As a food writer and cooking teacher, I have to buy groceries 3 or 4 times a week. As a New Yorker, I often have to schlep those groceries home 3 or 4 times a week on the subway. Even with sturdy tote bags, hauling fresh produce, sauces, bottles of wine and olive oil, and anything else is an extreme pain, especially during rush hour.
Then about 2 years ago, I finally took the plunge and signed up for FreshDirect, after hearing good things from friends who use it religiously. I’ve been using it every week since. And one of the major reasons, other than saving me backaches, is that it seems designed to suit the schedules and tastes of busy city dwellers.
First, let’s talk about schedules. I love the fact that I can get grocery delivery any time from 6:30am to 11:30pm. Grocery stores aren’t open so early and so late. Even if I don’t normally get up that early or want to accept deliveries that late, it’s nice to know that those times are available, in case of emergency. (As someone who also caters small parties from time to time, there really are instances when you really do need ingredients delivered at odd hours!) I also live on the third floor of a walk-up building, and it’s pretty wonderful to have those big boxes delivered right to my door.
Then there’s the selection available. I’m pretty picky about the types of meats and cuts I use for my recipes, but luckily there is plenty to choose from here. FreshDirect has a pretty big selection of organic and locally-raised meat. A few weeks ago I made Red-Cooked Beef, one of my favorite Chinese beef braises, and was thrilled to find out that they had local grassfed beef short ribs from Hardwick’s. And I know they have grass-fed steaks, stew meat, and ground beef for other dishes on my to-do list. They also have heritage-raised chicken and Cornish hen if I want to do a roast and pretty much any other cut of chicken, pork, and lamb that I need for recipe testing or just a nice dinner at home. If I buy a steak or lamb chop, I can even specify the thickness.
As for local and organic fruits and vegetables, it’s helpful being able to find out where they actually come from, which isn’t the case with big grocery stores. (I’m partial to the organic bok choy, kale, and Swiss chard.) The five-star rating system is also very useful in determining the quality, whether or not the product is in peak season. The product pages also have nutritional information at the click of a button.
Fresh Direct also has a Youtube channel that highlights their relationships with sustainable food producers. I especially enjoyed the videos on the origins of Alaskan Copper River salmon and wild Patagonian shrimp, since they’re available through Fresh Direct in my area, but other highlights include fresh corn from the Berkshires, heritage breed chickens, and humanely-raised pigs.
Recently I also found out about Quick Shop, which lets you quickly reorder favorites from past shipments without searching around again. Such a time saver! And if you don’t have time to cook, there are plenty of enticing freshly-prepared meals from well-known New York restaurants, including Artisanal, Tabla, and Rosa Mexicano.
It’s great having such a convenient service in a city like New York. As for custom web features, the product search is super easy, as is reserving a delivery time slot via their online schedule. I’ve done dozens of orders over the last two years, and the experience has been near-perfect in terms of order fulfillment. The customer service is high-quality too; my questions about orders are usually answered in about 1 to 2 hours.
Even though I now live in a neighborhood with plenty of grocery stores, I still use FreshDirect every week. It has actually cut my shopping down, so I can do one big order instead making several shopping trips. Which frees up the rest of my time to doing what I really like — cooking, recipe-testing, and blogging.
If you live in FreshDirect’s delivery zones, give them a try the next time you’re planning your grocery shopping!
Want to try FreshDirect yourself? Leave a comment below sharing your product-shopping tricks and tips to finding the freshest, quality food for the chance to win a $100 FreshDirect gift card, or if you are outside the delivery area you can choose a $100 Visa gift card.
Visit FreshDirect.com to learn more about their star rated produce so that you know what is fresh and in season, the great lengths they go through to source the very best food, and how customizable your order can be from deli slices and dietary needs to how and when you want your delivery!
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This sweepstakes runs from 2/26/13 -4/30/13.
Agreed, FreshDirect rocks! Friends in Seattle say Amazon direct delivery is good, but it sounds like they ripped the model right off of FreshDirect.
Once I had Almond Milk opened before I got it, and called and they gave me a $10 dollar credit when the Almond Milk only cost me $4 (or so).
Cheers!
I am a fellow New Yorker and really enjoy the variety and quality of grocery stores just in my neighborhood alone. There are so many options and types of cuisines that you can find and no lack for fresh produce. I’ve even found some of the best produce at local farmer’s markets and fruit stands on sidewalk corners. The only downside to city grocery shopping is carting your groceries home on foot. I usually end up having to take several trips to the store per week in order to get everything I need because you can only carry so many bags at once. I would love the opportunity to use FreshDirect and have my groceries delivered right to my door. I’m also an avid online shopper and the thought of doing my grocery shopping online certainly appeals!
I’m a farmers’ market regular, but I also have made friends with the grocers at my local Safeway and Trader Joe’s – so I can find out when the newest stuff comes in. I’ve also, through trial and error, learned what produce I should buy at the local organic store, what’s worth the extra money at Whole Foods, and what I should never buy out of season (like berries!).
We recently moved to a new area so I had to shop around for awhile until I found the stores with the freshest produce!
Thanks for the great idea Diana! I actually don’t live in NYC, but have family who have used this service and the food always is fresh and delicious when they cook it!
