513220 Sat Apr 26 08:29:57 -0700 2008 16 18 Manhattan 0 3631605 Hi all, I have a few recipes that call for pistachios and I can't seem to find them in any of my local supermarkets. Has anyone seen them recently anywhere around Manhattan? Thanks! Sat Apr 26 08:29:59 -0700 2008 75862 newfoodie 1 3631637 Nader (28th St and 5th Ave) is a small Iranian grocery store which will certainly have plain and roasted pistachios. Nearby is Kalustyan's--bigger and shinier, but more expensive. Sat Apr 26 08:55:50 -0700 2008 3631605 15695 rose water 2 3632875 Does Nader have high-quality roasted unsalted Iranian or Turkish pistachios? Sat Apr 26 20:06:25 -0700 2008 3631637 17058 Pan 3 3633407 Hmm, I don't know--my pistachio purchases always fall into two categories: raw and roasted/salted/lemony. I know Nader has both of those. Sun Apr 27 06:32:54 -0700 2008 3632875 15695 rose water 3 3633590 Kalustyan's are high quality and carry different varieties depending on the day. Sun Apr 27 08:26:04 -0700 2008 3632875 11223 roze 4 3635267 I know about Kalustyan's. They haven't had high-quality Iranian pistachios in a long time, except in the very unlikely event that things have changed within the last 2 months or so. The ones in the bags, if they still have those, are too old. I'm not sure whether they have high-quality roasted unsalted Turkish pistachios at this point. I was asking about Nader's. Sun Apr 27 21:20:49 -0700 2008 3633590 17058 Pan 5 3635467 On the whole, IMO, what Kalustyan's has in breadth, they make up for in lack of basic quality and freshness. Sometimes you get luck, but... I do my "Iranian shopping" out in Great Neck and hadn't even heard of Nader's but if they actually cater mostly to natives, stale pistachios, especially, would be unthinkable. Not being forced to, I don't buy stuff like that in supermarkets so I don't know might be up with that, but unless there's some sort of massive crop failure I don't know about, Zabar's and Fairway have had them always, forever. I'd be really suprised if Whole Foods doesn't, too, but I've never looked or noticed.. Mon Apr 28 01:09:35 -0700 2008 3635267 11980 MikeG 6 3635774 "Zabar's and Fairway have had them always, forever. I'd be really suprised if Whole Foods doesn't, too" To clarify, that was in response to the original post, and about California pistachios. If any of those stores has ever had Turkish let alone Iranian nuts, I never noticed. And lastly, just for utter completeness' sake :), Buon Italia in the Chelsea Market has, or had, Sicilian pistachios. Those are always, unfortunately, very expensive. Mon Apr 28 06:54:19 -0700 2008 3635467 11980 MikeG 7 3636222 But, the stuff at Buon Italia may be worth it. Their walnuts are consistently the freshest I've found in Manhattan--far better than Fairway and Sahadi's. Nader's has been around forever, and was related to the restaurant Nader which closed in the 1990s. I will say that I can't really vouch for their quality-- I do most of my Iranian nut shopping in Iran. I'm lucky enough to have friends and family who travel there often enough that I've always got an exquisite pistachio supply. Mon Apr 28 08:48:50 -0700 2008 3635774 15695 rose water 8 3638648 That's cool, I didn't know you could bring in things like nuts (or at least if they're not commercially processed/sealed). FWIW, dental work prevented tasting for freshness but today I noticed Turkish pistachios, among other things, at a small mostly Turkish convenience store/deli kind of place right next to the King's Highway stop on the B/Q trains. (King's Highway Gourmet, I think) I know it's Brooklyn, but since it's been mentioned a couple of times, and I just happened to be there today, I figured I'd throw it out. A bit closer than Brighton Beach and ironically a little easier to get to than Sahadi's which isn't near public transportation, though without more info, I'd probably trust Sahadi's more in terms of quality, if not necessarily turnover. Mon Apr 28 20:44:43 -0700 2008 3636222 11980 MikeG 8 3638701 Forgot to mention that, last Summer at least, the Sicilian nuts were like $30/lb shelled (I think that's the only way they're sold commercially, at least outside of Sicily/Italy. They are vacuum sealed and while I have no exact basis for comparison, they seem reasonably fresh.) As eating nuts, that's way out of my price range but OK for occasional use as an ingredient (pistachio pesto being what I've used it for) since they're sold in small packages... Mon Apr 28 21:20:11 -0700 2008 3636222 11980 MikeG 1 3631766 I believe that Whole Foods and Eli's carry pistachios. You might also check Sahadi's in Brooklyn Heights. Sat Apr 26 10:07:41 -0700 2008 3631605 104190 NYCinephile 2 3631811 Kalustyan's as well. They are a bit harder to find that certain other nuts - I rarely see them at Citarella. Sat Apr 26 10:27:07 -0700 2008 3631766 10985 MMRuth 1 3633445 I just bought a bag of raw, unsalted, shelled pistachios at Trader Joe's in Union Square, if you're near there. Sun Apr 27 06:58:26 -0700 2008 3631605 112494 corgette 2 3634813 I've bought pistachios at TJ's on two different occasions and both times they were of really poor quality, dried out and tasteless. Sun Apr 27 17:38:27 -0700 2008 3633445 12867 BluPlateSpec 3 3638304 Oh, no! The ones I just bought are mostly bright, crisp and kind of creamy. Though I bought some last summer that had quite a few rancid ones, I haven't seen that lately. Mon Apr 28 18:14:12 -0700 2008 3634813 112494 corgette 1 3634080 I highly recommend Vintage in Brighton Beach if you feel like treking it out there. I purchased shelled roasted pistachios recently and was *very* pleased with their freshness and flavor. Their lokum was a standout for me this time around. I think it was passionfruit flavored. Very good. They've got a lot of nuts, candies, dried fruits, etc to keep you entertained for quite a while. Worth the trek. Have a look at this thread --> http://www.chowhound.com/topics/325147 And this thread too --> http://www.chowhound.com/topics/396812 Sun Apr 27 12:25:47 -0700 2008 3631605 10609 Cheese Boy