The John Deere tractor on the sign out front is your first clue that Urban Rustic isn't your average Brooklyn corner market. Stepping inside on a recent visit, we felt as if we'd suddenly been transported from the cold, rainy streets of Williamsburg to a warm and chic farmhouse far away. But ironically, the products surrounding us couldn't have been any closer to home.
Created with the belief that knowing where your food comes from is the first step to eating well, this brand new store has a simple mission: keep it local, organic, and sustainable. More than 50% of their products are grown or produced within 100 miles, and many are made right here in Brooklyn. As locavores know, finding such a bounty of local organic products is no easy feat.
At every turn is yet another small producer's labor of love. The applesauce was created by the same farmers who grew the apples; artisanal yogurt, handmade ricotta, and farm-fresh eggs fill the dairy case. The Brooklyn women who make the chutney give their profits to schools and educational products. Sure, this is "feel-good shopping," but it feels equally good to discover that sublime ricotta cheese and to support the people who make such an outstanding product.
The other 50% of store offerings include organic baby food from California and organic olive oil from Spain. As you might expect, much of the organic/biodynamic produce also hails from further afield, but there is no shortage of winter fruits and veggies straight from the small farms of New York State.
Next to the coffee/juice bar, the deli offers big hearty sandwiches and "blue plate specials," such as roasted chicken served with two sides, along with vegetarian chicken for those who shun even ethically-raised meats.
In many ways, this place feels more like a curated boutique than a grocery store; of the several brands of locally made pickles available, Urban Rustic stocks only one. "McClure's pickles are the best I've ever had," says owner Dan Cipriani. "They're just sensational." His passion is so infectious that you just can't help leaving Urban Rustic with a bag full of new discoveries and a lighter wallet.
This is by Nina, who is up for one of our new writer positions. Welcome Nina!
| Location: |
236 N. 12th St.
Brooklyn,
NY
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| Phone: |
(718) 388-9444
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| Website: | www.urbanrusticnyc.com |
| Categories: | dairy & cheese |
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© 2009 Apartment Therapy
Yay for places like this, yay for the "little guy!"
It reminds me of bi-rite in SF.
view art's profile
4.75 a lb for that chicken? wow...
view Sofia E's profile
4.75 lb. chicken definitely seems expensive to most people.
But that's a reasonable price for the product that is being sold. Here's how I see it:
A "commodity" chicken will sell for maybe a quarter of that price. Technically, up to 30% or so of the weight of that commodity chicken is water and solution so you could raise the price of the chicken to make up for the water--technically.
An "all natural chicken" will sell for maybe double the price of the commodity chicken. These are chickens that may not receive many antibiotics, hormones, etc. and they may be farmed on a smaller scale (in Ahmish communities for example). But they are by no means organic and/or free range.
An "organic" chicken would be something like Whole Food's brand. Probably factory farmed similarly to commodity chickens. But they are indeed stamped organic by the government. The price may be as high as the Eberly chicken above or on par with an all natural chicken.
A "free-range and organic" chicken like the Eberly above will most likely be the most expensive on the market these days because of the fact that the animals are allowed a minimum amount of open, outdoor space to walk around and are also raised organically. Because of the increased space the farmer needs to raise the animals and the amount of animals he may lose to sickness (to be sold to the commodity market) his production cost will be higher.
So basically, Urban Rustic is selling, most likely, what they believe to be the best choice for the consumer.
view art's profile
Sweet! I live on S. 2nd, so barely get up above N. 8th, so I had no idea this was there. I hate Tops, so I can't wait to check out Urban Rustic--the produce pictures on their website look great.
view nicolemari's profile
That's Woody, the resident pup at the Brooklyn Kitchen! He loves it there.
view thebkk's profile