Blue Apron Fine Foods

Profile

Located on the garden level of a Park Slope brownstone, this gourmet shop is a veritable cornucopia of high-end charcuterie, unusual sweets, and locally roasted coffee. Products here come from near and far, and not much in between: Co-owner Alan Palmer emphasizes local items—handmade ricotta from Boerum Hill’s Lunetta and bologna from Karl Ehmer, a German butcher in Queens—and specialty international goods, like Danish salted licorice, British chocolates, and Latini pasta. An impressive array of breads, quiches, and cupcakes is assembled from various local bakeries, and the shop prepares ready-made sandwiches from in-store ingredients. Palmer used to work for Dean & Deluca, Balducci’s, and the food shop at Bloomingdale's, and touches of the famous foodie spots are evident in the tantalizingly displayed cheese and charcuterie counters. But shopping at Blue Apron is like renting videos from Kim’s instead of Blockbuster, while the hands-on staff has tasted everything and is eager offer up suggestions, you may catch them smirking if you mispronounce “Camembert” or “touristenwurst.” — Hannah Geller

Blue Apron was awarded a Slow Food NYC "Snail of Approval" for its commitment to local and artisanal products.