Any good food shopping in the Passaic/Clifton area

[hindyg]

All the major food stores (like shoprite and stop and shop) are awful. Is there anything in the area that has everything I might need that is reasonably priced? I do go out to Trader Joes alot in Westfield. I need a place for hebrs, veggies, health food, real sauces, gourmet etc. I can't make a meal out of the things I am finding at the Stop and Shop near me.

[LauraSM]

All the major food stores (like shoprite and stop and shop) are awful.  Is there anything in the area that has everything I might need that is reasonably priced?  I do go out to Trader Joes alot in Westfield.  I need a place for hebrs, veggies, health food, real sauces, gourmet etc.  I can't make a meal out of the things I am finding at the Stop and Shop near me.

Not sure what kind of food you are cooking, but I have found the Shop Rite on Paulison Ave to be pretty good for produce, and they have a great selection of Latino items, packaged, frozen, and produce. The Food Basics on Van Houten also has decent produce and a large selection of Latino and Eastern European items.

And there is always Corrados and the farmers market in Paterson.

There is also a decent Health Food Store on the corner of Main and VanHouten. Nice grains and beans and packaged stuff, some frozen and produce.

If you can be more specific about what you are not finding, I may have more suggestions. I've lived in Passaic for 10 years.

[Double 0]

Clifton, Passiac and Patterson are loaded with great ethnic markets. Carrados on Main St has a great selection of Vegetables, pasta,and gourmet package goods. In Patterso there is Nouri and Fattals (also on Main St) for all your Middle Eastern needs. In Passaic there is Monroe St with 3 good Mexican supermarkets. The Shoprite in Totowa is good with a better than average fish department. In Garfeild ( on River road) is 2 good Polish pork stores. There's also one in Botany Village (Stefan and sons) that smoles their own Keilbasy. This area is very diverse and is not dominated by the big chain stores. If you look around a little there are plenty of mom and pop stores making and selling great food products.

[Wiener]

Agree with both posts. With the abundance of food in this area, you must be able to cook something !!! Shop Rite is Nutley is excellent and very inexpensive. I admit, it is sometimes difficult to find certain ethnic foods in this store, but they are often there. You can always ask.

[hindyg]

Really looking for good produce, selection and quality. I would also love any good Asian and Indian markets if anyone knows of some. I know they are in abundance in the area. But I am very new, just moved last week.

[LauraSM]

Really looking for good produce, selection and quality.  I would also love any good Asian and Indian markets if anyone knows of some. I know they are in abundance in the area.  But I am very new, just moved last week.

I think the produce at Food Basics is usually quite good and well priced. For a bigger selection I would go to Corrados Corrados

I think there is an Indian market on Broadway in Passaic.

Try driving around a little and exploring. There are a lot of small stores.

[phaelon56]

I found excellent seafood at a small produce market on Rte 17 South - it's at the crest of the hill in the Lodi and Hasbrouck Heights area just before the Crow's Nest restaurant - sorry I can' t recall the name but it's got a flower shop attached to the front and the seafood was outstanding. The produce was good too and I found some things like Portobello's that were cheaper than the grocery store and lemongrass that was reasonably fresh.

The Rte 17 Farm Market is just to the left of the Staples store is way cheaper and usually better quality produce than the Super Stop 'n Shop in Clifton Commons. It's on Rter 17 in Rutherford just north of Stadium Auto mall (not far from Rte 3) Also of interest although it's a bit odd is the International Food Warehouse on Rte 17 North heading towards Paramus. It's just past Home Depot and attached to the end of the building that houses National Wholesale Liquidators. They stock all kinds of regular grocery store items from a huge variety of different conutries. We're not talking chi-chi gourmet stuff - just mass market items but many of them things that you wont' find elsewhere and some are really cheap. They also have some interesting cheeses and dairy items that I haven't seen elsewhere.

There's a huge Asian market in Hackensack that was discussed extensively in another thread - sorry I can't recall the name but it's supposed ot be really good and also cheap. Excellent home made sausage and fresh mozzarella are also available at a number of small Italian deli/markets. I know of at least one in Lyndhurst - it's called Appetizio's and is one Rte 17 South (Ridge Road) just off Rte 3 about 100 feet south of the corner - right next to Enterprise Car rental and Il Cafone restaurant.

The Shop Rite grocery in Lyndhurst is mediocre at best - dont waste time going there.

Edited July 25, 2003 by phaelon56 (log)

[Double 0]

Really looking for good produce, selection and quality.  I would also love any good Asian and Indian markets if anyone knows of some. I know they are in abundance in the area.  But I am very new, just moved last week.

Try the Patterson farmers Mkt on Sat. and Sun. Its on Railroad Ave in Patterson. The " farmers" bring produce and there's a good selection of Jersey Fresh. Come early because the best goes fast. Right across the street is a Oriental fish and package good store. In Little Ferry and Ridgefeild is Han AH Rhuem which is a Oreintal mega supermarket that covers all bases from produce, fish and meats to all types package gooods, sushi and kimchee. There's threads on all these places, search it out and you'll find that this part of Passaic and Bergen counties is well covered.

Btw: Welecome to the wonderful world of Egullet