JenMac
JenMac

Organic Restaurants - NYC

Good places in the city that have hormone, free range, grass fed, organic food? Besides Gustorganics on 6th and 14th and Pure Food and Wine on Irving Place what other restaurants actually prepare real food?
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
The farmer's market in Union Square is great to take home goodies - I don't know of any particularly famous farm-to-table restaurants in NYC though - nothing like Chez Panisse that I know of, though I've no doubt there are many less high-profile eateries
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
Candle Cafe, Candle 79 and Cafe Blossom ( which has an outpost in Chelsea) are three restaurants on the Upper East Side that serve organic cuisine. I have eaten at Candle 79 and didnt think much of it though its wildly popular with the swish set,
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JenMac
JenMac 2yrs+
Thanks ladies! I've been pretty careful about food in recent years; but, I just finally watched Food Inc. and it made me sick from every angle. Now, I'm going to be extra diligent and the more info the better!

@uptowngirl: what's the "swish" set?
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@JenMac I had the same Food Inc experience. Sadly, it wanes. I should probably watch it again. There are some good organic places on Union Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn - Rose Water, for one, and there is also a little Italian place that I've been meaning to try. Also try Sun In Bloom's Kitchen on Bergen. Do you know of any in the Williamsburg area? I'm trying to think of some in Bushwick - or just on the north-Northside in general, but can't come up with much.
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
A lot of times organic groceries will have sandwich counters, as well as prepared salads and pastas and whatnot. And is it just me, or does it seem like organic grocers are popping up on every corner?

