Discount Gourmet Food Stores in New York City: Where to Find Great Food at Low Prices

One of the great glories of living in New York City is gourmet food, but, like everything else in New York City, it can be expensive. Luckily, there are many stores in New York City that specialize inoffering gourmet food ingredients at lower prices than you would expect.

Perhaps the most famous of these discount gourmet food stores is Fairway, located at 2127 Broadway. The selection of gourmet food offerings is abundant and the prices are fantastic. New Yorkers have long been known to rent cars to stock up at Fairway before hosting a party. Their cold room and the meats available there are legendary. They also carry an excellent selection of produce both common and unusual and are known to have excellent lobster.

On the other side of down, fantastic discount gourmet food can be found at Jefferson Market, located at 450 Avenue of the Americas. Smaller than fairway, it still has excellent butcher and produce sections and is far cheaper than the nearby and more famous Citarella.

Those looking for a basic alternative to Whole Foods should try New York City's first Trader Joe's located at 142 E 14th St. While you won't find name brand products here, most are store branded, what you will find is discount gourmet food at essentially unbeatable prices. I'm especially fond of the frozen raspberry creme brulees (box of 2 for $5.49) and the various prepared chicken dishes ($5.99 and under). Butcher offerings are small, but if you're looking for high quality pre-frozen fish or prepared items, this is your top stop for discount gourmet foods.

Gourmet Garage with three locations in New York City is also a popular destination for discount gourmet food. You'll find the best prices at this local chain in the cheese and prepared foods sections. They also have a good gourmet cold cut section, an olive bar, and a small but high quality butcher counter. This discount gourmet food store also offers sushi.

Barzini's is a lesser known, but still great choice for discount gourmet food offerings. Located at 2455 Broadway in New York City, Barzini's is a crowded store that packs a lot into a small space. Come here for excellent prepared soups, an amazing produce section and great prices on a fantastic selection of cheeses.

New York City is, of course, filled with many more discount gourmet food stores that are able to offer great prices by relying on word of mouth instead of spending money on advertising. If you've got a favorite discount gourmet foods store that isn't listed here, please let us know in comments!