Best food(ie) shopping in Manhattan

[debit]

Coming to NYC for a weekend to eat. Want to throw in some good food shopping as well. Going to hit Murray's for cheese and Kossar's for bialys. Any other places you would recommend?

Thanks!

[LNG212]

If you're doing Zabars, you could do a whole UWS walk-around thing ... Zabars, Citarella, Fairway, H&H Bagel, Granddaisy, Grom, Beard Papa, Jacques Torres, Barney Greengrass, even Bruno Ravioli.

Enjoy.

[Cpalms]

add Salumeria Rosi to the UWS, they could have the best selection of italian meats anywhere including a couple kinds of culatello....

[Pigeage]

Salumeria Rosi has changed the food store power balance in Manhattan and the UWS has really got it going ON with Rosi . . . the guys there are really friendly, the salumi is outrageously good, and there are more than a few wine shops in the immediate vicinity to make stopping there, picking up some finocchiona (which blows the version from Salumi in Seattle out of the water, INHO), and having a picnic in Central Park a truly heavenly experience.

[debit]

These are wonderful suggestions! Thanks all...I love eating around the city. All these replies are the reason why. Grazie! Keep them coming!

[chompchomp]

Don't miss Despana on Broome Street! Really terrific Spanish delights -- particularly sausages, cheeses, marcona almonds and all sorts of chocolate and tinned delights. The best part is that it's the most generous shop I've seen for samples so you can try it all. And -- you can't leave without getting a sandwich.

[rolamb]

Florence Meat Market at 5 Jones Street (near Murray's) for steaks, dry-aged on site, lamb and pork butchered, tenderized, carved and dressed to order. Hands down the best meats I've ever eaten, restaurant or otherwise, come from Florence Meat Market. While they're known for their Newport Steak roast, you can afford to get creative: lamb loin roast, rack of short ribs, porterhouse, you can't go wrong.

-----
Florence Meat Market
5 Jones St, New York, NY 10014

[mybear]

TOTALLY agree...
our $10 newport steaks from florence were far more flavorful than the triple-digit dinner at bobby van's.

[Tasi]

The Newport Steak Roast sounds wonderful. What do you think is the best way to cook it?

[MMRuth]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/321943

[Tasi]

Wow! Could not have for a better response. Thank you!!

[Cpalms]

Fiacco's Pork Store is right next to Murray's and is quite good, not as good as Dipalo's but good....if you go to those two, Pearl Oyster Bar is a great lunch spot and is right there....

[eameyer]

The Market in Grand Central has some good places. There is a Murray's outpost in there as well.

[c oliver]

Oh, I LOVE that market!!!!!!!!!! And I don't even think the prices are all that bad. Got some amazing ahi with black and white sesame seeds there. And Grand Central is just fun anyway, I think.

[Miss Needle]

Well, if you're going to be in the downtown area, I would also recommend the Thai Grocery store on Mosco Street. They've got the best curry pastes made in Thailand in the freezer section -- much better than ones like Mae Ploy which has an excess of salt (so it can sit out at room temperature). Much more complex and flavorful. They also have a lot of hard to find Thai ingredients.

Kam Man Grocery Store on Canal Street for a lot of Chinese shopping needs. Upstairs they have a big selection of condiments, noodles, etc. Downstairs they have a huge selection of Chinese and Japanese dishware, ceramic pots, etc.

Also love the baked goods at Grand Daisy Bakery in Soho -- breads, pizzas, desserts. They also have a location on the UWS. And there's Sullivan Street Bakery in Hell's Kitchen (which is pretty much the same thing).

If you're going to be in Midtown (30s), I would recommend Artisanal over Murray's for cheese (though you should probably see Murray's). I find the quality and selection of cheeses to be better than Murray's. And you can see their cheese cave.

[ooglewoogle]

I always enjoy a wander through Chelsea Market for foodie stuff. Has some nice stuff. On my last trip our fave was the Ronnybrook sweet butter we took back to our room to spread thickly on our Kossar Bialys.

We also enjoy going to some of the normal shopping places...Fairways, Wholefoods etc. Compared to what's avaiable in my part of the world, these stores are places of wonder for me.

Also, I would of course second Zabars. Wow.

The rub for me in going to all these fantastic places is that I wish I had facilites to cook from all the amazing ingredients. I reckon in the future I will have to self cater somehwere....or houseswap maybe.

