My wife and I will be visiting friends in New York close to Christmas (staying at the Waldorf), and are needing to find a grocery relatively close to that area to pick up items for our Christmas dinner (we're preparing prime rib ... we'll have the meat ahead of time but sides and all will be needed).

I've googled quite a bit today but haven't been able to find much information beyond names. Looking for some help from the great NYers that post here.

Thanks!

Food Emporium @ 51st & 2nd.

Silly me, I forgot to mention I'm aware of the Whole Foods at Columbus Circle but was looking for other options.

Thanks, nstevey. I appreciate your sharing of local knowledge!

The Food Emporium is probably the closest to the Waldorf, but there are lots of delis and take out spots on Lex Ave in the 50's.

There are several Pathmarks in Manhattan, but none close to you, (Chinatown, 125th, 145th, 187th) which are the largest supermarkets in the city.

You might want to try Chelsea Market, and even the Farmer's market at Union Square for fresh veggies.

Have a GREAT time while you are here.

For expensive but fine quality try Eli's, Citerella's or Grace's.

For the most expensive butcher in the creation of man try Lobel's.

There is also a very good market in Grand Central Stattion.

I like the Chelsea Market but that is inconvenient for someone on the Eastside in the 50's.

My friend used to live in Midtown East, and the Amish Market on 45th b/t 2nd and 3rd was her best friend in a relatively grocery impoverished area. The name is misleading - it's really an upscale gourmet market that carries a broad selection meats and cheeses, many specialty ethnic and regional ingredients, and pretty good produce.

http://www.amishfinefood.com/indexx.php

The Food Emporium at 50th and 2nd will be your best bet for more sundry grocery ingredients.

Actually, I think a more useful question is where your friends live. Rather than shopping close to your hotel, you might want to consider shopping close to their home. There are a lot of grocery stores in Manhattan. I'm assuming you are preparing the dinner at their home and not in the hotel. Another option is to shop online and simply have all that you need delivered to their home/apartment.

If they live in NYC, you can order from Fresh Direct and have everything delivered at one time, and the price is no higher (and sometimes lower) than the food at grocery stores in Manhattan. Also, they have good prepared foods that can just be heated up.

Fresh Direct is king.

Keep in mind there's a minimum, a delivery fee and a delivery time window and the delivery person tip (they all tell me the wealthier the customer, the less the tip. Park avenue cheapsters.)

http://www.freshdirect.com/help/delivery_info.jsp

Thanks everyone.

Doug, our friends live in Albany but have a suite at the Benjamin and will be preparing dinner there - that's the main reason I was searching for a grocery in the low 50s eastside.

Thanks again everyone - you all are the best.

Another vote for Fresh Direct ... MUCH better prices than Food Emporium . . . .

Did the Food Emporium at 8th and W 54th use to be an A&P? I shopped there for the makings of a Thanksgiving dinner one year. The shopping experience was very interesting. Very narrow aisles and kamikaze shopping cart drivers. We had the groceries delivered to the apartment and that was a cool novelty for me. Actually, the NYC shopping experience was a fun memory for me, although it sounds like the experts know the best way (Fresh Direct).

I don't remember about this particular Food Emporium, but that and A&P are owned by the same company, and A&P changed all of their Manhattan stores to become Food Emporiums a few years ago.

When was the last time Fresh Direct delivered to the Waldorf?

Aduchamps - it was last month when brangelina was (were?) living there . . .

I love The Amish Market on 45th between 2nd and 3rd. Excellent produce, large selection of cheeses.

They're not Amish either, that's just the name. It's a permanent store not a farmer's market type set up.