[ SUNDAY TRAVEL ]
Bridge Kitchenware
ChefŐs paradise
New York has many treasures
for foodies, from specialty foods
to unique gadgets
Eating well is undoubtedly high on a foodie's list of things to do in New York. And with a vast array of restaurants, cafes and delis to choose from, this activity is almost a no-brainer. Shopping for things food-related in between all that good eating can be just as fun as you trundle off with culinary treasures not likely to be seen in Honolulu.
We're talking about stores featuring specialty foods, cookware, gadgets, tabletop and entertaining accessories -- a long list that is ever-changing in New York. Requiring a good eye, comfortable walking shoes and, hopefully, a well-endowed credit card, shopping in the culinary world of New York can take you all over Manhattan.
One good rule to remember: Plan on shipping purchases home unless you have a large empty suitcase with you. When you shop in this category, items tend to be bulky and heavy. Besides, you'll avoid the 8.625 percent New York City sales tax, which ratchets up the purchase price of an item quickly. New York stores are adept at shipping, since many city dwellers ship their purchases to the next state.
While buying is fun, just looking is inspirational, providing hours of visual pleasure as you roam the city. Trends are easily spotted here, and many European imports are readily available. Here are some of my favorite haunts.
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Food Stores
Dean and DeLuca
Broadway Avenue and Prince Street, SohoEach New York visit requires a pilgrimage to Dean and DeLuca, the emporium for food lovers and cooks. Shop here for truly beautiful and unusual produce (I just discovered a sea bean, a tiny, crunchy morsel that's salty!), a wide array of cheeses, meats, seafood, charcuterie items, kitchen utensils, cookware, cookbooks, bottled and packaged ingredients -- you name it, it's here. There are Dean and DeLuca outposts throughout Manhattan, but the flagship at Broadway and Prince is always a delightful visit. I can't remember ever leaving here without something.
Grace's Marketplace
Third Avenue and 71st Street, Upper East SideA neighborhood food store filled with more gourmet delights than you'll find in all of Honolulu. In fact, so many of New York City's corner groceries and neighborhood markets are what we foodies wish for in Honolulu -- just one would do. With places like Grace's, where fresh ingredients are sold alongside fresh prepared foods, there's no excuse for eating out. You can take it home and dine well.
Whole Foods
Time Warner Center, Columbus CircleBeautiful produce, stacked high for the picking; an expansive array of meats and seafood, some already breaded or seasoned for cooking; grocery items; and everything you could possibly want to shop for in the food arena is here at Whole Foods. It's also organic, a little healthier and perhaps a bit pricier. But you'll no doubt be tempted by an even larger area devoted to ready-to-eat foods -- salads, pastas, entrees, desserts -- that you can take on a picnic in Central Park just across the way. New York seems to be abuzz about Whole Foods, and for good reason.
(While you're at Whole Foods, wander upstairs in the Time Warner Center to Williams Sonoma, definitely twice, maybe three times as big as Honolulu's store. It's very organized and well stocked, a beauty of a store.)
Dean and DeLuca
Union Square Greenmarket
East 17th and BroadwayThe Union Square Greenmarket, open on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, is the place to go in Manhattan. A wide array of farmers are here with such items as bison, organic nitrate-free bacon, homemade sausages, meats, fish and, of course, fresh fruits and vegetables in season. Cato Corner Farm has delicious handcrafted cheeses; try the Abbey cheese. Fresh bread and pastry vendors are nearby. There's always a line at the egg vendor's booth. You can even buy hand-spun wool from neighboring sheep farms. A visit here makes you wish you had a place to cook while in New York.
Chelsea Market
Ninth Avenue between 15th and 16th streetsThis old building, site of a former Nabisco Factory, is a collection of stores that will inspire. You'll see sides of beef aging to perfection at Frank's Butcher Shop, or you can get fresh lobster, fish and other seafood -- plus sushi -- at the Lobster Place. Check out the Ronnybrook Farm Dairy for milk, yogurt, butter and ice cream. Pick up fresh produce from the Manhattan Fruit Exchange. Italian ingredients can be found at Buon Italia, and the Chelsea Wine Vault will no doubt help with wine pairings. Try Amy's Bakery, one of New York's best, for bread, and treat yourself to a brownie from Fat Witch Bakery. Just in case you need a pot or pan, Bowery Kitchen Supply is here, too.
Dean and DeLuca, above and below, is an emporium created for foodies, where shoppers are tempted to buy a half pound of this and that, as they peruse demonstration tables and counters stacked with cheeses, bread and pastry.
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Cookware and Gadgets
Cookware shops are a foodie's toy store, a place to discover more knives than will ever fit in your knife block, tart pans in every size imaginable and pots and pans of all shapes and sizes.
Bridge Kitchenware
214 East 52nd St., between Second and Third avenuesThis is where chefs shop: a floor-to-ceiling retail store filled with gadgets, cookware and utensils. This is not a pretty store; it's just full of things like wonderful copper cookware, white porcelainware, knives, special cutters, molds and tart pans -- everything imaginable for the cooking enthusiast or professional.
Broadway Panhandler
477 Broom St., SohoA wide selection of cookware, knives, kitchen tools and specialty items at good prices can be found at this Soho establishment that has been around for quite a while, attesting to its quality and dedication to culinarians.
Kitchen Arts and Letters
1435 Lexington Ave. between 93rd and 94th streetsThis is the ultimate cookbook store, devoted exclusively to food and wine. Cookbooks, food and wine guides, memoirs, historical books, kitchen design, antique references and all books food-related are found here, plus books from other countries. It's small but well stocked, the staff is knowledgeable and, yes, they do ship. If you've lost a cookbook or are in search of one that's out of print, they can probably find you a copy. You'll wish you'd never found this store when you see how many cookbooks you don't have.
Broadway Panhandler
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Dishes and more dishes
The hunt never ends for the perfect bowl for soup, ice cream, salad or berries. Department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel, Pearl River Mart and Takashimaya, to name a few, are worth a walk-through in search of tabletop accessories. But specialty shops all over the city, some disguised as gift shops or even museum shops, are especially worth checking out.
MacKenzie Childs
14 West 57th St. between Sixth and Seventh, MidtownRemember the fun, pastel-hued ceramic-and-glass dinnerware line that graced the shelves of Compleat Kitchen and Neiman Marcus in Honolulu? This whimsical, out-of-this-world store will make you smile as you browse the dinnerware and furniture collections amid the signature MacKenzie Childs ambience. A fun hour and unique purchases are to be experienced here.
MOMA Design Store
11 West 53rd St., MidtownThe Museum of Modern Art's gift shop features products of good design and practicality for contemporary living. Unique cookware pieces, classic and modern dinnerware and drinkware are made by artisans -- beautiful to look at and functional to use. This store and its catalog are always a treat.
Bardith
901 Madison Ave. at 72ndA floor-to-ceiling assortment of plates, tureens and platters of English porcelain can be found in this cozy store.
La Terrine
1024 Lexington at 73rdThis store is a good reason not to buy things abroad and carry them home. You can find bright ceramic dinnerware from France, Italy and Portugal in many designs right here.
Sara
952 Lexington Ave.This small shop features a fine selection of Japanese and American ceramic, glass and cast-iron accessories for the table. Browse for fun chopsticks, tea sets and other handcrafted items; the Shell Line ceramic dinnerware from Japan is particularly fetching.
Adrien Linford
927 Madison Ave.This gift store offers unique glass and ceramic items for the tabletop. Droll ceramic collectors will love it here, and there's lots of fun, one-of-a-kind artisanal service ware plus sculptural furniture, lamps, tables and other home furnishings.
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