The Most Overpriced Places

[Stone]

My vote has to go to Eli Zabar's E.A.T. I don't know if the prices there are cause for embarrasment or if Eli should be celebrated as a champion of American salesmanship.

Don't get me wrong. The few things I've had from E.A.T. have been pretty good. They make excellent egg salad -- at $16 a pint. Or you can get a "double" egg salad sandwich for $10. I'm not sure what's double about it, except the price. (They do a good job of placing all the egg salad in the center of the sandwich, cutting it in half and wrapping the two halves together so that the "displayed" end shows a deceptively large portion of egg salad, while the other end of the sandwich is basicly bread against bread.)

They serve a good broccoli with roasted garlic salad. It's bright green, fresh and crunchy. And $14 a pint. In case you're wondering, you only get broccoli and a few cloves of roasted garlic with that. No massage, no free tank of gas, no extra set of steak knives.

Their lentil salad is also very good. Those tiny French lentils, parsley, a good balance of olive oil and vinegar. All that for only $12 a pint.

The last item I've had from E.A.T. was roast chicken. It was delivered, and by the time it got to me it was a bit dry and somewhat shriveled. It tasted good though. It was $20 a pound.

I thought about ordering some crab cakes. They're about the size of a ring-ding and cost $10. Not $10 an order, but $10 each. Any adult trying to make a meal of crabcakes will be set back $30 -- before dropping $12 for pint of tomato & mozarella salad. (Which consists, of course, of tomatoes and mozarella. Don't look for caviar, truffles or gold leaf.)

I thought about an "individual" (read: small) serving of mac & cheese, but I'm trying to cut out carbs -- especially when they cost $15 a dollop.

Why do they charge such high prices? I guess there's two reasons. High rent on Madison Ave. And, more importantly, they can. The place is always packed. God bless America.

What gets your vote?

Edited March 14, 2004 by Stone (log)

[paul mitchell]

Worst Deal

1) Alfalfa's market in Boulder, CO - Asparagus $15 a pound. It was february but come on.

2) Nester's Market, Whistler, B.C. - Chantrelles $45 a pound. You can find them for free in the woods 100 yards from the store.

Best Deal

1) London, UK - Standing beef rib roast, filets, porterhouses. Something like $1 a pound. The day after the first Mad Cow announcement in Britain back in 94. Me and the lads barbecued like we were in some Kansas barbecue world championship. I have memories of eating whole filets and drinking 24 beer in a sitting. From sad student poverty to kings of the world!

[melkor]

Fleur de Lys in San Francisco - somehow the cafeteria from a senior center escaped and is serving mediocre food for $150 a person.

[SethG]

I vote for the gourmet food products at Williams-Sonoma.

[Jeffy Boy]

Nester's Market, Whistler, B.C. - Chantrelles $45 a pound. You can find them for free in the woods 100 yards from the store.

Go another 100 yards further into the woods, and you'll probably find stuff growing that sells for much more than $45 a pound!

[foodie52]

We sell packages of Zabar's crackers. Weight: around 5 oz. Price: $6.99. I kid you not. And the stuff has got to be their stale bread turned into crackers.

People are so gullible....

On the other hand, you have to give them credit for coming up with this. And forgive me if I'm wrong about the bread thing. But it just seems so obvious to me.

We don't sell a whole lot of these....

[ingridsf]

Fleur de Lys in San Francisco - somehow the cafeteria from a senior center escaped and is serving mediocre food for $150 a person.

And I thought the $16 strawberries at Molly Stone were bad.

But hey, if anybody wants a Great Deal, Trader Joe's organic nuts are ridiculously cheap compared to other places. I keep bags of hazel nuts, pistachios, pine nuts in my freezer. Makes me feel like I have a trust fund or am one of the Hilton sisters. (No jokes, please, about Paris Hilton and frozen nuts.) nyuck nyuck nyuck

Edited March 15, 2004 by ingridsf (log)

[tanabutler]

I vote for the gourmet food products at Williams-Sonoma.

Hear, hear.

[StInGeR]

Fleur de Lys in San Francisco - somehow the cafeteria from a senior center escaped and is serving mediocre food for $150 a person.

And I thought the $16 strawberries at Molly Stone were bad.

But hey, if anybody wants a Great Deal, Trader Joe's organic nuts are ridiculously cheap compared to other places. I keep bags of hazel nuts, pistachios, pine nuts in my freezer. Makes me feel like I have a trust fund or am one of the Hilton sisters. (No jokes, please, about Paris Hilton and frozen nuts.) nyuck nyuck nyuck

Why did the name Paris Hilton just suddenly jump out at me??

