Gourmet Stores For Actual Gourmets

An almost unknown specialty store catering to the restaurant trade, SOS Chefs has by far the largest and best selection of truffles to be found in any retail outlet in New York.

New York has more than its share of great cheese shops, but it would be hard not to say that Murray's is the biggest and the best. Happily, its Bleecker street location right down the block from Faicco's makes a natural shopping trip.

The great New York market, Fairway has locations all around town, but they all have huge inventories, good prices, world-class olive oils, and probably the best retail meat program I've ever seen.

Known best for its preeminent fish selection, Citarella has evolved over the years into one of the city's great gourmet markets without ever losing its seafood focus.

Maddeingingly crowded as it is, Zabar's is still in many ways the final word for Jewish specialty foods: their chopped liver, lox, and gefilte fish are nonpareil, and the rugelach is the best to be found anywhere. Still, try not to go on a weekend.

The Eataly of Greek food, this Astoria market is the final word in feta, olives, and so many other Greek specialties. Once you've gone, you'll never eat supermarket feta again.

The city's premiere importer of Spanish food is, naturally, best known for its hams and cheeses by the pound -- but the wise man will go there and get sandwiches, which they make exceedingly well.

This place is a fine kitchen store that happens to have one of the best butcher shops in NYC, The Meat Hook, inside it. The pork and beef are of varying quality but look out for the incredible specialty sausages, which are truly unique.

Hands down, this is the greatest gourmet market New York has ever seen. Its restaurants aside, the meat counter, the cheese and salumi sections, and the vast pasta selection put the place in a class all its own.