Where can I find deep-South groceries in New York City?

August 2, 2004 12:28 PM

My wife and I live in New York City, but she's from the Deep South (Alabama). She's often miffed that when she goes to a grocery store in the city, she can't find food and treats that she grew up with (i.e. Goo Goo Clusters). I know you can order a lot of stuff online, but I was wondering -- since there are Korean grocery stores and Indian grocery stores (and even British grocery stores) in NYC -- is there a Southern U.S. grocery store? If not, is there a central website for ordering Southern food products (rather than multiple websites of various product manufacturers)?
posted by grumblebee to food & drink (15 answers total)

Paging Dr. Jonmc. Dr. Jonmc, your presence is requested in AskMe thread 9115...
posted by adampsyche at 12:30 PM on August 2, 2004

Amazon
posted by mookieproof at 12:51 PM on August 2, 2004

Chitlins!
posted by mookieproof at 12:52 PM on August 2, 2004

Chitlins!

That's hand-cleaned chitlins, mookie. The hand-cleaning is the most important part. ::swoon::
posted by ChrisTN at 1:55 PM on August 2, 2004

And to answer the question you specifically didn't ask, you can order Goo Goos online (although the actual Goo Goo home page seems to be FUBAR at the moment, at least on my browser). Or hell, let me know, and I'll do a grocery run for whatever I can get my hands on for your wife and UPS it to you. I can only imagine her pain, a southern belle trapped in the cold, harsh North, surrounded by Yankees all the live-long day. ::swoon::

(I think this marks the first time I've ever swooned twice in one thread. A new record!)
posted by ChrisTN at 2:10 PM on August 2, 2004

Aaaaand Google says... Tennessee Smokehouse & Southern Groceries!
posted by nicwolff at 2:12 PM on August 2, 2004

One of my favorites for all regional goodies, not just Southern, is Hometown Favorites.

And a good one for candy, though I think you have to order in large quantities, Candy Direct.
posted by GaelFC at 3:58 PM on August 2, 2004

Think a lot of common brand items sold in your grocery stores are regional. You may have her make a list and see if google has the item under a different brand or name. Have had this problem with taco sauce, hair spray & laundry pre-wash stain removing solutions.
posted by thomcatspike at 4:35 PM on August 2, 2004

Also the item she may be looking for may be placed in an area of the store, that she would not look for it there.
posted by thomcatspike at 4:37 PM on August 2, 2004

Speaking as a person of southern extraction in a decidedly northern area, I've occasionally found that groceries in and around traditionally African-American communities will have the items I crave. Maybe find out what convenience stores Bill Clinton pops into when he's hanging out in Harlem?
posted by gimonca at 8:09 PM on August 2, 2004

You know, they got "Cajun" everything up here, 95% of it bogus, but I can almost guarantee you nobody in history ever went looking for lutefisk in Lake Charles.
posted by gimonca at 8:13 PM on August 2, 2004

I've managed to get Goo Goo Supremes (quite possible the peak of Western Civilization) and other regional goodies at Dylan's Candy Bar. The prices are a bit steep but the atmosphere is a treat.

For southern dinner type eatin', your best bets might be Soul Food joints uptown, like M&G Diner on 125th, which has great smothered pork chops, candied yams and collards. At least to this damyankees tounge.
posted by jonmc at 9:58 PM on August 2, 2004

Can we work out a MefiSwap for food?

I'm perfectly willing to fed-ex bagels, fixin's (whitefish, lox, etc.), corned beef, or other NYC treats down to misplaced mefites in the south. In exchange for some grapefruit -sized peaches from Anderson, SC. I dunno if the BBQ would make the trip.

What do y'all say?

[p.s. - I'm also interested in getting a deep dish pie from Gino's East or Giordano's in Chicago.]
posted by zpousman at 6:50 AM on August 3, 2004

Gino's East ships, zpousman
posted by GaelFC at 9:36 AM on August 3, 2004

Also if you don't want to do the online thing, the nice people at FAIRWAY will order pretty much anything if you ask them nicely.
posted by headless at 4:17 PM on August 3, 2004