Fresh Direct!

FD would go a long way towards answering their critics if they used hybrid vehicles and reuseable containers. And greened-up their warehouse(s).

This seems like good brand positioning to me-I would bet that people who care (and can afford to care) enough about food to pay this kind of money for it are also likely to care (and can afford to care) about Al Gore's Oscar chances. Ok, I lost the thread there, but you get what I mean.

piratesofwaverly wrote: FD would go a long way towards answering their critics if they used hybrid vehicles and reuseable containers. And greened-up their warehouse(s).

no doubt.

[sarcasm]
also- they should reverse their company policy of not selling to Puerto Ricans.
[/sarcasm]

It's fascinating how everyone loves a conspiracy, and how so many people's first step is to ascribe malicious intent to a 3rd party's actions. There was a great Foregin Policy article about this potentially deleterious tendency in people.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=3679

We Americans are lazy in that when we mean to say 'class' we reflexively say 'race'.

FreshDirect -is- usually pretty expensive for staple foods. Meat and fish are more expensive at FD. Pasta is more expensive. Rice. Bread. Milk. It's everything else that's has a chance of being cheaper than a small grocery store, because the grocer isn't moving as many of the premium/prepared goods taking up precious shelf space. FD has less need for loss leaders, because it doesn't have a store to get you to walk into. They had you at 'pre-paying delivery passes' and 'here, Ill carry it up to your door for you'.

I love Fresh Direct because they almost always have better produce than any other store, but they are expensive. Likewise, the farmer's market. I love the market's bustle. That said, it's often sentimentalized because it fits into a specific worldview. (Like hydrogen fuel and 'clean coal'.) I've been going there for years and all I end up occasionally buying are flowers, olive bread and some cider. Their stuff is expensive, and the selection is limited. (At least the one in FG.) Eating stuff your great-grandmother would recognize as food is definitely a good goal but you can do that in other places.

When i go to the local supermarket, I end up saving about 30% compared to FD or the farmer's market. That adds up when you're plunking down 150-200 a week. I don't buy the prepared meals, as I might on a whim when ordering online. I actually stare at ingredients. Now that we have babies, we're buying a lot more staple foods and veggies. And this is what's usually cheapest at the local market.

I've come to the decision to buy the heavy or bulky stuff through FD, tip them nicely to bring it upstairs 3 flights. Oh, and the grapes. Love the grapes. We'll do that once a month. The default from now on will be the local market. The little one on Waverly is the little store that could, in my opinion. Lots of stuff, if not everything.

I personally don't care about the exhaust FD may emit on my behalf. I've noticed them turning the engine off recently, but even if they didn't I'm not going to sweat it. My wife and I have never purchased or kept a car in our lives. I use the train whenever possible, and then some. We choose to live in a city, and not a place that requires a car. I care about maintaining the environment, I'm a Sierra Club member but there's a point of diminishing returns where philosophy turns into self-flagellation and a hairshirt. All things in moderation, including moderation. And FreshDirect.

j.b. wrote: FreshDirect -is- usually pretty expensive for staple foods. Meat and fish are more expensive at FD. Pasta is more expensive. Rice. Bread. Milk.

It depends on what you're buying. The organic milk is cheaper at FD. So is most of the meat we buy.

The "organic" meat at Associated is unconscionably over-priced.

You know if you compare a basket of items from Fresh direct and a basket of items from the local Key food, the price comes out pretty much the same. The difference is in the quality. All the fish, cheese, meat etc. is really fresh and sometimes, a really exceptional quality. I buy fish bones for stock occasionally and they'll usually give me the backbone of a shark or cod, really excellent for fish stock, and the farmed salmon is just terrific.

Our food bills have gone down since we started using Fresh Direct. I attribute this to a few things, aside from potentially lower prices:
1) Careful menu planning
2) Very few impulse buys
3) Easier cost-comparisons on their website.

And our FD food is fresher and tastier than anything I've ever gotten at the Pathmark on Atlantic (our "local" grocery store.) The last time I went to Pathmark, it took me two and a half hours to find everything I wanted. Many things were out of stock. The meat department was a nightmare. And the kicker was that by the time we checked out, our bill was higher than it would have been at FreshDirect. For me, that's enough to justify FD's environmental impact, whatever it is.

And FWIW, I emailed FreshDirect about using reusable plastic crates instead of cardboard boxes. They said no, but I feel that if enough people wrote in and expressed concern, they might change their minds. So if you get a chance, try it!

Bonnie, wasn't the food supposed to be frozen? I mean, they didn't expect you to eat it frozen, but it was meant to be heated or cooked or whatever. I'm confused as to what the problem was.

Subject: Foodtown v. Fresh Direct.....

Does anyone have any experience with on-line shopping/delivery with the Foodtown on Fulton Ave in Bed-Stuy?

There has been a longing for Fresh Direct to acknowledge our neck of the woods; however, it seems that Foodtown has stepped up. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I was in the store this evening and saw signs for Foodtown's on-line service. I quickly glanced at their website, www.foodtown.com, when I got home. I plan on giving it a test drive next time we need groceries. In the meantime, I would be interested in hearing other's experiences.

I know this thread is delivery oriented, but for the organic food people . . .
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/19/nyregion/19market.html?ex=1321592400&en=7aea1275b5b270d3&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss
there's a new Food Co-op in East New York on New Lots Ave. Just FYI.

I've always gotten a response w/in 24 hours, and "always" means about 4-5 occasions. You might want to confirm that they have the same email on file that you're using.

Subject: A Better alternative to fresh direct

BigAppleGrocer.net
It a much smaller company, but service and product is much better the fresh direct. You can buy a lot of items in big size and save a lot. They carry so many beverages, it’s unbelievable!!!

Try them

FYI, much of Fort Greene is also 11217.

No, Fresh Direct delivers to 11238. I live on Gates and just got a delivery from them on Tuesday.

Join the CSA. Then you can get veggies and fruits right here.