and attractively-displayed produce at the front of the store. Dare I say it? Yep - hella cute. LOL —joeistheish

2007-05-25 17:46:34   I am addicted to the Nugget's sushi! I don't know how they manage to maintain such fresh sushi in a display case, but its consistently better than Nobu Hiro or Fuji.

  Nugget's sushi is made fresh everyday. They never have day old sushi sitting out. Also, Nugget sells so much sushi it's hard to buy sushi that's been sitting in the case all day long. —mowtov

2007-06-28 19:21:54   I love the Nugget! I have never stood in a line for more than a few seconds here. Their products seem much fresher than Safeway's. And, the employees here are excellent. —Chantal

2007-06-30 21:14:30   Generally, I don't shop much here because of the high prices, with the exception of a few items that I can't get anywhere else. But the bakery items are hard to resist... especially chocolate chip cookies, lemon bars, and éclairs... —CovertProfessor

2007-07-04 06:14:30 What's up with those babes with the baskets up on the Nugget prison wall? What are they going to drop on the oblvious masses? Past-ripe product? Demeter's Revenge upon Hades? —?WilyFerret

2007-07-15 07:15:00   Quite simply the best supermarket in Davis. With few exceptions their produce is much fresher than those of Safeway and have a much greater variety (I like trying new vegetables, or being able to get Chinese Long Beans if I want). When I was craving some soft-shelled crab a few years ago they special ordered some for me without any reservation. Best of all is the service at the Nugget...the employees for the most part seem to really like working here. For example, on a rainy day last winter I was walking from the store back to my car, and unsolicited an employee told me to watch out a couple feet ahead of me because the puddles were deceptively deep. Now I realize what he did wasn't "so hard" but it's the frequency of little touches like this that make me come to the Nugget a few times a week. —AlvinTsao

2007-07-17 13:42:46   The sandwiches are way over priced, The store is meant for the wealthy, they do have a great loss prevention team i will say that if try to take from this store i guarantee you get caught, nice people do work there they are very help full i just can't seam to go there to often the deals are nor deals but great place to work and be safe that is for sure —dickjones

2007-07-17 14:20:57   The pricing seems to be a bit variable, but my family started shopping at Nugget (north) because several of our regular items (Genova frozen ravioli and the sacramentoSacramento Baking Company sourdough to name a couple) are a bit cheaper here. We've also found that the ground pork here is excellent—much better than the variety offered at Safeway. Another finding—and this has made the extra distance worth it—is the fact that the purified water dispensers a) all work regularly and b) are seemingly never crowded (again, compared to the South Davis Safeway). Bummer running to the market late at night to get water, only to find two dispensers down and the remaining two restocking themselves. We still shop at Safeway frequently (how can we not when it is so convenient?), but seem to be going to Nugget more and more. —KevinChin

2007-07-23 19:25:35   As a foodie that shops at places like Whole Foods, Mother's Market, Mitsuwa and Ranch 99 for Seafood, it's true that Nugget isn't the cheapest but it's got high quality foods (Triple cream cheeses) that's really tastes great and makes food shopping an experience. —atwong

2007-11-07 23:34:48   I think talanted Davisites should try to win some free beef: [WWW]http://nuggetbeef.com/ —GregWebb

2008-01-19 23:30:51   this place is one of the best food places in davis! the sandwiches and sushi rox!good deals too! —davisrox

2008-02-09 00:11:17   I went to nugget around 10 looking for a very random item, and even though nugget didn't carry it they were glad to help find out which other stores that were open in Davis would have it. —StevenDaubert

2008-03-08 19:34:03   I found out today that you get a free sandwich and a free drink from the drink bar on your birthday! —JoePomidor

2008-04-27 22:31:09   I like Nugget. It's expensive, but you gotta pay for quality. Their deli is awesome. Wonderful sandwiches and salads. One thing I do purchase at Nugget is bottles of lemonade flavored Crystal Light. I know that's lame and I can't even believe I'm admitting to buying the stuff, but I can't find the bottles of it anywhere anymore! Everywhere sells the powder, but I don't want the powder because I'm THAT lazy. —CurlyGirl26

2008-05-13 23:55:28   I've only gone to the Nugget in North Davis. I like it cause they have the best bread in town— though it could be a WHOLE lot better if they changed flours to all white. The one thing about the Nugget is that I've had to bring back things three times now. Twice for produce and once for meat. I've also witnessed the produce guy knocking over some avocados that hit the ground hard and rolled only to have him turn and TOSS them back onto the heap. Thats not cool. —JamieParker

2008-05-25 10:27:02   Here's why I love the Nugget:

It's staffed entirely by young, hot boys who will flirt with you. I don't care if they're just trained to. It works. I'm almost sure the hiring standards are:

1) Must be male.

