March 4, 2007
The Art of Grocery Shopping
I can't do that anymore.
My dilemma: Groceries are heavy and expensive, but eating out all the time is too, though in a different way.
The other night, as I wondered how a chocolate egg cream, excellent chicken noodle soup, and a side of polenta at the Brooklyn Diner managed to cost me about half a week's worth of groceries, I decided it was time to get serious about finding cheap produce.
Yes, this mission's going to take legwork and a bit of muscle, but what the hell. Besides, as a friend who spent a year living in NYC once told me, "You can get anything delivered to your door if you're willing to pay for it." And as far as I can tell, he's right.
So here's the rundown so far:
Whole Foods has a wide selection and beautiful produce, but there's a reason why it's known by the epithet "Whole Paycheck."
Citarella is more specialized, a grocery that focuses on Italian fine foods. It's almost as expensive as Whole Foods, but they've got a better butcher.
The vaunted Fairway Market has good prices, but too many people. Never before have I suffered claustrophobia, but I came pretty close last time I was there. A local said prices in the organic foods section on the top-secret second floor of their Upper West Side store converted her. "I'll never shop Whole Foods again," she said.
Zabar's, a wonderful family-run place is especially good for finding Jewish specialties, fresh fish and a variety of cheeses. Its housewares department ain't bad either. But once again, produce, well ....
Which made this weekend's venture all the sweeter.
I'd read that Bowery Kitchen Supplies is one of the best places in the city to find affordable kitchenware. Because I needed new flatware I decided to head over (the trusty set I'd had since college was given up during the move in a moment of very unclear thinking that I'm deeply regretting now).
The store is inside the Chelsea Market, a great example of an old building revitalized — or a terrifying example of gentrification. The landmarked former Nabisco factory now houses nearly 30 food-oriented shops, stores and restaurants, as well as headquarters of NY1, The Food Network, and some post-production facilities.
Bowery was disappointing, and made me miss my beloved Surfas restaurant supply in Culver City all the more. But I did make several wonderful discoveries:
• L'Arte del Gelato. Gelato connoisseurs must pay a visit to Francesco Realmuto's little shop. The gelato is so smooth, the fruit, chocolate and nut flavors so intense, that even the $3.50 piccolo cup is very satisfying.
• The Lobster Place, which claims that by moving 1,000,000 pounds of live lobster a year, it's the city's largest seafood and shellfish purveyor. Though I've yet to learn all the secrets of selecting fish, there was something about this place that told me it was the real deal. Maybe it was the smell, maybe it was the fact that so many of the fish were skillfully gutted and had their heads still on.
• Manhattan Fruit Exchange, where finally, finally, I have found good prices for fresh, great-looking produce. The only black spot is that last year, the company was ordered to pay $183,000 in back wages to its employees. Maybe that's why things are so cheap.
Nevertheless, I now know where to go for romaine, onions, mushrooms, citrus, olives and peppers at all points of the Scoville scale. (Though for hard to find spices, including the elusive aji amarillo used in Peruvian cooking, I recommend ordering from World Spice Merchants in Seattle.)