There was a run on eggs at D’Agostino on 91st and Columbus as if the Apocalypse was coming.
By Carol Tannenhauser
You can look at a big snowstorm as a natural disaster or a new kind of holiday. Helen Gurrera, president of Citarella on 75th and Broadway, who was in the UWS store Monday night, chooses the latter. “It’s ‘all hands on deck’ when a storm is about to come,” she said. “It’s like Christmas or Thanksgiving, or the days before. It’s incredible. It’s a lot of fun, but insane! I think that people forget that we live in NYC. We may or may not be open Tuesday, but the next day we will be, so it’s not going to be that long without food. It was wild all day! It was like another great holiday for us. People are excited to be home with their families. I’ve been wishing everybody Happy Snow Day, hoping that they make some of their favorite foods and enjoy being snuggled with their loved ones. What’s better than that? Maybe a glass of wine in there, but that’s about it.”
Helen Gurrera.
Karen Drazek and Matt Harris bought their last-minute provisions at Fairway, and planned to sit in bed, alternating between watching the snow fall and reruns of Law and Order SVU. They would make it through the day with frozen pizza and wine. “I’m from Arizona, so I still like the snow,” Karen said. “It forces me to relax.” “I’m off work,” Matt said, “so we’re going to hang out together and eat food.”
Karen Drazek and Matt Harris.
The line at Trader Joe’s was pretty insane on Monday.
Here’s what Upper West Siders were hoarding before the snowfall:
Bagels and rolls were a very hot item at Gristedes on 84th and Columbus:
Chicken was also popular.
Bagels were also cleaned out at Fairway.
In fact, all bread items were disappearing.
Milk sold off too, but there was plenty of Silk!
Someone was clearly grilling burgers on Tuesday.
And chicken too!
As for veggies, packaged lettuce at D’Agostino did well.
Broccoli, not so well.
And people stockpiled citrus fruits as if they were pirates scared of scurvy!
Remember everyone, it’s all about love! Enjoy your provisions, and invite someone over for leftovers.
Photos of Fairway and Gristedes by Carol Tannenhauser. Photos of D’Agostino by Alison. Photo of Trader Joe’s by Peggy Taylor.
The line on Monday afternoon at the 97th street Westside Market snaked all around the store, starting just a few feet from the cash registers. Line moved pretty fast.
If you can’t survive for 24 hours with what you already have in your kitchen, you deserve to starve.
Empty shelves at Dag’s and Gristedes? That’s called “Monday”
I went to Trader Joes Tuesday around 11:30AM and the shelves were completely restocked and no one in the store. It was THE BEST!
The storm was so bad we almost starved! Luckily we survived on water and bread crumbs
I keep a stocked pantry and rarely really need anything when a storm is coming, but it’s still fun to go to the store and see what’s going on. Key Food was doing their best to keep the shelves stocked, but they were completely out of ice cream, with bread running a close second. Chicken was scarce, too. I got the last pack of chicken thighs and felt like I’d won the lottery!
The best thing about the crowds at the food stores is it clears out old inventory. Anything on the shelves today would be much fresher
At Zabars, bread was down to 3 rye loaves. I felt lucky to snag one even though I didn’t need a whole loaf! Also picked up some pre-made matzo balls and combined with chicken stock, dill and carrots to make blizzard matzo soup. Yum!
the dill cream cheese at Orwashers is incredible.
And if you didn’t have anything in your kitchen you wouldn’t even starve by not eating for 24 h. People are hysteric!
I went into Trader Joe’s on Monday afternoon and saw emptying shelves and long lines so I left. A half hour later there was a line on Broadway just to get in.
I proceeded to Fairway which was crowded but manageable. I went back to Fairway on Tuesday afternoon and it was pleasantly serene and fully stocked. That was the best day to shop.
I do laundry and stock up before storms so I won’t have to haul my shopping cart through snow for days afterwards. Whether it’s snow drifts, ice or snow melt, that’s such a huge pain!
Fun pics!
New Yorkers work hard so when a snowstorm hits they can take a much needed break without any guilt.
Lent, for some folk. The LONG lines at a certain supermarket; weren’t illegal aliens leaving U.S.A., it seems. Bon appetit. I doubt that many neighbors checked up on their Senior Citizen neighbors….p.s. So much junk food for sale, sometimes.