[hathor]

ANY groceries in Westchester NY. We refer to the vegetable market in Mt. Kisco as the "60 Dollar Store". No matter what you buy, it costs $60. Always. Prices are at the very least double what they are in NYC.

[arjay]

Hotel food in London........Last Spring a CONTINENTAL breakfast was $18 per. If you want bacon, add $5. Cold cereal, rolls, cofee or tea, juice.

[JPW]

My nomination is for Whole Foods, aka Whole Paycheck, aka Whore Foods.

Even the non-special, non-organic items are ridiculously priced, esp. produce.

[cbarre02]

Though i enjoy the idea of whole foods i too must say that the produce is lacking, just because it's organic doesn't mean it's good organic.

[JennotJenn]

My nomination is for Whole Foods, aka Whole Paycheck, aka Whore Foods.

Even the non-special, non-organic items are ridiculously priced, esp. produce.

You've obviously never been to the Fresh Market (several NC locations). They make Whole Foods look cheap. I actually find that Whole Foods is cheaper on a lot of produce here than any of the regular grocery stores in the area unless something is on sale at the other stores. I will agree, however, that the broccoli at WF is quite pricey, and of course I can get Asian greens much cheaper at the Asian grocery. But on a whole I don't find them to be bad at all (at least here in NC, where choices can be limited).

[deibu]

We have a Fresh Market here in Columbia (SC), and it was a great place to get specialty groceries when it opened in the late 80's. However, with the selection you can get now at the regular supermarket, and an Earthfare nearby with organic foods and produce and just as good of a cheese selection at better prices, I'm not really impressed with the Fresh Market for much of anything anymore... The one here is more of a place for old socialites to go and catch up on the latest neighborhood gossip.

[SobaAddict70]

I have to say that after experiencing Westside Market in Cleveland, Ohio, ANY food store in New York (yes, even Citarella/Fairway/D&D) will seem mundane and expensive by comparison.

Too bad it's in Cleveland.

Soba

[paul mitchell]

Jeffy Boy, with such comments your going to be on the corner of Carrol and Hastings selling morrels for your fix.

[Jeffy Boy]

I heard somewhere that's the world's second oldest profession.

[beans]

Too bad it's in Cleveland. 

Hey!

That's [Westside Market] within walking distance to my restored Victorian home, my place of employ and the location of my family's new restaurant!!!

Thank heavens it is in Cleveland!!!!!!

edit: clarity

Edited March 16, 2004 by beans (log)

[kimabima]

As a Canadian I have to tack at least another 30% on to those prices.

I do think groceries are more expensive in the States. it's been my experience that many prices are the same but in the currency of the country.

Restaurants are definately cheaper up here!

London is just insane- how do people survive there???

[mongo_jones]

As a Canadian I have to tack at least another 30% on to those prices.

I do think groceries are more expensive in the States. it's been my experience that many prices are the same but in the currency of the country.

Restaurants are definately cheaper up here!

London is just insane- how do people survive there???

the trick, i have found in both los angeles and denver, is to shop at asian groceries as much as you can. fruit and vegetables are usually better and cheaper, and they also have a much more interesting, and again, cheaper selection of fish and seafood.

we did our fortnightly run to komart in aurora (a suburb of denver) this weekend--i was staggered by how cheap shiitake and oyster mushrooms were, as also monkfish, mackerel and even frozen oysters.

[John Whiting]

London is just insane- how do people survive there???

Because we're all insane!

[auntdot]

The oyster bar in the food court at Harrod's.

Eighteen quid (pounds) for six oysters and you are sitting on uncomfortable stools to boot.

At an exchange rate of about $1.90 a pound, that comes to some $5.70 per oyster.

And I find European oysters generally unpleasant tasting (although I love most you find in the US).

Did I buy them? Heck no.

Found a local pub and had bangers and mash for much less.

[John Whiting]

At an exchange rate of about $1.90 a pound, that comes to some $5.70 per oyster.

A Borough Market stall has small oysters at 50p each, which is more like Ile de Re prices.

[kimabima]

Sorry if I offended John! I love London but with the Cdn dollar as it is against the pound even a cup of coffee (and no free refills) was insanely expensive. Last visit my daughter got use to hearing "No- do you know what that is in our dollar"? Great city though!