Choice Greene Delivers
Posted on 25. Jan, 2010 by Kate Hanley in Hill Top Reviews
All photos by Scott Rodenhizer
I know what you might be thinking… does Clinton Hill really need a frou frou food market, with fancy-pants bacon and handmade ricotta cheese? But when said market offers many of the pastries from the perpetually crowded Choice Market with none of the wait, and you can also pick up a perfectly cooked organic rotisserie chicken (for $15.99, including one side dish), the one pantry staple you’ve run out of, and a present for the hostess of the dinner party you’re attending this weekend (such as salted caramels from Brooklyn chocolatier Nunu), the answer is an unequivocal yes.
All photos by Scott Rodenhizer
Choice Greene is owned by the same folks who run Choice Market (on Lafayette and Grand) and Choice Atlantic (on Atlantic near Grand), and it is a modern interpretation of an old-fashioned market. It’s geared to the home cook who wants the freshest and highest quality ingredients—cheeses, charcuterie, fish, produce, and bread—but it also offers plenty of prepared foods for those of us who don’t have the time or inclination to do the cooking ourselves—including work-of-art sandwiches (typically there are three varieties of sandwiches available on any given day), soup, sushi, and quiches. It also offers a low-key, BYOB hangout spot on its back deck—you can take your sandwich or sushi outside, or reserve the space for a birthday party at no charge. The 650-square-foot deck isn’t heated or covered, yet, although there are plans to do so some day—so don’t plan on eating outside unless the weather is nice.
Everything they sell at Choice Greene is hand-selected: the owner, Thierry Cabigeos, and sushi chef Seito Katsu, formerly of Blue Ribbon Sushi, travel to the Hunts Point Market in the Bronx twice a week (insider tip: market days are generally Mondays and Fridays, meaning the fish is freshest on Tuesdays and Saturdays, although this is subject to change). And the selections include a nice blend of local—including honey and ricotta from Brooklyn and milk and produce from the Hudson Valley—and international—with European butter and cheeses, Japanese sushi rice, and Asian hot sauce. The prices may be higher than the average bodega or supermarket—the sandwiches are $7.95, for example—but you aren’t getting your typical Boar’s Head and shredded iceberg on a roll, either (a recent daily sandwich offered roasted salmon, baby arugula, BBQ sauce, capers, and mushrooms). A little bit of this food will go a long way to making a meal memorable. They also cater, offering platters of cheese and smoked meats, sandwiches, and sushi.
The next time you think you need to travel to Park Slope or Carroll Gardens for that perfect ingredient or takeout dinner, put away your Metro Card, hang up your car keys, and walk over to Greene and Grand instead. Your taste buds will thank you.
