Citarella

10/13/2003 Posted by jeep4x4enthusiast

I've read so many, many great things about this market, that I made shopping here a planned part of my planned weekend daytrips thru the city. The employees are extremely snotty. The prices are astronomical for what you get, and what can be gotten other places in the city with comparable quality. And despite popular belief, the quality is not as advertised. I've gotten fresher food items from whole foods, dean & deluca, Russ & Daughters, and depending on what neighborhood you shop A&P, and Pathmark. Only shop here for items you can't find elsewhere, they do have a variety of things hard to find. Otherwise, I'm so so very very dissapointed.

Pros: Hard to find items

Cons: Quality, Prices, Service

09/18/2003 Posted by nycritic00

then spend it here. fresh seafood is good, but they're not perfect. saw some 'fresh' fish where eyes were cloudy, I asked dumb Q? 'how fresh is it', they just gave me a stare & wiseacre answer, a bit snooty, I was testing their reply, they should know better than to display this, all nicely covered in ice. but to pay 16.99/lb for fish when there are nice korean/chinese seafood sellers that will do you justice. I had their prepared foods, fried fish & fried shrimp were dry & not so good tasting. crab & shrimp salads were so so. also, if not a regular, they have little patience in answering Q?'s. SUM IT: I think it's over-rated but who am I but one opinion? they're making a fortune! so go ahead spend your money, you're bound to get something good.

Pros: mostly freshness, teat regulars well

Cons: price, can be bit snooty

09/08/2003 Posted by ingvor

Citarella, my savior!! I have the best of two worlds, Citarella across the street from work on the upper west side and 2 blocks from where I live on the upper est side! The quality is superior to any other store in New York City. All our birthday cakes come from there (45 cakes+ a year). After shopping at Citarella, there is no going back to shop at a "regular" store again. For the high quality of all their foods, the pricing is very fair.

Pros: high quality , freshness, excellent service

Cons: ?, ?, ?

01/05/2003 Posted by PigOutNYC

If you care about the quality of food you eat, there isn't a place to go. Citarella is premium quality, but its real stand-outs are fish (best in nyc that I know of), bread, and produce. The butcher is quite good, although there are better butchers on the upper east side, such as Albert's and Lobel's. I actually have no issues with the prices at Citarella. Sure, it's more expensive than a grocery store, but it's also ten times the quality, and if you know anything about cooking you will spend about 1/3 at Citarella what you would in a nice restaurant for a good meal. And if you don't know how to cook, there are plenty of great prepared foods from which to choose. The service is good, although when it gets crowded they get a little tempermental with you if you don't know what you want right away.

Pros: Top quality food, Convenient location, Huge selection

Cons: Crowded; long lines, Staff a bit moody

12/18/2002 Posted by kflam

A culinary dream! Although pricey - and sometimes the lines can get waaaay out of hand (Avoid holidays and Saturdays), the selection and quality make up for it. The fresh pasta, prepared foods, FISH DEPARTMENT (one of the best in the WORLD), meat department (also excellent IF you are a regular and get to know the butchers), plus a decent array of imported and domestic cheeses. The cakes and pastries are delicious, too. Again - bring lots of cash (or credit cards) and be prepared to wait if it is crowded.

Pros: Fresh Produce, Delicious Foods, Fish Department

Cons: Pricey, Long Lines, Crowds

10/19/2002 Posted by Danieljay

Nice store but expensive but not as ridiculous as Eli's Manhattan or Dean & Deluca

Pros: nice seafood

Cons: expensive, expensive, expensive