Where is the best Restaurant Supply Store

I need to stock up on a whole bunch of items. I would prefer a place that excels in quality and value as opposed to brand hype. Somewhere that has parking would be a major plus too. Thanks.

[foodcritic081]

I agree with the above posting re: Chef Restaurant Supply on the Bowery for lowest prices. Bridge was also decent but as since moved to NJ.

[BonnieB.]

if you want to make the trip to brooklyn try Kerekes on 16th ave. and 62nd street. Parking isn't the greatest but they sell everything from baking, chocolate supplies,kitchen gadgets,pans and sooo, sooo much more. They are not open on Saturday's and close early on Friday for shabat. There are a couple of spots in front of the store but it's park at your own risk. I usually just drive around the block or go up a block or two on 16th ave. to park. I get my cake boxes and other baking supplies there, great place.

Go down to the Bowery. There are about 50 stores of quality with no pretense. I like all the places listed, but if you want value go downtown and use those stores for whatever small items you can't find.

Bridge is in a class by itself, 711 3rd Ave., (enter on 45th St.).

Zabar's has an excellent selection at good prices.

A few more places:

Broadway Panhandler, 477 Broome @ Wooster 212/966-3434 (decent selection, good sales, but otherwise higher prices than others)

Chef Restaurant Supply, 294 Bowery - best prices on the Bowery - you need to know what you want and be able to tell good stuff from junk.

Dean & Deluca, 560 Broadway, 212/226-6800 (best quality, highest prices, fairly good selection)

Kitschen, 380 Bleeker betw Carles and Perry, 212/727-0430 - old kitchenware, well restored, junk and good things

Charles Lamalle, 36 W. 25 St., 6th fl. 212/242-0750 - traditional French - good clearance sales - will locate and order specialty items

J.P. Prince, 29 W. 38, 7th fl. 212/302-8611 - very large selection of knives, exotic items

Vinegar Factory, 431 E. 91 St. - 20% off retail on cookware - large selection

Link: http://www.bridgekitchenware.com/home...

Unless I am mistaken, Charles Lamalle closed its doors quite a number of years ago at that location. It was a great store.

I'm sure you're right. I made the list several years back. A Google check for Lamalle shows no listing, and one site says he died and the staff couldn't keep it going.

I wondered about that, too, and I think they also goofed about the street - I went there several times but it was on 22rd St. (6th floor) a few doors east of NY Cake & Decorating. Unless they reopened a second time in stealth mode, they never moved to a different location. It's really no great loss though, they had very little the others don't have and their prices were, to me, surprisingly high for a place that had to break into what had become a competitive market.

chef central

what kind of supplies? i used to work at fishes eddy in my college days and they sold to restaurants all of the time, for dishes mostly, but they do carry other items. there are a few locations in manhattan and a fairly recent opening in brooklyn heights.