A Trip To The Market

A move out of Manhattan brings with it a wealth of new conveniences.

For example:

- Parking spaces

- Trees

- Less than a 45 minute wait for brunch

- Actual, honest-to-goodness, no joking around supermarkets

For now, I’d like to focus on the last item from the list above.

Anyone who’s ever lived in Manhattan knows that the two most prevalent supermarket chains – Gristedes and D’Agostino’s – totally suck shit, big time.

They’re usually grimy, dimly lit, overpriced, overcrowded, and understaffed. Generally, when you visit one of these stores, you can count on a less than pleasant shopping experience.

Beer selection at Gristedes - less than adequate.



Dry goods aisle at D'Agostino's - are these guys even trying to run a decent supermarket?

This is just one of the many sacrifices Manhattanites make when they sign up to live in the most exciting city in the country (Pyongyang, North Korea is arguably the most exciting city in the world, due to the constant threat of nuclear war, unexpected abductions by the communist government’s secret police force, and ever-present famine. It’s like a non-stop party – except minus the fun.)

As I’ve mentioned previously, Jaimi and I recently moved out to Brooklyn. We’ve been busy unpacking and I’m proud to say we’ve definitely unpacked at least 10% of our belongings. Not bad for a week’s worth of work.

And with this Saturday’s deliverance from a week-long lack of cable and internet, a great amount of stress and anxiety was washed away. I was able to concentrate on moving my life forward. We finally had some time to explore the neighborhood, clean the apartment, unpack, etc.

But instead of all that, we headed to Fairway.

For those of you outside of the New York Metro area, you may be unfamiliar with this supermarket chain. There are only 4 locations.

It’s also likely that if you live outside of New York, then you haven’t had to endure the shitty-ass supermarkets we have here. I’m a little concerned that my point of view has been permanently tainted by the trauma I’ve experienced at Gristedes and D’Agostino’s.

So maybe Fairway wouldn’t be all that impressive to you.

But then I think about the friendly employees – every register was open!! I saw zero employees smoking on the loading dock!! And I remind myself of the large selection of prepared foods, and a huge fresh produce department. They had seven different types of tropical melons, for God’s sake!!

So upon further reflection, I’d be willing to bet Fairway matches up pretty well with anything you’re used to.

Whether you frequent the local Albertson’s, Safeway, Piggly Wiggly, or Stop ‘n Shop, you’re not likely to find a better selection of olives.

If you typically go to Acme, Super Fresh, or Kroger, I don’t think you could find a wider array of imported cheeses.

Publix? Shaw’s? You’re not gonna find a better selection of freshly roasted whole bean coffees.

Jaimi spent her time perusing the produce selection, and visiting the seafood department. I think she also got some cereal and some ground turkey with which to make her famous turkey meatloaf.

I picked up some cheese, salami, beer, and coffee. In other words, I covered all of The Mill’s four food groups:

1) Beer
2) Cured Meats
3) Cheese
4) Caffeine

Fairway is awesome for all of my four groups. I believe they also have eggs, milk, bread, granulated sugar, and apples and other popular food items– but I can’t be entirely sure. It's best to call the store before you go.

But without a doubt, if you’re in the market for bacon, beer, and/or brie, then I can safely say that Fairway is your place.