Fresh Direct: My Answer to Grocery Chain Hell?

One of the things I hate about city living is food shopping. This, coming from someone who loved to go as a little girl. I loved watching the live lobsters in the tank, loved getting a free slice of cheese from man behind the deli counter, loved riding on the back of the shopping cart, adding in my own additions. Yet Manhattan grocery chains have come very close to squashing any fond associations I share with food shopping.

If you find my disdain surprising, you're not the only one; it caught me off-guard as well. I assumed that, seeing as Manhattan has the best of pretty much everything, that would naturally be the case for groceries as well--and why shouldn't it? With a quarter of its land in farms, New York ranks among the top five states for agricultural products such as dairy, apples, cherries, potatoes, onions, and maple syrup. It has an array of orchards and vineyards, and a moderately- sized fishery off the coast of Long Island. (Fun fact: It is also the largest producer of cabbage in the U.S). And since Manhattan has some of the best restaurants in the world, one would reasonably assume the food shopping would be pretty damn good.

Well, I'll be the first to tell you that's simply not the case. There are literally five food chains within a 30-foot radius of my apartment: A Food Emporium on my block, two Gristedes within one block, and two D'Agostino's within four; and, interestingly enough, the quality of the stores seems to improve the farther they emanate from my locale. For some inexplicable reason, the food shopping near me is simply dreadful, and I inevitably leave the Food Emporium feeling pissed off and ripped off every time.

Why? The selection is incredibly limited and understocked. On one trip, Gus found himself staring blank-faced at the former bananas section, which had been replaced with tons of pineapples--not a single banana to be found. One time when I simply wanted a few salad items, I found the produce section bereft of lettuce, spinach, broccoli, AND cucumbers. Even when they do the usual thing and stock produce, it's not much better. The quality is extremely poor--the fruit is always small, shriveled, and/or brusied; the only food that looks halfway decent is organic and thus usually compromised by the price tag.

Aside from the fresh food, the supermarkets are cramped, poorly organized, and extremely inconvenient. The store is probably less than 600 square feet and I can't tell you how many times I've weaved in and out of those tiny aisles trying to find something as simple as olive oil. It has the effect of making one feel like a mouse in a maze: confused and crazed, with the sneaking suspicion that someone is playing a cruel joke.

Now, don't get me wrong. I know Manhattan has many nice farmer's markets and independently owned natural/organic/gourmet stores. But the simple fact is that the chains are more convenient (who can lug 10 bags around the city?) and usually less expensive. How much it actually saves, I'm not so sure; and sometimes I question if the few extra bucks is worth the pain (because I know for sure every trip takes 5 minutes off my life).In an effort to save this post from being one long rant, here comes the silver lining: Fresh Direct.

Based in Long Island city, Fresh Direct is an online food service that allows people to shop for fresh produce and groceries from the convenience of their homes, and, as you might predict, is enormously popular in NYC. Within one or two days--you get to pick the date and two-hour delivery window--they deliver your purchases to your door for a small fee (usually around $5). Fresh Direct prides itself on the quality of their products and competitive prices; the food comes directly from farms, dairies and fisheries and is stored in their state-of-the-art refrigerated facility.

Now, Gus and I are a little behind the curve--this is probably a service we should have taken advantage of long ago. But last night, we finally tried it out. And it was a dream. The site is extremely well-organized and easy to use, providing thumbnails of the food, nutritional information, and options to compare similar brands and related products. You can search by brand, price, and other considerations, like organic, local, or kosher. They even have a bakery, recipe section, and weekly specials. While I don't think the savings are enormous, I did happen to notice that, in most cases, the products were slightly cheaper than what we'd pay at the Food Emporium. (We got a great deal on yogurt! Six for less than $4). This, combined with the vast selection and convenience, certainly seems like a promising solution to my grocery shopping woes. I'll report back once the food is delivered.

(I just hope one day we don't turn into this...)