Kitchen gadget freak here.

I've been told I should vist the kitchen supply stores in the Bowery for great prices on knives and other gadgets.

Would it be worth my time to take a drive to check out the stores?

Seetheworld: I have shopped the bowery area and visited restaurant supply stores , lighting, etc - it's great for ideas as well as purchases - if you are talking about kitchen / restaurant type supplies in general - but if you are talking about the Bowery Kitchen store ,(food network, etc) they are at Chelsea Market - I went once with a girlfriend who was specifically interested in kitchen/dishes/glasses - she was pleased with both - I remember then we found some google map that listed them all, but that was 3 yrs ago now....time flies ! I don't know how far you are from NYC, to say if it is worth the drive - I always like strolling in that whole area, most of the lighting in my house - when I did the renovation - I purchased in the Bowery area lighting stores -

http://www.bowerykitchens.com/storeinfo.html
( I can 'dream shop' on this site and get lost for too long)

http://www.thekitchn.com/ ( and has a good article on the Bowery kitchens)

escargot: Thanks for the response. Like you, I can get lost in a good kitchen supply store, lol. I've been to Chelsea Market and it was fun -- not exactly what I was expecting, but I had fun nonetheless. However, my son was telling me of the great deals he was getting on knives at some of the kitchen supply stores (many were Chinese). I think, now that summer vacation is upon me, I will meet my son in the city and go shopping. I'd like to help my youngest stock his kitchen for his birthday. And the oldest wants a cast iron skillet for his birthday, lol. Am I lucky or what??

Years ago when I was involved in a business that required commercial type kitchen supplies, I always shopped the Bowery. But that was for heavy duty type stuff. Don't recall that they had home style kitchen gadgets and the like.

Bowery-area stores have mostly restaurant-type supplies rather than home-cook gadgets. There are fewer stores since the Bowery is becoming a new hot area for nightlife and chic spots. If you decide to visit the area, you can't really go wrong, since there's so much to see and you are surrounded by the Village, the Lower East Side, Noho, Soho, Little Italy, and Chinatown.

I have purchased lots of stuff as restaurant supply stores, like wisks, rubber spatulas that have handles that don't break if you're working with a thick mixture, sheet pans...trying to remember the rest. I like those store so much better than the over priced kitchen stores. Of course I love to browse in them. I'd give it a shot seetheworld.

Mark Bittman recommended Bowery Restaurant Supply, 183 Bowery Street (Delancey Street) in his article about equipping a kitchen on a budget.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/09/di...mini.html?_r=1

The best store for the kitchen that was in New York was Bridge Kitcheware which moved to New Jersey. They uded to have a wall of knives including those designed by old man Bridge. He was a most disagreeable man but the store was often filled with professional chefs in their whites.

I have not been to the Jersy location but they do have a website.

http://www.bridgekitchenware.com/

The places on the Bowery are hit and miss for the home kitchen