Picklelicious -- Pickles from the Barrel

[menton1]

Always look forward to a bi-monthly trek into the lower east side in NYC to stock up on old fashioned barrel pickles, tomatoes, and sauerkraut. I just discovered while driving in Bergen County a real NY pickle store, called "Picklelicious" in Teaneck, NJ!! That wonderful smell makes you feel dreamy as you enter the store, and then, ohhh-- the pickles!! I prefer the new, but they have half sour and sour as well. I got the sour tomatoes and sauerkraut as well, and they were wonderful. At $5/Quart, the price was a little less than in New York, and well worth it.

They have lots of samples on the side, so that you can taste what you like and what you don't. They have a small selection of Eli's Bread from New York, but they didn't have the square raisin-pecan rolls that we love.

They also have a small selection of olives and olive pastes, even some exotics like pickled celery and red peppers.

The address is Picklelicious, 763 River Road, Teaneck, just off the Southeast corner of Cedar Lane, in a small house/converted to a store. They are closed Mondays in the winter, but she said the hours will change in the warmer weather. Now we can get our pickle fix every week!!

[Rosie]

Thanks for the info. There is someone that sells pickles at the NJ Farmer's Markets also. Don't remember name.

[Fat Guy]

Picklelicious started out on Manhattan's Upper West Side (88th and Amsterdam) but didn't last, so the owners closed up shop and moved out to Jersey where rents are more conducive to a successful retail/wholesale pickle business. I hope they're doing well. I saw them up at the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival a few months ago and they seemed a lot happier to be out of the city.

They're on the Web, by the way:

http://www.picklelicious.com/

And yes, the pickles are superb. Better than anybody's on the Lower East Side at this time, in my opinion.

[Rail Paul]

There used to be a vendor in the Paterson Farmer's Market, Pickle King. Barrels and barrels of pickles. Most of their business was wholesale, but they would sell retail.

I'll check and see if he's still in business, as I expect to be in that area later this week

[dbrociner]

I think that pickelicious had a table at the Milburn farmer's market on Fridays last year. The day I was there they told me they were opening a store the next week. Sounds like the same outfit to me. Pickels, sour tomatoes and pickled red peppers were all excellent.

[LiquidBread]

There used to be a vendor in the Paterson Farmer's Market, Pickle King. Barrels and barrels of pickles. Most of their business was wholesale, but they would sell retail.

I'll check and see if he's still in business, as I expect to be in that area later this week

Pickle King is still in business. They just moved into a new warehouse on Ellison around the corner from the train station. It used to house another pickle wholeseller named Foremost. I can't tell you if they still sell retail.

[Randi]

Did anyone besides me just HAVE to run to the kitchen and grab a pickle to eat after reading this thread?

Last night I began the craving, tonite when I read the rest of the thread I succumbed.

*crunch!*

[Rachel Perlow]

:raises hand:

Me. Fortunately I had a few different varieties in the fridge: Kosher Dills from Jerry's, Half Sour and Garlic Dill from BaTempe - we had a taste test. The Kosher Dill from Jerry's won.

I plan to check out Picklelicious very soon. <- Can that be a salivate/panting icon?

[Randi]

Ahhh - I had some bread and butter pickles but didn't go for those - I chose a BaTempe Half Sour. Love those! But they don't stay half sour for long - have to eat them soon after getting them home!

Now I need another (and I just got home from dinner out!) Pickles just after creme brulee??

I think I take eGullet too seriously

[Rachel Perlow]

I chose a BaTempe Half Sour.... But they don't stay half sour for long - have to eat them soon after getting them home!

I, on the other hand, buy half-sours several weeks ahead of planning to eat them. I like them about 3/4 sour. A new jar of half-sours still tastes too fresh to me. I keep'm in the fridge and shake up the jar every once in a while. When the brine is nice and murky I know they're ready. That was the problem with the half-sours I had the other day, I had just bought the jar and the pickles were too new.

[NJ2FLA]

I know this is really out there..

