Eli Zabar's Upper East Side
Where the gourmet food pioneer frequents in his neighborhood + LINKS
My Neighborhood is a Saturday column that serves as an alternative to Plugs. It’s where someone of note (with great taste) shares their five go-to spots in the neighborhood where they live or work. My Neighborhood is for paid subscribers of The Angel only; upgrade your subscription for all-access!
#3 is Eli Zabar, a grocer, baker, and the proprietor of the Upper East Side gourmet food empire that includes Eli’s Market (grocery store), E.A.T (deli and café), Eli’s Essentials (grab-and-go), Eli’s List (wine and spirits), and Eli’s Table (neighborhood restaurant and wine bar). He also runs Eli’s Bread, an artisanal wholesale bakery producing naturally leavened, slowly fermented loaves found across the city, including at FreshDirect, and Zabar’s, of course. Eli is the youngest son of Louis and Lillian Zabar, the founders of the Upper West Side appetizing institution; while his older brothers carried on the family business, he struck out on the East Side and built a world of his own. He’s currently excited about what’s seasonal at the market: jumbo white asparagus from Holland, fava beans, purple artichokes, purple asparagus, first-of-season California asparagus, white baby turnips, soft shell crabs, and prime ribeye steaks from Maryland, dry-aged 40 days. Here’s Eli with his five essential UES spots.
S. Feldman Housewares
Feldman’s solves almost any problem. Not every problem, but almost every one. It’s a hardware store and an appliance store and a gift store in one. It’s a family-run operation that’s almost a century old.