Did you see the segment about Brooklyn Grange on NY1? If not, this is the place: http://brooklyngrangefarm.com/
It's not a restaurant, obviously, but it's kind of cool.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@JenMac the swish set i.e. the Ladies who lunch crowd. Candle 79 was way too expensive for me and the food was simply ok.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK the Brooklyn Grange sounds great but I think NYC has a lot of CSA programs-Community Supported Agriculture programs. Remember reading about one in Jackson Heights and found a link for one in Chelsea-
http://www.chelseacsa.org/
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
Brooklyn Grange sounds really awesome! I'll definitely check it out when I'm back in NYC. I've heard Candle 79 was pretty expensive, although a lot of places in this city are.
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
@uptowngirl You mean me? That's cool that there are so many community rooftop gardens! I actually didn't know...
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
A community rooftop garden is a great idea! A pity many rooftops are not really in use in plenty of pre-war co-op buildings!
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
What do you guys think about starting a community rooftop byob bar? I could go for one of those. It would have to be on a building where a bunch of drunken hipsters lived, though.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK LOL but we would be actually starting a new trend here and that's a good thing in a city like NYC..
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@BRoadwayBK But don't most places that house drunken hipsters already have community byob bars?
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
on the roof, though? I mean, there are house parties but you have to know someone, etc... I mean just a rooftop that you could hit up whenever you wanted.
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JenMac
JenMac 2yrs+
This is sorta back to the organic food thing but can I just say that I'm obsessed with Chop't. It's a little pricey, sure, but the salads are huge! And, everything is organic, free range, grass fed, etc. That place is awesome.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@everyone don't you just hate the fact that organic stuff is so much more expensive than regular stuff? really thank god for Trader Joe's organic milk, eggs and stuff or my grocery bill would be huge!
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@uptowngirl Yeah I can't resist the TJ's organic stuff and my grocery bill is pretty substantial compared to thers, but I just can't go cheap on food!
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
My roommates think I'm crazy for buying food that costs a little bit more than non-organic stuff - but I don't mind paying more for quality. One of the good things about living in Bushwick is that - in my neck of the woods, at least - when you do find organics in the grocery isles they are often on sale. When I'm out on a big grocery trip, though, I just head to the TJ's in BK.
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JenMac
JenMac 2yrs+
Trader Joe's is amazing! I don't even care that it's crowded. And, the wine shop? Get outta town!
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
My mama always said food is the one thing you can't go cheap on. If you want to save money, you can hold off buying new clothes, but you need to make sure your food is the best quality possible no matter what the price. I guess I go by that pretty much, and don't try to save at the grocery store.
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
Fair enough, @uraniumfish. If it goes into your body, it might as well be the healthiest, freshest stuff you can get!
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
I do mind that TJ's is always crowded - it's the one reason why I always put off going there. The line moves really fast, I don't mind standing in it, but when I'm actually shopping I hate having to maneuver around the line and all the other shoppers. Shopping there is really hard work.
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DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
The TJ's in Manhattan is stressful because the aisles are so narrow you can hardly get through. But the Brooklyn location is a lot better. Even when it's crowded you can still make your way around with a shopping cart okay.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@DBLack I love TJs and dont really want to go elsewhere to shop but I hate when folks yak on their phones and block the narrow aisles at the 14th street location.. what is so important that can't wait until after you have finished your grocery shopping?
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JenMac
JenMac 2yrs+
What about the new Chelsea Tj's? Anyone popped in there yet?
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@JenMac not really convenient for me as I am an East Side dweller though I must say my friends who live on the West Side are very happy but they are bound to be ecstatic when the TJ's opens on 72nd and Broadway in the fall..maybe that store will work for me as well..bet all these openings will reduce the stress on the 14th street location which has ridiculous lines outside the store on the weekends.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@Everybody I think I've mentioned Trader Joe's owner, one of two billionaire brothers from Germany. Apparently he is now dead:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100728/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_germany_obit_albrecht
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish may he rest in peace- His legacy will live on at TJ's and the many Aldi stores in Europe.. so thankful for them..
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish you will not believe the craze for oragnic groceries in China and the prices!!!! they are astronomical.. $20 US for a kg of chicen.. how I miss TJs...
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@uptowngirl Yea, the Aldi brothers did do something important, which was to make decent quality food available to even poor people. Those Aldi stores in Germany are a real lifeline for a big swath of the population.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
What! I didn't even know there was a new TJ's in Chelsea. Apparently I am not only living under the J train, but a rock as well.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
The Chelsea TJ's is open already? I knew it was coming but that seemed so fast...
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JenMac
JenMac 2yrs+
I'm moving to the west side so I am pretty darn excited for the Chelsea angel.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish at the height of the recession the sales of Aldi and Lidl went through the roof in London as almost everyone began to do their shopping there. Even my sis in law who only ever shops at pricey Waitrose moved to Aldi and boy was I shocked for this is someone who when she lived in NYC used to do all her shopping at Grace's Market Place on the Upper East Side which is a tony gourmet store in the 60's.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@DBlack I can appreciate the extra aisle space at the Brooklyn TJ's, but I'm not sure I would say it was less crowded in shopping population.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@BroadwayBk will the opening of the fourth TJs on the UWS later this year help I wonder?
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
I think having more TJ's in the city will definitely relieve the stress on some of the stores - but it seems like that one on 14th is always full of NYU kids and will always be crowded as long as they are around. Now that I think of it, I can't really think of any store that stays as busy as Trader Joe's, which seems packed night and day, 7 days a week. Maybe the Union Square Whole Foods?
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@NeverSleeps Union Square Whole Foods is also super packed and they don't have nearly the same kind of efficiency in the check out section,it seems.
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish You think so? I actually prefer waiting at Whole Foods, and I like how most of the checkout floor is dedicated to the line and the registers. That way you don't have to wind all the way around the store and the line for checkout doesn't take up any aisles.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@NeverSleeps I guess that's a good point. At TJ's I can just get in line the minute I arrive and shop while waiting in line, since it winds all through the store. A bit much. Maybe the perception about Whole Foods not being as efficient just has to do with having had a couple of excruciating experiences waiting in line there at peak hours. What I had to go through for some dried fruit!
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
The Whole Foods at Houston is way way better on this point, by the way, and I looove the upstairs eating area. I also love the upstairs cosmetics and supplements section, though I don't shop there nearly as much as I should.
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
I love love love the Whole Foods takeout at Columbus Circle. My grandma and I go there lots! The nearby Morton Williams also has good takeout - less healthy, but cheaper.
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DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK But at the Trader Joe's at Union Square, you can barely make your way through the aisles. The one in Brooklyn is often teeming too, but I've never had trouble moving around in it.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@Everyone the trick is to visit TJ's at Union Square on a Wednesday morning that's when the store is the least crowded.. the staff let me in on this secret now that's the only time I ever go there but then I work from home and can adjust my schedule to meet my grocery needs.. I am hoping the 72nd and Broadway store makes things easier for me somehow..
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish Getting in line right when you enter TJ's is a great idea - but don't you miss out on some stuff? The frozen food aisle with all the chocolate treats on the shelf above, perhaps?

@uptowngirl That's interesting - I wonder why Wednesday in particular is the slowest morning.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@NeverSleeps the reason they gave me was that shoppers eschewed the store in favor of the Union Square Green Market on Wednesdays.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@DBlack The aisles are wider at the BK TJ's - but it's not like they are grocery cart friendly. I'm a driver, I'm totally spoiled when it comes to grocery store shopping. But I don't really like to get a lot of stuff at TJ's because it's such a pain to maneuver around with too many groceries.
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