Do you recommend Fresh Direct?

c-town c-town c-town

kosherdave wrote: I use it all the time. Just check item by item against the slip the give you to be sure they did not forget anything/. 9 out of 10 times they forget at least one minor thing, but I shoot them an email and get credited with no questions asked. Plus, why would I want to schlep my groceries up 5 flights when I can pay someone else to do it for me!

Definitely do a search of the boards... this discussion has been rehashed many, many, many times.

That said, I'm always happy to rehash once more! I love FreshDirect - has changed my life immeasurably. I agree with Dave - they occaisionally mix up some stuff. My god - I just checked my account and realized I've ordered from them nearly 80 times....$9000 worth of food!

Of those 80 orders, though, only three or so have had items left out, broken, or damaged. More frequent is the random addition to the order -- such as the time we received 10 large cans of clam chowder -- although these aren't charged to your account and are essentially freebies.

Welcome to the neighborhood! Don't let the strollers get you down. Just remember that they're more afraid of you than you are of them.:P

Fresh Direct is awesome for heavy shit that you don't want to lug home, such as cat litter, cases of water or other beverages, wine, laundry detergent, any canned items, etc. The produce is ok- on the whole better than most supermarkets, but not as good as the greenmarket or fancy stores like Union Market. Their meats and fish are also of similar quality- better than supermarkets, but not as good as actual specialty shops. One thing I'd advise against getting from Fresh Direct is deli meats, unless you like them cut really thick. Even the thinnest slicing selection doesn't compare to what you get at a supermarket deli or a real deli (I'd stick to Russo's or A&S for that stuff if you live in PS). The cheese selection at Fresh Direct is also quite good- better than many gourmet stores, but not as good as a real cheese shop like Murrays, for instance. And of course, bagels should only be purchased from Bagel Hole or Terrace Bagels. You should also check out Bierkraft- they have a lot of great gourmet food items besides beer.

A lot of this also depends on where you work. If you work near Chinatown, Union Square, or Chelsea Market, that would impact where you shop dramatically, because I'd think you'd do a lot of shopping near work on your way home in that case.

brooklynpotter wrote: and if there were a trader joes in the neighborhood all would be good. (because the thought of schlepping albeit cheap bags of frozen raspberries and edamame from union square isn't all that appetizing)

There'll be a Whole Foods soon. They'll have all that stuff.

If you can get to Red Hook, I'd go to Fairway. I used to order from Fresh Direct, but felt a little guilty about all the packaging and the increased traffic. C-Town on 9th St. is decent, as well as the Key Food on 5th Ave. Rossman's is a good 24hr produce place on 3rd Ave. and 18th?

Subject: Re: Chowder

mtzmtz wrote: [quote=8thandPrez]More frequent is the random addition to the order -- such as the time we received 10 large cans of clam chowder -- although these aren't charged to your account and are essentially freebies.

I've been wondering where my chowder went.

Use FD all the time, great job. Call if running late. No-questions-asked credits. Produce & meat is typically better than Key Foods. Go for it.

New England or Manhattan? And if New England, how was it? And if good, what was the brand? I've never had a decent canned NE clam chower, but I'd be thrilled if one existed...

Subject: Re: Do you recommend Fresh Direct?

coco wrote: Key Foods is so smelly and the cashiers are almost amusing to me now, Union Market is limited, and I'm too busy to work at the Food Coop. What about Fresh Direct? I see the trucks around PS often. I'm new to this life style here and still trying to figure it all out. Everything here seems like a a chore! And is there some rule of etiquette with the nannies in this town? I got the look of death by two of them pushing double strollers. I guess because they thought they had the right of way when I stopped for a second in front of them and then passed them or something. It's happened a few times. I have no clue. What else am I supposed to know about PS norms? I can see how this town wears people down. I stopped being courteous and gracious. It only makes me look stupid. Ugh.

The Key Food on 7th Avenue is the most expensive in the world, they have skimpy inventory and they sell brown lettuce and rotting cucumbers. The -- excuse me for abusing this word -- "bodega" on Flatbush Avenue near Q Subway's 7th Avenue station and the new American Apparel store has better offerings.

Subject: Key Food Cashier in Rags

One of the cashiers at Key Food on 7th Avenue, a fragile woman with grey hair, was wearing a worn Key Food uniform the other day -- it had holes in it! For the prices Key Food charges, you think they'd have enough money to dress staff in new uniforms, without holes. I wouldn't be their cashiers make minimum wage without health insurance.

Subject: Re: Key Food Cashier in Rags

Parkslopedope wrote: One of the cashiers at Key Food on 7th Avenue, a fragile woman with grey hair, was wearing a worn Key Food uniform the other day -- it had holes in it! For the prices Key Food charges, you think they'd have enough money to dress staff in new uniforms, without holes. I wouldn't be their cashiers make minimum wage without health insurance.

I know the cashier you're referring to. She's an exception in that she's occaisionally nice, but also happens to be so excruciatingly sloooooow. I avoid her line like the plague. Of course, I avoid the 7th Ave Key Food like the plague also.

Parkslopedope wrote: Do we have a Walmart yet or is that on it's way?

I recall being harangued out front of the Food Co-op a while back by people protesting plans to have a WalMart in Brooklyn, on account of their unfair labor practices. The guy got kinda pissed at me when I suggested the Co-op's labor practices (i.e. not paying their workers) were also unfair to local small businesses who do have to pay their staff.

Given the fuss about Ikea (a fairly benign corporate entity) trying to build on a brownfield site down by the Gowanus Canal I can only imagine the shenanigans if WalMart really was to announce plans to build here. Didn't Queens say No! to them recently?

armchair_warrior wrote:

like the target!!! alot of people hated them for coming.

oh, sigh. i'm in target withdrawal... am boycotting because of their absolutely arcane policies about allowing their pharmacists to choose whether not to fill prescriptions for day-after pill, birth control pills, et alia. (if you don't know about this, planned parenthood's site will give you all the details, and all the places with the same policies, like rite aid.)

brooklynpotter wrote: oh, sigh. i'm in target withdrawal... am boycotting because of their absolutely arcane policies about allowing their pharmacists to choose whether not to fill prescriptions for day-after pill, birth control pills, et alia. (if you don't know about this, planned parenthood's site will give you all the details, and all the places with the same policies, like rite aid.)

I hadn't even noticed they had a pharmacy. :oops:

I didn't realize that they did that. I knew about Rite Aid.

Does PP have a form letter to send Target complaining?

I just went to Target in PA. Much better than the ones here.