But I was wandering around Rowe-Manse in Clifton (right off Route 3) which is now in the hands of a liquidator. They had a double barrel pickel display for sale for $100. It's like one of those displays you see on wheels around the deli counter. It also has clear plastic covers on the two barrels that it holds.

Thought it would be cute for someone that might want to collect or use a display like that.

[Rachel Perlow]

. . . . .

I learned about Picklelicious on the NJ forum, and would have posted the following there, but for the fact that they have a website and do mail order. Of course, if you live locally it is worth the trip, because the aroma of the store is worth a thousand pictures. But, for those far away from home (if home means NY) who miss the taste and texture of a real pickle barrel pickle, this post is for you. On their website, they only indicate that you can mail order pickles, but as you will see below, they have a lot more to offer, just call and ask. I don't recommend calling on a Friday afternoon however. Not that they aren't perfectly friendly and helpful, but the store is noticibly busy with the pre-Sabbath crowd.

~~~

I first spied the Pickle-Licious sign from across the intersection of Cedar Lane while traveling southbound on River Road:

Here's the converted house turned pickle store:

The intense aroma of pickles assaults you, in a good way, as soon as you open the door. You soon get used to that and begin wandering away from the foyer come checkout area. I turned right first and came upon a dry goods room. Here, there are displays of bulk candies, snack foods, gifts and gift baskets.

The Dry Goods Room

Here's Paul waiving from the back room leading to where they make the pickles.

They have a wide variety of snack foods, many of which are usually only available via mail order or at specialty markets.

Lots of candy available by the pound, too.

Even some Sugar Free varieties.

Moving to the other side of the foyer, you come to the pickle room...

Here's the proprietor, Robyn, helping a customer with his order of Hot & Spicy Pickles.

In the far corner of the room is the Sample Table. Not only do they put out samples of all the pickles currently available (they were out of sauerkraut), but also some snack chips and jars of jams, relish, mustards, etc.

I didn't notice these signs when I was in the store, but found this helpful information on one of my pics:

An example of a pickle tray you can have delivered within the local area.

In the center of the room is a beautiful display everything else pickled. Notice the sweet red peppers to the lower right. I don't know how I missed seeing them when I was at the store. I read on the thread in the NJ forum that these are amazing, but I just forgot to look for them while I was there. Hmm, that calls for another trip to Pickle-licious!

Pickle-licious

763 River Rd, Teaneck, NJ 07666

(201) 836-7800 Phone

(201) 836-7899 Fax

pickleliciousSH@aol.com

[Rachel Perlow]

As Pickle-licious has a website for mail ordering pickles, I thought I'd help them out by posting about this mail order food on eGullet's Special Occasions forum: Picklelicious.com -- Mail Order Pickles.

I got some half sours. Yum!

[CathyL]

Rachel, thanks for posting that. I was a regular at Robyn & Leo's store on Amsterdam and 89th, and after that closed I'd seek them out at street fairs because their pickled sweet red peppers were the best, ever, anywhere.

I also loved the half-sour cucumbers, pickled tomatoes, mushrooms and turnips. So did my dad; I had some mailed to him in Denver.

I didn't realize Leo had died. I'm going to e-mail Robyn and order some red peppers.

[finker99]

I got to this pickle place yesterday. Wow. I mean come on now, this many pickles, olives, sweets, chips, munchies, and stuff in one place???? AND THEY DELIVER LOCALLY FOR A $20 minimum!!!! So, the garlic stuffed olives were really good, the pickles were amazing, the horsradish pickles had a really good zing to them. I bought 6 different bags of potato chips and barely scratched the surface on the selection. They had about 6 or 7 varieties of chocolate covered pretzels, i bought the crisp rice chocolate dipped ones. And they had nuts, and neat honeys, and popcorns and snacks and am I rambling but the place was really neat and tiny and Wow and and and and ....

well you get the idea

fink

[Rail Paul]

I bought 6 different bags of potato chips and barely scratched the surface on the selection.  They had about 6 or 7 varieties of chocolate covered pretzels, i bought the crisp rice chocolate dipped ones.

Sounds like you enjoyed the place.

