Late Night, Manhattan, Opening/Coming Soon, Shopping, Upper East Side, Various Locations, YorkvilleKerry Alaric CheeseboroJuly 30, 2011bread, chain, egg, eggs, Fairway, Fairway Market, fish, fried, groceries, grocers, market, mayo, mayonnaise, mustard, onion, radish, roll, salami, salmon, sandwich, seafood, shopping, smoked, sopprasata, sprouts, store, supermarket, toasted, ues, Upper East Side, Various LocationsComment

Landing On The Fairway

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YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW AFTER the long, slow summer that has been obstructive subway construction and oppressive heat "domes", the Upper East Side of Manhattan was long overdue for a break of good news. Many neighborhoodians believe they got just that with the seemingly expedient opening of a Fairway Market right on the main thoroughfare of 86th St.

Taking over the spaces previously home to both Circuit City and Barnes & Noble, the place was naturally overrun with curiosity seekers and eventual customers who were making their first visit just a tour to educate themselves to the vast market's layout. I was of course surveying the expanse just an hour after they open, able to take these few pics of the produce and cheese "stations" before I was informed by security that Fairway had a storewide policy of no indoor photography.

Fairway Market

Off put, I decided to go home and took a day to refocus my energies, the following morning being spurned into action by the desire to try a new recipe for a breakfast sandwich. Getting to Fairway just after 7 am, when they open (they stay open daily until midnight), I was surprised to find not only scores of other people who were trying to beat the upcoming rush, but that the place was easier to navigate than expected.

I quickly and easily tendered a quarter pound of smoked salmon, a dozen extra large eggs, a quarter pound of hot sopprasata, 3 cans of tuna (solid white in water—the only way to go!), several stalks on scallions, a freshly baked onion roll, and a small container of radish sprouts for less than twenty bucks.

Once I got home, I constructed a most delicious sandwich of fried egg, smoked salmon, sopprasata, and radish sprouts, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and served on a mustard-toasted onion roll. I didn't realize that my camera battery had died until it was too late, so I had to take the first picture of ths sandwich with my iPod Touch's camera.

Fried Egg, Smoked Salmon, Sopprasata Sandwich

I had plenty salmon, eggs, sprouts, and sopprasata left over then next day, so I threw some ricotto cheese into the mix—literally and figuratively—and made myself a yummy, not-so-little omelet.

Smoked Salmon and Sopprasata Omelet

On the third day, finally depleting my supply of the smoked salmon and sopp' (plenty of eggs and sprouts left over, and I haven't even touched the tuna fish yet), I recreated my fried egg sandwich masterpiece, this time with camera ready.

Fried Egg, Smoked Salmon, Sopprasata Sandwich

Some local folks are not as happy about this new Fairway. They've seen local, generationally-run, mom & pop shops exponentially eradicated as city government turn neighborhoods into business opportunities. They worry about the "mall-ification" of their hometown. I grew up in Morningside Heights right by the original one; it was located in a far poorer neighborhood and at the time was considered a godsend.

But a new reality has hit the poor, "the just getting by", and even some of the wealthy: if you can get it cheaper, go for it!

When Food Emporium first opened up (kitty corner from where Fairway is now), folks were excited about a place that would have greater and pricier food and grocery selections that stalwart Gristede's not even a full block east on 86th. At Food Emporium you had an actual butcher, so you could get a cowboy steak, trimed, or a tub of white truffle butter, with your Wheat Thins and Bounty Paper Towel. Gristede's spent almost two decades trying to catch up.

Now, Food Emporium will probably have to try to catch "down" to Fairway, since Fairway does everything the Emporium does, (just cheaper, for now...), as well as has an expanded "international" section (a whole row just for English foods!)

Yes, I too miss the old-style Morrocan, Irish, German, Hungarian restaurants and markets that used to dot Yorkville, but Yorkvillians complained years ago about the influx on sushi restaurants and now they can't get enough of the stuff. (Same with Thai food, nowadays.) And, with an "it could be worse" backwards kind of optimism, that space could have housed any number of fast food chains, trendy restaurants, or any other large-scale branding headquarters.

If people want to say that Fairway fits into that category, so be it! I'd agree with you, but I'm too busy eating a smoked salmon, hot sopprasata & fried egg sandwich with radish sprouts, and it only cost me about 2 bucks!

Bun Apple Tea!

.kac.

Kerry Alaric Cheeseboro