May 25, 2004

• I’ve been back in New York City for 6 months now and loving
  it!  But the one thing I miss most about New Jersey is the grocery
  stores.  I lived right across the street from a gigantic Wegman’s, which stocked everything from gourmet chocolates to freshly made sushi to Pop Tarts.  Lots and lots of Pop Tarts.

  With
  limited space and higher prices, it would be difficult to duplicate the
  Wegman’s experience here in New York City.  But groceries are a
  big deal here, and this article from New York Metro does an excellent
  job of breaking down “the escalating battle between FreshDirect, Fairway and Whole Foods“.  Some interesting tidbits:

  • “I was misquoted!  What I really said is
    that when Joe Fedele dies, I’ll be the first in line to piss on his
    grave. And there will be a long line of people behind me.”
  • Ackerman says FreshDirect now does 25,000 orders per week… it retains about half the customers who try the service.
  • “[Whole
    Foods] changed my life,” says the chef Bobby Flay, who lives near the
    store. “I can get up in the morning and get whatever I want.”
  • When you’re paying $1.99 for a single Whole Foods doughnut, it helps to feel like you’re fighting the Man.
  • The
    forthcoming Red Hook Fairway, scheduled to open in summer 2005, will
    include 45 apartments or condos atop the 50,000-square-foot store, and
    will have ferry service to the East and West sides; the entire facility
    will draw its electricity from a Fairway-built power plant.

  After
  buying some rancid meat from the Food Emporium in Union Square, its
  time to start exploring other grocery options in the city.  In
  addition to the places mentioned above, I’ve heard good things about
  West Side Market, Garden of Eden, Chelsea Market, Green Markets, and
  Citarella.  Any New Yorkers have other suggestions for reasonably
  priced, quality produce and meats?

  • 1:27 pm
  • 19 Comments