2) Must be fit and gorgeous.

3) Must be able to smile at dingy ladies who don't understand the concept of "line-crossing."

That said, I'm in my 20's and they still give me a free cookie/put up with my neurotic pickiness at the counters. Great place, if not a little expensive.

2008-06-13 20:49:58   Great place. Large selection of food,and you can get a decent lunch there. Excellent for college students. —jrendler

2008-07-17 19:26:18   Good quality to pick up specific items, but too expensive to do grocery shopping. —dc

2008-07-28 21:50:45   I like this place, actually have gone to both locations just for fun. Good deals on vegetables and seasonal fruit, I basically don't buy anything else if its not on sale. Just like anything else, knowing what things are worth is key. $2.75 for Campbell's chicken soup is a rip, 1.99 a pound for boneless skinless chicken that's so fresh its still oozing blood... impossible to beat. Here's a hint: don't buy anything that doesn't say "STOP," and don't assume every Stop Sign is a good deal. This is THE place in town for fancy asian sauces at a semi-reasonable price. Oh, and the Co-op's back rooms are a fetid mess of rotten milk, bugs, and other nasty shit, do yourself a favor and avoid it, Nugget employees are about twice as clean, nice and friendly! —davisGeek

2008-07-31 19:44:29   I'm definitely with Casey about the cute guys! Too bad they all look so young... Whenever I need a pick-me-up, I go to the nugget for sandwiches (North Davis location.) The number 3 panini is my favorite (with portobello mushrooms), and I always ask for a side of pickles, just to snack on while I do my grocery shopping. Also, I don't know if this has already been said, but at 8 PM, the chinese food section boxes up all the leftover chinese food and sells it for half price. I agree that things do seem a bit expensive, but every visit is always so pleasant. —MegaTron

2008-08-18 19:31:08   I love to shop at the Nugget. The staff is obviously happy to work there and it shows in their customer service. And I admit that I am addicted to grocery shopping with a mocha on my cart! —HazelWatson

2008-08-22 22:51:39   I love to shop at Nugget. Yes, it is pricey but the Co-op, the only other grocery store I frequent, is pricey too (7.69/lb for a bell pepper..come on!). I can't bring myself to shop at Safeway...ugh. My favorite Nugget sandwich is #5 mmmm. I can't believe no one has commented about the sandwich guy...a local celebrity. My favorite thing about shopping at Nugget is waiting in line. I have never had to wait in line behind more than one person before. There are usually ample cashiers, and new registers open up as needed. —Chantal

...The Davis Co-op, with the massive remodel: Prices through the roof! All to pay for a new roof, and the rest of the upheavals, I guess. Used to be: if you were a member, you'd get a substantial "patronage" check every year. No more. Today, Nugget and the Sacramento Natural Foods Coop feature prices on many items substantially lower than Davis Co-op's "member prices" (Listed as shelf price—non-Coop members pay 5% more) on comparable commodities. —SredniVashtar

2008-09-15 08:29:49   I applaud Nugget for letting me bring in my gluten free bread and making me a sandwich on it. Not many places will do that, and I am very appreciative of it! By the way, try a sandwich with all the veggies (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, pickles, avocado, sprouts, fennel) plus the dill mayo. I am not a vegetarian, but it was so very tasty!! —AmLin

2008-09-19 20:47:08   I was sad to see tonight that the left over Chinese food now costs more for less :(. I used to get a pint of pork fried rice for $3. Now it's $4 for 1/2 a pint. I think Hunan is a better deal now. —BradBenedict

2008-10-03 21:20:02   The Nugget store security is amazingly prompt and athletic. The other day I was waiting in the checkout line closest to the coffeeshop and witnessed a response worthy of a touchdown drive by the UC Davis Aggies. At least seven big burly fellows converged on the front entryway at dead runs from various points nearby. They roared through the noonday shopping crowd of students and elders like their coach had exhorted them in the locker room to "Do It For The Gipper!!" And soon they returned quietly leading one teenager by both elbows. Another security person wheeled a shopping cart with some soda pop bottles and snack bags rattling in the bottom. It was all over in less than a minute or so. A couple of elderly ladies standing in the produce aisle rearranged their windblown hair and appeared to have been pleasantly impressed. —SredniVashtar

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