Grocers and Markets and Co-ops, Oh My!

Lunch and dinner will be provided almost every day during BTFO, but sooner or later you are going to have to buy some groceries. There are several options within walking or driving distance, and it will come down to how you want to source your food. Here we have detailed some of our favorite options.

Elm City Market (777 Chapel Street)

Elm City Market shortly after its grand opening.

Elm City is New Haven's very own (and very new) food co-op! Because of Patrick's roots in very crunchy, very loca-vore, very farm-to-table Asheville, NC, this is where he does most of this shopping. Everything comes from local and regional farms, no matter the season, and there is always an interesting selection, often with a few items you may have never seen before. Prices are standard from a nearly-all-natural-and-organic local market, but you are paying for quality and to support the local farm culture. (Though oftentimes the produce is cheaper here than at other places in New Haven.) There is also a café (complete with Wifi) with different options each day, all of them tasty, as well as cut flowers, a bakery, a deli, a dairy, and a huge bins of dried goods in bulk. They have an entire department devoted to cheese! Everything is clearly labeled for gluten-free, kosher, vegan, organic, local, etc., and there is a surprising range of options for standard items. What makes ECM stand out for many is that they host classes, workshops, and events throughout the year to both educate and have fun with their customers and community. These events include tastings, cooking classes, and talks with local foodies or health wizards, and many of them are free or cheap.


Edge of the Woods (379 Whalley Ave)

Don't be fooled by its distance from actual woods.

Edge of the Woods Natural Market is where Esther does (most of) her grocery shopping. They have a great selection of organic and/or locally grown produce, excellent vegan, gluten-free, and natural food options, everything is organic and fair-trade and all the good stuff. Unlike the "Natural Foods" section of a larger store, there are options within options! Prices are surprisingly competitive with the larger supermarkets, even without a discount card. As if by magic, some of the items you are seeking out are always on sale, and even if you are distracted by a candy bar on your way out, at least it's organic fair-trade chocolate with 75% of the proceeds going towards jungle animal rescue or something. How can you turn that down? There is also a bakery and cafe attached, so you could grab coffee or lunch as well as your groceries for the week. Like many stores of its type, it is assumed that you will bring your own reusable bags, and that you will bag your own items.  

Nica's Market (603 Orange Street)
P&M Orange Street Market (721 Orange Street)
Romeo & Cesare's Gourmet Shop (771 Orange Street)

Nica's Market has a wonderful selection of fresh greens all year long.

Orange Street—the "main street" of East Rock—has three local delis/bodegas all within 6 blocks of each other, which are all very similar in style: Nica's, Orange Street, and Romeo & Cesare's. The owners/operators of at least two of the three are related to each other, which is a common theme in the New Haven Italian community (see the Pepe's/Sally's divide.) They are all smaller than the other grocery options, but have an selections of fresh, seasonal produce (some more local and/or organic than others). They're all close to campus and to many grad students' houses in the East Rock neighborhood, so they're also convenient if you need to run out for a tomato or some peppers for dinner. Loyalty to one over another typically falls upon which is closer to where people live. All are also gourmet shops, so there's a great selection of artisan foods but the prices at all three are there to match. They also have delicious prepared foods, like paninis, salads, or pizza, along with (variously) coffee bars, bakeries, gelaterias, and delis. Each also have outdoor patios if you wanted to grab a bite to eat and sit for a while - they're all in this sense much more of social markets than grocery stores.


CitySeed Farmer's Markets (Location varies depending on day of the week) Seasonal

The Downtown farmer's Market.

Throughout the summer and fall, New Haven becomes home to several farmer's markets. The largest of these is located in Wooster Square and happens on Saturday mornings. Depending on where you live, the closer option may be Edgewood Park (Sundays) or Downtown (Wednesdays), but if you have the time you should definitely check out the various markets just to see which vendors are out there. Farmer's Markets are obviously going to be the best place to get local produce, and it's a great way to connect to vendors and growers directly, especially if you are looking to purchase a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture share) for the season. It's not all produce, of course, and several bakeries, speciality eateries, and local restaurants have booths as well. CitySeed began as an initiative for producers-only markets, so you will be getting everything directly from the people producing it, which is a comfort to many. Prices will vary depending on the stall and the time of season, but they are generally competitive with larger stores, with the added benefit of knowing exactly where the food came from and who grew it.

Stop and Shop (1245 Dixwell Avenue, 2335 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden, or 150 Whalley Avenue, New Haven)

Finally, there are three Stop and Shops located relatively nearby. There is one within walking distance of downtown New Haven, and two in nearby Hamden. These two are near one another and for some reason most Div students tend to go to the farther one. Esther just learned this and is absolutely confounded by why people make such weird choices; Patrick thinks the further one is cleaner and more spacious overall, as well as being closer to the (cheap) warehouse package store Liquor Land. Stop and Shop is a huge chain, and so of course they have a huge selection. Produce varies on the season, but you can usually find what you're looking for in one form or another. The selection of organic produce can be sometimes disappointing, and they don't always label what is local and what is shipped in from far away. They each have a small bakery, a natural foods section, a pharmacy, quite a bit of produce, and the largest and farthest one also houses a Dunkin Donuts. If you are going to go this route you should look into getting a Stop and Shop card because you really will save quite a bit of cash. If you drive, there is the added bonus of acquiring gas points with any Shell gas station. The Yale shuttle runs to and from the Whalley Ave. Stop and Shop every weekend as part of its regular weekend loop, so if you don't have a car you can still get to and from the grocery store with relative ease.


These are only some of your grocer options—there are numerous small markets and delis, corner stores, and probably a few other big ones that we just don't know much about. At the very least, when you first get to New Haven we hope you can find your way to any one of these fine establishments for sustenance—please don't starve your first week here.