A Manhattan Foodie Tradiiton Is Gone-Balducci's Closes

Manhattan foodies will no doubt be sad these days. A great tradition, Balducci's is closing it's one Chelsea's store (however the suburbans ones will remain open). This means the end of an era for generations of New York gourmets. True, there are smaller stores but none can rival the great Balducci's

The store started in 1916 in Brooklyn but it was in 1947 that Louis Balducci introduced gourmet food to post war Manhattanites. It had several locations and the Greenwich Village location (closed in 2003) was frequently mentioned on the TV show Will & Grace. Balducci's introduced new Yorkers of all nationalities to good international ingredients such as goat cheese and fresh made pastas. I visited the Chelsea one a few years ago and marveled at their selection of cheeses and breads.It was a bit daunting, kind of like being in the Bloomingdales or Saks Fifth Avenue of food stores but interesting nonetheless. Luckily for suburbanites there will be Balducci's in the suburbs.

For people living in Chelsea , there's still D'Agastino's and Greenwich Village does offer Gourmet Garage (who has the best Parker House rolls in the area) and Jefferson Market. Both are on 6th Ave and offer a wide array of different cheese, meats and hot foods. They also have splendid cakes, rolls and fresh made bread and bagels (for visitors to New York this summer, stop at these two place for a lunch and a soda. They may not fill in what Balducci's left but they're still well stocked groceries.

It's the end of an era for new York foodies however there are many other shops and stores that can sort of replace Balducci's. It not there's the suburbs and the train trip out. It may be worth a ride to get your favorite gourmet goodies and treats.