I also want to make a comment, as an anthropologist who studies the impact of the social environment on health. It seems to me that a food delivery service like Fresh Direct could help alleviate the problem of what is sometimes referred to as “food deserts” in many urban regions, where there are no large grocery stores within walking or short driving distance from a lot of low income neighborhoods. As a result, people in these neighborhoods end up shopping for their main groceries at corner convenience shops where fresh fruit and veggies are rarely available, and often outrageously overpriced. An option like Fresh Direct could really help address this neighborhood shortage of diverse fresh produce at affordable prices, bringing relief to the food deserts and delivering fresh produce to the doors of people who don’t have the funds or the time to travel to find it!
I love Fresh Direct! My poor husband used to hear me complain about grocery shopping nonstop, and I swear Fresh Direct has saved our marriage :-) I especially love how easy they make it to see, duplicate and/or edit all my past orders. I could probably get all my shopping done with them in five minutes or less. It’s amazing.
I always take my time in the produce section. Smell it and feel it. If it doesn’t seem right to you, it’s not fresh.
The tweet: https://twitter.com/ProgressiveGrae/status/313741688889815040
I always go to Viet Hoa, an Asian market near me, for green leafy veggies on Thursdays since I found out that’s when they carry fresh produce. I’d then go to Mexican stores/markets to buy meat and ask them to grind for me, instead of getting pre-ground, frozen pork/beef/chicken from supermarkets
Wow, I’d love to try fresh Direct!
My tweet here: https://twitter.com/lilysheng/status/313757202080997376
Thanks for the giveaway!
I always hit up my local farmer’s market when I get the chance! Nothing beats fresh produce straight from the source!
i recently moved to the DC area & am lamenting the lack of access to asian grocery stores for those of us without cars. interestingly enough, i live in one of those ‘food deserts’ mentioned by amy non, where the closest place to get affordably priced groceries is about a half hour walk away. totally do-able, though rather inconvenient on the trip back home when you’re laden with foodstuffs & drinks.
My tips for getting the freshest and cost friendly produce:
1. Always check your grocers weekly ads!
2. Shop seasonally! Checking the ads will also help you know what’s in season.
3. Hit up the farmer’s market!
4. Know which stores you like to go to for certain products. I’ve grown accustomed to what my grocers carry and who carries the best product for the most budget friendly price.
I look for items that are in season in our local markets whenever possible.
fresh things are thew best!
Tweet – https://twitter.com/bittripfan/status/313809842143907840
When we first moved to NYC we used Fresh Direct almost every week for our groceries because of our busy schedules. I enjoy going to the store and farmers market myself so we don’t use it as much anymore but it’s a great alternative for people who don’t have the time. The online shopping helps you make good choices that help you plan your meals. We were always pleased with their produce section.
I know a lot of people promote farmers markets, but I’ve had better luck with getting fresh produce from CSAs. Some people don’t like the surprise aspect of what’s in the box, but I thought that was part of the joy in opening my box every (other) week.
This is a neat idea! Gourmet foods delivered at your doorstep. I can see this being especially convenient for meats, as you describe. You can’t go wrong with fresh cuts of meat any time you need it!
check local grocer ads
nickieisis3atgmaildotcom
we subscribed to a local farming co-op and they give us a list of items every two weeks, all natural and organic.
I often shop our local farmer’s markets to find the best frsh and local ingredients!
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 @ gmail dot com
tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/314024046574587904
wildorchid985 @ gmail dot com
I’m a long-time NYC resident and have always been thinking about giving them a try, but wasn’t sure what the expect for fruit/vegetable quality. Thanks for sharing your experience, this definitely makes me want to give them a try now.
I recently got into smartphone apps and having my pantry organized on my phone has become such a great resource when I’m out shopping to stop me from buying duplicate items just because I had an idle thought about lettuce. Less produce rotting in the fridge! More fresh produce in my belly!
I like to shop at local produce stands for the freshest fruits and vegetables and get my meat from a local butcher.
https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/314050544111071234
I ask questions in the produce department about the freshness of their products.
Tweet
https://twitter.com/clc408/status/314090066051989504
I shop the local fruit stands (surrounded by orange groves) for citrus and farmers markets
i look for local fruits and vegggies grown from amish
Shop in season and / or at farmers markets. Even better… Grow your own!
I shop Farmer’s Markets and also love pick-your-own farms for in season fruits and veggies!
https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/314215682625642496
I find the freshest food at farmer’s markets.
tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/314352548431663107
I go to local farmers markets to buy fresh food. Everything from them tastes so much better than in the supermarkets
https://twitter.com/aes529/status/314421238695084032
I shop at International Food Market where I always find the freshest produce
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/314426071191781376
I find the freshest produce when I take a drive to the country, lol, it’s true!
tweet
https://twitter.com/mngirlinssp/status/314436539885178880
I take my time in the produce department and will ask the employees there.
My product-shopping tricks and tips to finding the freshest, quality food is buy in season and ask the seller. Very often, they know what’s best and why not ask the experts, right? :)
amy [at] utry [dot] it
tweeted:
https://twitter.com/uTry_it/status/314634173296029698
amy [at] utry [dot] it
i give the produce a once over to make sure it’s not already rotting
For fresh food, I usually ask around! I’m not very good at selecting great product.
love to find the freshest fruit at the farmer’s markets!
We farm, so most of my freshest produce comes direct from our garden!