Tyler R.
Yelp
Groceries on the Hudson, stop #3.
The AMEX black card of food type stores, Whole Foods can be your one stop for a week's worth of groceries. Organic, healthy (choice dependent), and natural - all at a price. Which is then inflated. Twice.
Once you get here (after 400 lights), there is a very nice view of Manhattan, and you can walk right up to the river if you want to take a picture or 12.
Parking here can be slow and tight, and the store itself is plagued with slow-shoppers, fruit-touchers, meat-thinkers, cheese-evaluators, bread-philosphers, hot bar loiterers, and overall slow decision makers at the busiest (and not so busy) times of the day. So don't be in a hurry.
Food? Food.
I really like Quaker rice cakes. I'm sure they have bad stuff in them, but at 50 calories, any bad stuff can't be that bad. However, WF does not sell these, and the organic rice cakes WF sells fall apart. Quickly. When I try and spread peanut butter on them, crumble city. I suppose that's the only down side here (besides the prices)...you likely won't find many of the brands you are used to. I know this is oddly specific, but i'm sure you will find your version of my "rice cakes" story somewhere.
But overall, new brands are good, because 365 makes really tasty stuff, it is good for you (or at least comparatively better than high fructose corn syrup type food), and the price point is reasonable. Some other brands...let's just say $10 for a jar of pasta sauce is kind of a lot.
The fish, meat, cheese, prepared food and hot food (and salad) bar can NOT be beat. If I had the means, most of my dinners would come from here. This particular location has a great selection every time I go in, so I try not to come hungry to avoid added, unplanned (cough indian food and naan) food in my cart.
Come here for: meat and fish (aim for what's on sale), select produce (carrots specifically), 365 branded chips, milk, OJ, breads, frozen items, etc., and the oh so delicious hot bar. Avoid heavy items in the weighed sections and surprisingly high priced small brand (unless you have a specific reason for purchasing) items.
I can get in and out for $100 coming home with a week's worth of very carefully selected groceries (I definitely plan my recipes while I am there, many of them involve grilling meat with salad) but it is extremely easy to go over. It's really hard when the whole store SMELLS SO GOOD AND I WANT TO GET THE EVERYTHING.