The Grocery Diaries

Union Square Whole Foods, 2:08 p.m. on a Thursday

The Food Broker, age 34 This guy didn’t give his name because he was shopping during work hours and was afraid he’d get in trouble at work. He shops night by night exclusively at either Whole Foods or Fairway. Being a broker for Amy’s frozen foods line, he told us that sales over the last two years have been rising, which he attributes to people staying in to eat—but still being busy.

Janel, age 29 Janel was out shopping for some of the basics (chicken, granola, cereal) to keep her pantry stocked. For the more essential cooking items—like spices and oils—she sticks to the smaller, cheaper grocery stores near her home in Brooklyn. In general, she says she shops day-today for most meals.

The Meat Maven, age 28 This female shopper didn’t want her name used because she was playing hooky from work to buy some high-quality meats. When she’s actually off the clock, she purchases vegetables and other kitchen essentials in Greenpoint stores near where she lives.

Priscilla, age 23 This young gal is originally from the U.K. and before moving to the States, she was shopping at the pricey Marks & Spencer in London, where she says she often bought prepared meals. Now, she’s doing the same here as was evidenced by the sushi rolls in her cart. Priscilla is unemployed and admits she should start cooking to save money, but such a solid selection of prepared foods makes that tricky. ------

West 26th Street Gristedes, 6:17 p.m. on a Monday

Merrick L., age 34 We caught this guy buying everything he needed to cook a meal that evening for a new “friend” coming over. “I don’t have any pots or pans,” he admitted, so that explained why he had aluminum pans and even a large serving spatula. He was just beginning to fill his cart with actual food. He was planning on going simple yet hearty: root vegetables like carrots, turnips and potatoes (to be roasted in that throwaway pan) and a couple of thick steaks. Merrick told us he has “some cans of Coke Zero and some bottled water” in his fridge. “Oh, and I guess condiments like mustard and stuff.”

Dwayne, age 27 A six pack of Corona was about all we could find this guy getting. But he says he stops in here at this place whenever he wants some cheese or something else and doesn’t feel like heading over to the Whole Foods a few blocks away.

Maryann T., age unknown This lady didn’t want to give her age but she would tell us that she doesn’t mind getting her staples here—lettuce, tomatoes (when they aren’t so expensive), English muffins—but prefers the farmer’s market when she has the time. We also noticed Oreos and a pint of Haagen-Dazs, but who’s judging? ------

Murray Hill Food Emporium, 3:15 p.m. on a Thursday

Ilana H., age 38 She grocery shops twice a week and considers herself a “half-and-half shopper” in that half her grocery shopping is for dinner ingredients and the other half is for groceries. We found her at the Murray Hill grocery store picking up dinner items—broccolini, chicken and sweet potatoes— and checking out the store’s sale and seasonal items. She normally shops closer to her home in Harlem, but happened to be in the area, and splits her grocery shopping between grocery stores and farmer’s markets.

John G., age 44 He says he is a staple shopper who lives alone and rarely makes dinners, preferring foods like English muffins with peanut butter or making large batches of pasta to freeze and eat throughout the week, which is what we found him buying on this sunny afternoon. He lives in the neighborhood and grocery shops for a week (or a few days) at a time. He rarely strays from his shopping list, and splits his shopping between grocery stores and veggie carts on the street.

Victoria Z., age 24 She says moving to Manhattan from Brooklyn made her a meal shopper. She goes to the grocery store three or four times a week to buy dinner or lunch ingredients because shorter distances to stores makes it more convenient. She prefers shopping at markets, but we found her at the Food Emporium purchasing chicken and ingredients for a butternut squash risotto— a new recipe she was attempting for dinner. ------

Union Square Trader Joe’s, 2:30 on a Thursday

Brian, age 27 He only food shops every once and a while, and when he does, it’s usually for that night’s dinner. We found him in the line of Trader Joe’s, getting a cup of fruit. Although he claims to be a big fan of TJ, he says he usually visits the one closer to his home in Brooklyn. He works for an SAT prep company and today we found him picking up some stuff for his lunch.

Middle-Aged Nurse Practitioner, age unknown This nice lady didn’t want to give her name (or age), but says she shops one to two meals at a time and loves Trader Joe’s. But she said she doesn’t usually get to shop there because she lives on the Upper East Side. She still manages to make the trek because her local grocery stores just don’t satisfy her urges.

Melissa, age 27 This Columbia University student says she makes the trek downtown and braves the infamously long line to pick up some choice items like edamame, fresh produce, meats and flowers. For everything else she saves herself some time by shopping Uptown. ------

West Harlem Fairway, 9:15 a.m. on a Sunday

Patrick D., age 36 In the hand-held basket we found: a Latinstyle rotisserie chicken for dinner that night, plus the two sides that accompany. He says he usually picks up a can of diced tomatoes and a box of chicken stock every time he goes shopping just so he’ll have it on hand. He was also buying cans of Progresso soup (on sale), a bundle of asparagus and a head of broccoli and a bag of new potatoes (appox. 1-lb.). “I end up eating fresh salsa a lot when I get home from work and, like, Fairway’s the best,” he tells us. This was a collection of stuff for that night’s meal and whenever it came in handy.

Melinda M., age 29 She claims to go grocery shopping once a week and spends about $200 each time. “I don’t really go out too much since I live up here,” she explains. But the large basket was filled the way we remember Mom doing as a kid: boxes of cereal, loaves of bread, deli meats, cans of sauces and beans. Several six-packs of Dr. Brown’s Diet Root Beer were precariously close to falling. She doesn’t have a car, so she pays the $5 to have it delivered to her apartment.

Contributors: Jordan Galloway, Molly Garcia, Henry Melcher, Mike Spence