Watching the Markets: Grand Central

posted in: Markets | 12


sweet dolci spreads at Bella Cucina

Last Tuesday, I was inspired. I don’t mean that I had rushed home with a fresh purchase of groceries and a spontaneous, must-make-tonight, dish idea. Or that I was struck with an urge to expound upon any national cuisine, penny-pinching technique, or environmental cause. No: I had just roamed the gourmet, European-style food hall in Grand Central Terminal, and the beauty of it was still sinking in. I was in food shopper’s bliss.

If atmosphere is crucial to the restaurant experience, it holds equally true of the shopping experience for the home chef. That, perhaps paired with convenience. Incidentally, at the bottom of the food market hierarchy in New York are those stores called “convenience,” or better yet, bodegas. These chalk up a hierarchy of their own, with stock ranging from the basest order of empty calories to ripe, fetching produce and ethnic delicacies. Then there are the supermarkets, which — while large and thus more convenient — are almost always teeming with carts and bodies like a bumper-car ring, and often feature winding, snakelike lines for the cashier that require hand-held signs and several employees.

This is generally not so for many of the ethnic street markets throughout the five boroughs, or the plentiful Farmers’ Markets — though they suffer from congestion and other inconveniences in their own unique ways. I hope to elaborate on the character of many different food markets by focusing on them one at a time in this blog. If you have any recommendations, just send them my way. For now though, why don’t we start at the tippy top: The mini hub of carefully curated specialty food retailers, the Grand Central Market.

I had perused this market countless times before, having used to work nearby and taking the 4 and 5 trains in and out of Manhattan each day. My eyeballs would grow so limp with longing that I’d buy the occasional really good cheddar at Murray’s Cheese, or a fine cut of meat or seafood on a whim, but it was always with cautious frugality. So I was honored to have the opportunity to throw all that to the wind last week, when I was invited to the market’s Fall Harvest Tasting Event.

As you’ll see scrolling down the photo essay below, I was not the only food blogger who took advantage of the event. But was I “eating out,” as a few of them asked? Well, even though there were plates full of prepared snacks, Grand Central Market is still just that — a collection of butchers, bakers, fishmongers, chocolatiers, etc. It’s just elevated to a level of refinement that makes it difficult to recognize it as such at times.


we all got a lesson in classic German canapes from Koglin German Hams


my favorite one being these Specialitäten aus Deutschland: pumpernickel squares spread with velvety, fresh ham fat mixed with hunks of ham hocks


I am so very pro-antipasti after sampling this tray from Ceriello Fine Foods


just a giant roll of Italian sausage behind the counter of Ceriello Fine Foods


I would be happy working around Li-Lac Chocolates, too


… wait, please — don’t speak. You’re ruining the memory for me (of the Alaskan salmon roe with crème fraiche on mini crepes at Wild Edibles)


flashy-lookin’ fishies, also at Wild Edibles


Ann of A Chicken in Every Granny Cart, not toting a granny cart, but her boyfriend Isaac


over at Murray’s Cheese, Jon Wright, president of the Vermont Cheese Council, was on duty to answer questions about “Vermont’s finest” other dairy product


Molly of Slow Cooked and Luisa, The Wednesday Chef


Zaro’s Bread Basket handed out free bags of bread to anyone who cared to carry them home


while their tarts and pastries were cut to bite-sized morsels


Greenwich Produce: a palette of color for the palate


the Feisty Foodie Yvo (here with a friend) has plenty of commentary on the night’s offerings at her blog as well


Dishes at Home showed off their prepared-food prowess with a sampling of crispy chicken skewers, goat cheese quiche and black bean cakes


Grande Harvest Wines kept the Pinot Grigio and Merlot flowing


one of Bella Cucina‘s several offerings, these aromatic spice blends


and in a true measure of hospitality, Penzey’s Spices (yes, just a spice retailer), baked these wickedly flavorful “snickerdoodle” loaf slices

I failed to photograph (well, at least) the fine offerings provided by Corrado Bread & Pastry, Oren’s Daily Roast and Pescatore Seafood Company, but you can be sure that they were fabulous. I am so grateful to everyone at the Grand Central Market to have been treated to this fancy free-for-all. It not only filled my tastebuds with resounding glee, but reminded me of the importance of the market. Now, if only every shopping trip were also free.

12 Responses

  1. deb
    |

    I guess I missed a good event, huh? I should work on reading invites I get, and not just automatically treating them like spam. This looks like it was so much fun! Li-Lac is my absolute favorite…

  2. Yvo
    |

    HAHA I guess I wasn’t the only one to ask you if you were eating out! That um, explains the blank look you gave me- I thought maybe I’d offended you, but I guess I just bored you 😉
    It was great fun and a total blast to meet you! I see you did a much better job than I of hunting out the food bloggers though…

  3. OhioMom
    |

    We had our farmers market Harvest Festival last Saturday also. The Coit Road Market is a 75 year old market, that I absolutely love. My daughter is a vendor there, she makes handmade chocolate.

    The food demos were the best, we had one on homemade ravioli that made me think about you 🙂

  4. Ann
    |

    Ack! I missed it! I love that market! I’m always asking Jack to grab something from it on his way home… Looks like you had a great time.

  5. molly
    |

    So great to meet you! Yum, your pictures are making me hungry all over again…

  6. ann
    |

    lol, I love it! not toting a granny cart, teehee, but an Isaac. It really was a fun event! I’m so sorry we ran out without saying goodbye, but it suddenly hit us that we’d had way more wine than was recommended for an hour and a half subway ride home!

  7. Susan in Italy
    |

    What a beautiful show and how great to meet so many other food bloggers.

  8. Amanda
    |

    When I visited NYC for the first time, I wandered through this area and was so giddy, I felt like such a dork. It’s so fun to see all the little treats spread out… this post reminded me of my excitement 🙂

  9. Sarah
    |

    How did you find out about this event? So sad that I didn’t know about it :(. Looks like a great time!
    Have you explored Chelsea Market, yet? I am in love with it.

  10. danny
    |

    where exactly is it in GC?

  11. cathy
    |

    Hi Danny: the market’s located to the East of the Main Concourse, facing Lexington Ave.
    Sarah: it was fun! And unfortunately, it was invite-only, though. I guess I end up on a lot of mailing lists.

  12. FlepyFunciee
    |

    Do you know any more about that? I’td be cool to have more details

Leave a Reply