What brands of chips did they offer? I've found the Zapp's from Louisiana to be among the best for exotic flavors, and Utz's Kettle chips to be the best all round mass market chips.

Gotta get over to Fink's. I feel the craving for a giant cheesesteak coming on....Hold the pickles

[tommy]

i stopped in here last week. got a small container of a couple of different pickles. (new, half-sour, and something else). the samples they have out sure make it easy to decide. the spicy were particularly good, and spicy. they have that candy shop side as well, where i enjoyed a bag of chocolate covered pretzels, with rice cripsies. they didn't last the ride to route 4 (7 minutes). i had chocolate on my hands til i got home. great place. it will be a regular stop during party shopping.

fink, would you mind if i enjoyed a cheesesteak at your place with a container of pickles from pickelicous? i'll be sure to share with the crew.

[201]

...

fink, would you mind if i enjoyed a cheesesteak at your place with a container of pickles from pickelicous?  i'll be sure to share with the crew. 

Tommy, I don't think it's going to be a problem. Last night Fink just plopped down a big jar of pickles from Pickelicious in front of me about 30 seconds after I sat down!

Those horseradish pickles had some nice kick to them. I think I have to head over to this place and educate myself further in the area of pickle knowledge (something to which everyone should aspire).

[jhlurie]

As discussed elsewhere, Fink and I coincidentally showed up at pretty much the same time. I even suggested to him that he try and work something out with the Pickelicous people to resell, assuming they aren't mortally offended at the concept of someone enjoying eating a pig and eating one of their pickles at the same time.

The spicy pickles are definitely the best thing there, although the horseradish pickles are a very close second. The sour pickles are very good, but in my opinion a waste of time since the spicy and horseradish varieties have much more complex and interesting tastes, and are still sour underneath.

Surprisingly, the pickled celery is okay. I didn't expect garlicky, briny celery to taste good, but its not bad.

Tried a few relishes. The sweet/hot relish was pretty damned good.

Among the various chip brands, they seemed to have plenty of Zapp's chips, which apparently is like... the official chip of New Orleans. I grabbed a few bags and they ain't bad...

The candied-up pretzels are kind of neat, although hardly unique. It's sort of the kind of thing you'll buy just because you are there, but won't go out of your way for.

[tommy]

The candied-up pretzels are kind of neat, although hardly unique.  It's sort of the kind of thing you'll buy just because you are there, but won't go out of your way for.

says you!

they also have a bunch of olives, spreads, and other things of that nature as well. all in a room about 10 by 10.

[=Mark]

Any idea what the hours are for this place? Is it open Saturday?

[tommy]

Any idea what the hours are for this place?  Is it open Saturday?

dude, please to click.

open on satsterday fer sher.

Edited March 22, 2003 by tommy (log)

[jhlurie]

Any idea what the hours are for this place?  Is it open Saturday?

dude, please to click.

open on satsterday fer sher.

Easier said than done, tommy. I can't find the hours on that website.

As I recall from their sign, they are open every day except Monday, usually until 6PM.

Suppose we could call.

Phone (201) 836-7800

[tommy]

Any idea what the hours are for this place?  Is it open Saturday?

dude, please to click.

open on satsterday fer sher.

Easier said than done, tommy. I can't find the hours on that website.

As I recall from their sign, they are open every day except Monday, usually until 6PM.

Suppose we could call.

Phone (201) 836-7800

oh, sorry jon. would you like me to call and post the hours here? jeesh.

[jhlurie]

Any idea what the hours are for this place?  Is it open Saturday?

dude, please to click.

open on satsterday fer sher.

Easier said than done, tommy. I can't find the hours on that website.

As I recall from their sign, they are open every day except Monday, usually until 6PM.

Suppose we could call.

Phone (201) 836-7800

oh, sorry jon. would you like me to call and post the hours here? jeesh.

Ha. Just don't act like a know it all, pal. I spent a couple minutes scouring that website convinced that the hours HAD to be there. I suppose its a bit hard to believe that they'd go through the trouble of a website and not bother to post hours, unless they change them regularly or something.

Edited March 22, 2003 by jhlurie (log)