One thing I miss about living in Boston is having a car — buying groceries without a car is a real pain. I find I have to be a lot more selective about what I buy to make sure I don’t have more than I can carry (something in my moral fibre refuses to allow me to pay for delivery on a regular basis). On the other hand, being able to walk to do your shopping is a definite plus.
With that in mind, here are some thoughts on different places to get groceries:
- Whole Foods — This is probably my primary place to shop, although I’m selective about what I get here. They have a wide variety of fresh produce which is great and lots of organic things if you’re into that (I’m not). A lot of their basic ingredients are actually decently priced, although some are on the expensive side and the specialty food items are definitely pricy. Fruits and meats seem to be ok, but why are their cheapest eggs $2?! I usually hit the Time Warner Center store, but have been to the one in Union Square quite a bit.
- Trader Joe’s — They stock a smaller range of fresh produce, but what they do have is good quality because of high turnover. If you live close by, it’s a great place to get your basic every day meats, fruits, vegetables and other staples because they have great prices. Also, they have a lot of good quality semi-prepared food. The main problem is that the lines are always really long, but they generally move at a pretty decent clip.
- Fresh Direct — I’ve only used this service once, when I moved into my apartment and wanted to get a lot of basics (flour, sugar, oil, etc) without having to lug them home myself. Their prices are ok. I’ve been told their produce is decent, but have never tried it myself. When I ordered from them, they came when they said they would.
- Fairway (upper west side) — I wish I lived closer to this place, because I think it’s the best place for groceries in New York. They have a huge variety of produce and their fruits and vegetables always look very fresh. Their prices are very good as well, lower than Whole Foods, probably about on par with Trader Joe’s. The main problem is that the only way to get to the second floor (where they have all their organic produce) is via a very small, very slow elevator.
- Amish Market (Battery Park) — Their fruits and vegetables are not bad and are usually pretty fresh, but their meats always seemed a bit sketchy to me and the selection is definitely wanting (sometimes I’d go and couldn’t even find ground beef or boneless chicken breast). Pretty much everything is overpriced. Watch the expiration dates on low-volume items too. I do like their pizza though.
- Gristedes / Associated / D’Agostino — I avoid these places unless absolutely necessary, although I’ve done my fair share of shopping in them if I felt too lazy to walk the extra five minutes to a better supermarket. You would think with the volume they do that they’d be able to offer better prices, but everything is outrageously expensive. $3 for a dozen eggs!? $2.29/lb for red delicious apples?! Quality varies quite a bit depending on the location, from pretty good to rather stale.
- Farmer’s Markets — These are the best places to get fresh produce, if you don’t mind making an extra trip to pick up groceries. Quality is usually (although not always) very high, and prices are generally good, although they can be capricious (One week a pint of blueberries was $2.99, but within two weeks it was up to $4.99!)
October 4, 2006 at 12:17 am
farmers markets with caprious prices? the nerve of those poor farmers charging more at the end of the blueberry season. ;p think of how much an hour they make at 2.99 a pint with having to sclep them into the city to even get them to you. try making friends with them- if you show up every week and buy something, ask about the farm, remember their name, their kids names, you’d be surpised at how steady and level and reasonable prices start getting at the market.
what about a CSA? there are ones out there that will deliver to your door, same price every week, and it really helps the farm out because they get the cash up front. try http://www.localharvest.org
I’m happy paying more for eggs at the farmers market because they taste SOOO much better. happy chickens that actually run around outside and eat bugs make very tasty eggs. have you read omnivores dilemma yet? and yes, you have to pay more tha $2 a dozen for them. worth every penny.
how about a curry recipe?
October 4, 2006 at 9:52 am
The bump to $4.99 was well before the peak of the blueberry season! The main problem is I can’t stomach the thought of paying more for the two pints of fresh blueberries needed for a pie than I would spend on buying a pre-made pie at a bakery.
As for getting to know the farmers… hey, this is New York! We must avoid human contact at all costs.