When Poland's first free elections were held in 1990, more than 7000 absentee ballots were cast from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Greenpoint. So it makes sense that cooks wanting authentic kielbasa, pierogi, and sauerkraut flock to this Polish enclave.
The legendary butchers here draw many pork lovers. Our favorite is Steve's Meat Market (104 Nassau Avenue, 718-383-1780), where men in jaunty caps sell slab bacon (often so fresh it's still warm), and several kinds of house-made kielbasa. Or, brave the lines of grandmothers and the language barrier at Kiszka (915 Manhattan Avenue, 718-389-6149), for great prices on pork, veal, and beef.
But man cannot live by meat alone. Green Farms (918 Manhattan Avenue, 718-389-4114) has barrels of locally made sauerkraut and pickles. Along with interesting snack foods, bakers will thrill to see European-style flours, pearl sugar, and cake yeast.
Locals rave about cheap fruit and vegetable stands on Manhattan and Nassau Avenues. At Poland Farm (889 Manhattan Avenue, 718-389-7912), red bell peppers are currently $0.99/lb, and kohlrabi are $1.49 apiece. Rachel's Garden (122 Nassau Avenue, 718-349-9910) may have higher prices, but boasts cleaner floors and a wider variety of groceries. Organic market The Garden (921 Manhattan Avenue, 718-389-6448) is the go-to place for health foods, including seventeen flavors of kombucha.
Acme Fish
Preserved fish abounds in Greenpoint, but nothing compares to the Acme warehouse (30 Gem Street, 718-383-8585.) On Fridays from 8-1, get wholesale-priced smoked fish – the same that Acme supplies to gourmet grocers across the city.
NB: Many Greenpoint vendors speak English, and you'll get far with patience and speaking slowly. Write down your order, so as not to butcher tricky pronunciations. Or do as we do, and simply point to what looks most delicious.
Learn More:
Guide to Basic Types of Kielbasa.
This is by Nina, who is up for one of our new writer positions. Welcome Nina!
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Oh my god this makes me want smoked fish, like, seven minutes ago. With cheese, and pickled things. Awesome!
view pancakery's profile
i don't tend to love pickles or meats but this all made me want to GO OUT RIGHT NOW and get me several types of each. plush fish, plus a pied-a-terre in greenpoint so i can be closer to all this tasty goodness. wow. thanks for the tips.
view captain_maybe's profile
I very much second the suggestion of the Acme smoked fish company on Friday mornings... the best is being able to taste everything, fresh sliced! The pastrami-style salmon is particularly good.
Also, in any of the bakeries, the poppyseed sweet rolls are not to be missed.
view rubychard's profile
"Nicedriveway!" (cheers in Polish)
view art's profile
na zdorov'e? :)
view bubble's profile
Steve's is the best. My grandparents are Polish immagrents and have lived in that neighborhood for 50 years. I still get my grandfather to send me polish sausage, because I can't find it out here in LA. Now my mouth is totally watering for some good Polish cooking.
view Christal's profile
come to me, fresh bacon...how i love you.
plus, acme cannot be beat. completely worth scurrying up to greenpoint before work on a Friday morning, risking the probability that you will reek of smoked fish at work.
view rhubarb13's profile
Oh wow, I am missing my old neighborhood! Steve's father was my grandparent's and later my landlord for many years.
Although it's a chain, the Associated supermarket on Manhattan Avenue is also a good go-to spot for Polish goodies.
view mz.meow's profile
A snapshot of my hood! I've lived in Greenpoint 3 years and will vouch that you can't beat this food. Every week M* makes a couple of "party plates" -- a sampling of kilbasa, cheeses, and, of course, New Warsaw Bakery's fresh rye bread.
view HollyH's profile
That's the most amazing bacon I've ever seen. That could possibly motivate me to make my way from Flatbush all the way to Greenpoint.
view boricua butch's profile
Spot on! I used to live in Greenpoint and enjoyed reminiscing about the delicious food (particularly the cheap produce, which I hope won't inflate in price now that the word's out). Maybe I'll make the trek...
view GwydionsKnot's profile