Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
as fresh seafood, sushi, tropical fruits, cof-
fee beans, and runny French cheeses, but
it also goes for a Disney-esque packaged
nostalgia, stocking Soviet-era treats such
as canned sprats, smoked beef, and pick-
led mushrooms—there's even a retro
soda fountain serving the sparkling fla-
vored soda called
gazirovky,
popular in
the Communist era.
14 Tverskaya Ulitsa (metro: Teatralnaya
or Chekhovskaya;
&
7/95/209-0760
).
(
Sheremetyevo International Airport
(34km/21 miles).
L
$$$
Sheraton Palace,
19 1st Tvers-
kaya-Yamskaya Ulitsa (
&
7/95/931-9700;
http://eng.sheratonpalace.ru). $$
East-West
Hotel,
14 Tverskoi Bulvar, building 4 (
&
7/
95/290-0404;
www.eastwesthotel.ru).
Gourmet Emporiums &
Specialty Shops
28
Zabar's
Hello, Deli!
New York, New York
In old Europe, the word “delicatessen” just
meant any sort of luxury edibles. When
19th-century Jewish immigrants came to
America, though, something got lost in
translation. Their “appetizing” stores, sell-
ing kosher delicatessen goods, were
promptly misnamed delicatessens by hun-
gry Gentile customers, who then proceeded
to shorten the word to deli—and a whole
new category of food store was born.
When it comes to American deli
stores—as opposed to deli restaurants
(see chapter 4)—few have the cachet of
Zabar's. Though it was only founded in the
1930s, as a smoked fish counter in a larger
market, Zabar's has become an institution
on Manhattan's Upper West Side, which
for many years was a predominantly mid-
dle-class Jewish neighborhood. In a maze-
like series of low-ceilinged, fluorescent-lit
rooms, Zabar's still has the sawdust floors,
white tile walls, and wooden barrels of an
old-fashioned immigrant appetizing store,
though the goods are crammed in so
abundantly you can barely see the decor.
Wide selection, top quality, and com-
petitive prices are the cornerstones of
Zabar's success. Besides the classic gefilte
fish, lox, and smoked herring, Zabar's offers
all sorts of salami and pastrami, not to men-
tion a full range of cold cuts, pâtés, and a
mind-boggling international array of
cheeses. There are cases packed with pre-
pared salads in plastic tubs with the trade-
mark orange Zabar's logo; nearby are racks
stacked high with jars and tins of imported
foods from around the world (including
some very well-priced tins of caviar), as well
as an impressive selection of coffee beans
and excellent fresh breads. Upstairs is
an excellent collection of housewares
and restaurant-quality cookware. Prepare
yourself for exasperating crowds and
sometimes brusque counter service; it's all
part of the patented Zabar's experience.
While the Upper West Side Zabar's is
operated by brothers Saul and Stanley
Zabar, sons of founder Louis Zabar, their
brother Eli runs two rival gourmet grocer-
ies on the Upper East Side, the
Vinegar
Factory,
at 431 E. 91st St. (
&
212/369-
5700
), and
Eli's Manhattan,
at 1411 Third
Ave. (
&
212/717-8100
). Both have exten-
sive deli counters and prepared food sec-
tions, as well as on-site restaurants and all
the fresh fruits and vegetables that the
