I got a date with the night
May 11, 2011 7:54 PM Subscribe
Where can I get awesome dates? (The kind you eat, not the kind you go on). NYC or online.
When I was in the mid east a few years ago I had some amazing dates. Came back to the states and the dates are pretty meh. I return to my more-or-less satisfied dateless existence.
In the last few months Mrs. HotBot has really gotten into dates. Is there someplace online or in New York City I can buy extraordinary dates. Dates where you would be like "No. Really. HAVE A DATE." What names / brands of dates should I look for?
When I was in the mid east a few years ago I had some amazing dates. Came back to the states and the dates are pretty meh. I return to my more-or-less satisfied dateless existence.
In the last few months Mrs. HotBot has really gotten into dates. Is there someplace online or in New York City I can buy extraordinary dates. Dates where you would be like "No. Really. HAVE A DATE." What names / brands of dates should I look for?
I usually buy the ones at Trader Joe's and they are OK - sometimes you get a batch that is really good, sometimes not. My roommate bought some from Costco (the Costco brand) and said they were much, much better. I only had one but it was quite moist and fresh tasting. I've never been to the Mid East so I can't compare.
posted by 3FLryan at 8:17 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by 3FLryan at 8:17 PM on May 11, 2011
YAY DATES!
Get the giant jumbo medjool dates at Kalyustan's, on 29th and Lex. They have large dates, jumbo dates, and 'giant large jumbo dates', if I recall correctly. They're enormous and juicy soft, and so great.
posted by suedehead at 8:17 PM on May 11, 2011 [3 favorites]
Get the giant jumbo medjool dates at Kalyustan's, on 29th and Lex. They have large dates, jumbo dates, and 'giant large jumbo dates', if I recall correctly. They're enormous and juicy soft, and so great.
posted by suedehead at 8:17 PM on May 11, 2011 [3 favorites]
Best answer: The Date People have been highly recommended to me by someone who told me earnestly and emphatically that their dates are so good it's worth dealing with the fact that they're kinda flakey. Like not having updated their website in more than a year. But apparently if you phone them they'll fax you a current price list.
posted by Lexica at 8:32 PM on May 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Lexica at 8:32 PM on May 11, 2011 [2 favorites]
When I used to be a produce buyer I would sometimes order special/odd dates from The Date People. I haven't had any for years now, but I recall some of their dates as being the best I'd ever had. Ask them what's good and in season, and maybe try a sampler.
What struck me, though, was the range of date cultivars/varieties that I'd never had--it's generally really hard to find anything other than medjools and deglet noors in the United States, and there's a huge range of other flavors and textures. While good medjools can be really good, you should try some barhis, which I remember particularly liking.
posted by pullayup at 8:39 PM on May 11, 2011
What struck me, though, was the range of date cultivars/varieties that I'd never had--it's generally really hard to find anything other than medjools and deglet noors in the United States, and there's a huge range of other flavors and textures. While good medjools can be really good, you should try some barhis, which I remember particularly liking.
posted by pullayup at 8:39 PM on May 11, 2011
Oh, and I can second the "flakey" as well as the recommendation, though it was kind of par for the course in the natural foods world.
posted by pullayup at 8:42 PM on May 11, 2011
posted by pullayup at 8:42 PM on May 11, 2011
Best answer: Sahadi's and Kalustyan's are my go to places for anything Mediterranean.
Ordering a ubiquitious food item online in NYC is a crime. Let alone calling some company and having them fax you a price list. Why the fuck would you do that? Go to a store and buy some dates. This is New York.
posted by Sara C. at 9:36 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
Ordering a ubiquitious food item online in NYC is a crime. Let alone calling some company and having them fax you a price list. Why the fuck would you do that? Go to a store and buy some dates. This is New York.
posted by Sara C. at 9:36 PM on May 11, 2011 [1 favorite]
I also adore dates and have yet to order from this place but the Times article about it made me drool;
flying disc ranch
ny times article about flying disc ranch dates
posted by beckish at 9:56 PM on May 11, 2011
flying disc ranch
ny times article about flying disc ranch dates
posted by beckish at 9:56 PM on May 11, 2011
I have really gotten into Medjool dates lately too, but I've only had them here in NYC so I can't say I'm an authoritative source. That being said, I have noticed a wide range in quality, but you can get pretty good at picking the good ones by looks alone.
One trick I found was to go to a place that sells them by the pound. For example, Westside Markets seem to have them like this, as well as some smaller health food stores (the kinds with plastic bins of random things just like this). Then, you can pick just the ones you want -- if you've eaten enough of them, you can tell visually which ones are probably going to be best...and a light tong-squeeze can help you narrow down your picks as well. However, the last time I went there, I could tell that everyone else had been doing this as well, because the pickings were pretty bottom of the barrel.
Once you get good, I would also recommend only buying as many as you would feel comfortable eating -- because I find that I will immediately eat as many as I buy and that can be a bad idea if I buy a LOT.
posted by This_Will_Be_Good at 10:39 PM on May 11, 2011
One trick I found was to go to a place that sells them by the pound. For example, Westside Markets seem to have them like this, as well as some smaller health food stores (the kinds with plastic bins of random things just like this). Then, you can pick just the ones you want -- if you've eaten enough of them, you can tell visually which ones are probably going to be best...and a light tong-squeeze can help you narrow down your picks as well. However, the last time I went there, I could tell that everyone else had been doing this as well, because the pickings were pretty bottom of the barrel.
Once you get good, I would also recommend only buying as many as you would feel comfortable eating -- because I find that I will immediately eat as many as I buy and that can be a bad idea if I buy a LOT.
posted by This_Will_Be_Good at 10:39 PM on May 11, 2011
I haven't been there for them myself, but my friend absolutely swears by Sahadi's in Brooklyn Heights.
posted by mlle valentine at 4:26 AM on May 12, 2011
posted by mlle valentine at 4:26 AM on May 12, 2011
Thirding Sahadi's: big and almost gooey with honey sweetness. They'll let (even insist that) you try one before you buy. And once there you'll want more than dates. They've got amazing everything.
posted by taramosalata at 6:45 AM on May 12, 2011
posted by taramosalata at 6:45 AM on May 12, 2011
To pimp a local business here in Arizona I'd recommend Sphinx Date Ranch. They have quality dates.
posted by BryanPayne at 10:24 AM on May 12, 2011
posted by BryanPayne at 10:24 AM on May 12, 2011
http://www.kalustyans.com/
Also saying kalustyan's- ask for the big really good ones, they'll know which ones I mean. I have given those to Arabs from all over- Yemen comes to mind- saying that they're the best dates I've ever had- they didn't believe me at all that they could be better than anything they'd tried but then OHHHH first bite! So good!
posted by saraindc at 1:37 PM on May 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
Also saying kalustyan's- ask for the big really good ones, they'll know which ones I mean. I have given those to Arabs from all over- Yemen comes to mind- saying that they're the best dates I've ever had- they didn't believe me at all that they could be better than anything they'd tried but then OHHHH first bite! So good!
posted by saraindc at 1:37 PM on May 12, 2011 [1 favorite]
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posted by blargerz at 8:11 PM on May 11, 2011