Gourmet Food Shopping on the Upper West Side

There are many choices of gourmet shops in New York City. As a tourist or new person to the neighborhood of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the vast choices can be overwhelming on where to get good quality gourmet food. Here is my introduction to you to the world of gourmet shopping in Manhattan. You begin this neighborhood tour on the 1 train that takes you anywhere you need to go on the Upper West Side.

I am going to be your tour guide for this train tour and point out the highlights of four stores. As you go along on this tour I will point out how affordable these stores can be if you learn how to shop wisely and be on the look out for these shop’s specials, reduced items and sales.

Your first stop on the train is Columbus Circle. Your tour starts at the very tip of the Upper West Side at Whole Foods. This store is located at the Time Warner Center in the Mall’s basement. This is a huge store where you can choose from a great selection of fresh, frozen or canned organic gourmet food products. Whole Foods sells name brand organic items and offers their own discounted store brand alternative called 365. This store also runs weekly specials on many of these items. For your quick meal options you can choose from the following selection: taste Indian food, taste many types of desserts from their dessert bar, choose from several choices of fresh soup, eat at their big fresh salad bar, buy fresh sushi, eat a sandwich, buy homemade pizza, and there even is a craving station for fresh turkey with home style sides plus many additional food choices. This store often puts food samples out during lunchtime to give their customers a small taste before making their decision on Whole Food vast food selection. You can ask for a taste of any item from the deli before purchasing.