Foodcellar & co. Market - 4-85 47th Road, Long Island City NY 11101718.606.9786
7 Train to Vernon Blvd/Jackson Avenue
www.foodcellarco.com
In preparation for my big Super Bowl dish, the homemade Mac n' Cheese, I stopped at LIC's newest and poshest supermarket, Foodcellar & co. Vicky and Eric told me about it a while back and mentioned how nice it was. Eric also said that the Foodcellar boasted an impressive cheese selection and a knowledgeable staff. Needless to say, I was looking forward to checking it out.
Overall Experience:
I was impressed right off the bat, when I saw how large this place was. It very much reminded me of Whole Foods, as it had a neat, organic feel. All the produce was beautifully organized and there were tons of specialty food items in every aisle. While the prices were high, they weren't exorbitant and you could always find a less expensive option for each item.
Specialties:
The cheese counter was as bountiful as I expected, displaying a variety of domestic and international fresh cheeses. Specifically searching for Fontina for my mac', the helpful cheese consultant chose a beautiful piece of "Fontal" for me. He told me the history behind it and said that it was a version of Fontina that was good for melting. I didn't want the large pre-cut piece so he happily accommodated me with a smaller one for the price that I was willing to spend. What great service!
The bakery and deli counter were also nice and featured premium products. The bread drew me in especially, as I consider myself to be a bread "freak." There were several versions of boule, including sourdough, whole wheat and white. They looked fresh, crusty and cost a mere $2.50 per loaf. Not too bad, but the only inconvenience was that they didn't have a bread slicer in-house.
As for the deli counter, it provided good service and wonderful products at moderate prices. I bought a 1/4 lb of pancetta for my Mac n' Cheese, which only set me back about $2.80--and it was good quality pancetta.
Try this place and let me know what you think. I'd recommend it if you have something specific in mind, not for routine food shopping because that could get expensive.
mm cheese. were they giving out samples at the bakery/cheese counter when you went? meant to ask...
ReplyDeleteYes, they were giving out cheese samples. I tried a Spanish sheep's milk cheese, which was yummy. I was going to buy it too but then I had a lot of cheeses already in my basket (fontal, cheddar, muzz).
ReplyDeleteNice review... and equally nice superbowl spread. I like the Food Cellar but I agree with you- good for something specific but not for every day shopping. They definitely specialize in organic products- you won't find Cocoa Puffs there- although I searched high and low for them...
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wow. I couldn't disagree with you more. I live in the building across from this foodcellar and consistently been disappointed by the service and the selection. Once, I almost got conned into buying a $30 box of food coloring. It was the only choice they had. Their cheese section is good, but their bread is horrible! It's always puzzled me because they have that awesome antipasti bar. The french bread is stale and soft. The crumb is dull. The boule lasts a day and a half tops and I'm pretty sure it's a frozen dough.
ReplyDeleteSorry you feel that way anon - my experience was positive but I could see your frustration if that's the only supermarket around you. But like I said, it's good for specialty items, not really for basic products that you could get in Key Food for example.
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