[c oliver]

We houseswapped a year ago for two plus weeks and it was heaven. Since then we've become good friends with our exchangers and are their official dog sitters :) Their on the UWS a five minute walk from the subway so it's so easy to get around. I can't recommend the whole process highly enough but especially in NYC. We ate so well. Mostly lunch out and then we'd cook dinner in or eat leftovers. I've written if heaven is a place, dear lord, please let it be Manhattan :)

[fourunder]

I was curious how someone from California could be so knowledgeable on so many finer places the city has to offer....now I know.

[c oliver]

Well, that's certainly a compliment. Thank you. Already looking forward to our next trip there in June. Thanks to the 'hounds, we get to see/eat/buy alot more than we would if left totally to our own devices. And it doesn't hurt that we're adventurous travellers and eaters :)

[c oliver]

Deluxe Food Market at 79 Elizabeth St. in Chinatown. This is an amazing market. Down the long right side is prepared foods that you can buy by the plate or the pound. Down the left is every imaginable fresh meat, poultry and fish --- and every single part of it. And the middle is dried and frozen things. I bought baby octopus there which was so fun. Even if you don't buy anthing, it's great to just gawk :)

[maggiej]

Kee's for chocolates.

Saxelby's in Essex Market is great for cheese if you've already had the Murray's experience.

Dual for spices if you don't want to go up to Kalustyan's.

[kathryn]

Here's MMRuth's list
http://www.chow.com/lists/33

This has been discussed many times before
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/549619
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/391696
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/309363
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/357475
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/423413
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/441050
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/439954
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/460497

If you're hitting up Kossar's anyway, I recommend RGR's self-guided LES Gustatory Tour:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/493333

[Miss Needle]

If you're going to go downtown to Kossar's and Murray's and want to make it easy for yourself, highly recommend you hit MMRuth's list (she sure knows how to shop). Just will say I prefer Grom Gelato to Cones. L'Arte del Gelato is also a good gelato place that's not on the list.

[MMRuth]

And I have a spot on the list, now that I sadly had to remove Jefferson Market. I'll add it now. I was just wondering what to add to it, and I do like L'Arte. Maybe I'll do an UES list now as well.

[MMRuth]

OK - here's my start on an Upper East Side list:

http://www.chow.com/lists/924

[thew]

kalustyans for spices, rices, indian ingredients

the korean supermarket on 32nd between 5th and 6th for all asian wonderul adn weird

russ & daughters or sable's for smoked fish etc

[c oliver]

DiPalo's in Little Italy for cheeses and tons of other food items. If you haven't been there, just being there is an experience.

Zabars, of course.

[foodwhisperer]

Di Palo's cheese ravioli is delicious. Russ and Daughters quite unique to NYC for smoked fish of all types, pickled fish,, dried fruits,, old tyme candies, halvah, .... Citarella for what Balducci's once had all high quality vegetables meats and prepared dishes. Sunrise Supermarket japanese upstairs on 9th St. and 3rd..... Chinatown fruit and vegetable stands ,,,, Dean and Deluca and Zabars,,,, Sullivan St or Grand Daisy for breads and pizzas,,,Chocolates by the Baldman,,,, Bazzini's in Tribeca for nuts theyve been there for 100 years,,,,,,Pickles on Essex St.it used to be Gus's I think ,,,,, Raffetto's on Houston for Ravioli,,,,,,Faicco's on bleecke ( acress from Murray's)r for sausages,,,,

[debit]

It is so nice to see a business that has "and daughters" for a change. So many "and sons." Nice!

Is Chocolate Haven worth a visit? Howabout Ess-a-bagel?

Thanks again!

[eameyer]

Ess-a-bagel is pretty good.

[kathryn]

You mean the Jacques Torres store? If so, yes, definitely.

[c oliver]

New Year's Eve 2007, while in NY, I used DiPalo's butternut squash ravioli and their gorgonzola dulce in a cream sauce for dinner. Preceded by Barney Greengrass domestic caviar and martinis. Wow, what a wonderful meal.

[fourunder]

Since you will be next door, I guess you should include Doughnut Planet...

http://www.doughnutplant.com/

I have not been to yet, but I have always wanted to visit the Chelsea Market. It may be a place to go to for better time management.

http://chelseamarket.com/