(Chris, of Electric Stove, sent in this review of the new Fairway market in Red Hook, Brooklyn)
I went to the new 52,000 square foot Fairway in Red Hook, Brooklyn hoping to find one of the best grocery stores in New York City.
After a subway trip, long bus ride and cruise ship spotting, that's just what I found. This is the first Brooklyn grocery store I've visited that could truly qualify a "one stop shopping" spot before a big cooking adventure.
The produce, meat, fish, bakery, and organic sections are all excellent and priced fairly. Unlike Whole Foods, Fairway also sells the major national brands that many of us rely on.
My two favorite parts: the view from their deck which is a reward waiting for you at the end of your shopping trip, near the bakery (while enjoying my iced tea, I saw the Queen Mary 2 pass by the Statue of Liberty) and the fascinating signs and articles they hang through the store. In taking my time rolling my cart through the store and reading away, I learned about how the USDA grades meat and discovered imported garlic and artichoke cream.
The employees are cheery but its apparent the store is new. I asked for help finding preserved lemons, as featured on Fairway's little blog. They first took me to the lemon preserves and then a manager told me that the preserved lemons were out of stock.
If you're relying on public transportation, expect quite a trip from most spots in Manhattan or Brooklyn, but theres some pit stops you can make right along the way. If you pick up the B61 bus at the corner of Court St. and Atlantic Ave., you'll be right in front of Cook's Companion and just down the street from Sahadi's middle eastern market. On the weekend, you could take the water taxi right to Fairway's back door for just $5.
- Chris
It's great to know we've got a place now for fresh produce/meat that has "regular" products too. (Ever spend an hour in Whole Foods only to realize you still need Rose's Lime Juice?) I'm curious how a person would use preserved lemons!
I have really enjoyed this new Fairway as well. It gets hectic on the weekends so try to go early if you can. (I've also heard that the lofts being built above it are beautiful as well)
I highly recommend the water taxi route! It's a fast way to get there and adds a sense of adventure.
According to a link on curbed.com, there is some deal whereby you can take the watertaxi for free if you buy at least $100 worth of groceries at Fairway (free trip out, show them your receipt on the way back or fork over $7). I'm going to try it!
preserved lemons are *great*. They can be used for most things that lemons can be used for (not lemonade, for example, but if you want to cook greens in olive oil, garlic and lemon juice, or add lemon to tuna salad, etc., they'll do just as well as fresh) and they are necessary for Moroccan cooking (tagine of preserved lemon and olives). I got them for the Moroccan dish and then realized you have great lemon flavor you can add to anything for a year.
found it:
http://www.nywatertaxi.com/nywt.aspx?s=sig&c=redhook
cut and paste the link. Ferry goes from Dumbo & South Street seaport. Much easier than trying to find some bus in Brooklyn, to my mind.
There is also a bus that you can pick up from the Smith-9th St. stop on the F train. We went one Fri. night & it was great: lots of delicious free samples throughout the store and then watching the sunset over the water when we were done shopping.
Um, I just spent $150 at this store, and got the free delivery to my Carroll G. apartment. The produce is NOT very good at all. Leafy greens are abominably bruised and torn and SMALL. The onions were squishy, too. Everything else is OK though.
I would agree with Nuh-uh about the produce...I purchased raspberries that had mold on them. (but the same thing has also happened at Whole Foods and the greenmarket so maybe it's just a berry thing).
I would skip the produce but have been happy with just about everything else. Meats, fish, cheese, grocery goods, etc. have been decent to very good.
berries are absurdly fragile
(part of the fun I suppose)
my organic grocer friend practically catches on fire when he sees stores with unrefridgerated berry displays!
Fairway is not convenient enough for me - and I already have great resources closer to home - but they did have a dizzying selection of everything so it was fun to visit.
What a place. We went to check out the market on Saturday morning July 1st. What a place. Manhattan shopping has come to Brooklyn. If you can't find it here you won't find it anywhere.
I have been shopping at Fairway in Manhattan for about 10 years. I have not visited the Red Hook store yet but in response to comments about the produce, it has been my experience that while everything else is great their produce has always been substandard.
I love Fairway. You can't do better in NY, hands down. It makes me love to shop for food, and I have never gone not once, and not been inspired to try something new. It's an education every time.
For all those who consider Fairway produce substandard, try shopping at the Associated at Myrtle and Hall in Clinton Hill. I am more than pleased with Fairway produce. Myrtle Ave is so lacking in fresh produce that what Fairway offers is a blessing!