Chilly Reception at Fort Greene's L'Epicerie?
We’ve been hearing a lot of people complaining about the bad vibes at gourmet market L’Epicerie on Vanderbilt. Evidently, the owners aren’t exactly winning customers over with their warm and fuzzy interpersonal skills. How have readers’ experiences been recently?
We’ve been hearing a lot of people complaining about the bad vibes at gourmet market L’Epicerie on Vanderbilt. Evidently, the owners aren’t exactly winning customers over with their warm and fuzzy interpersonal skills. How have readers’ experiences been recently?
i agree with the last poster in PAST tense. it just isn’t what it was. and the cheese could be a better selection. i agree with whoever cited bedford cheese – that place is amazing – if we could get them to open up a place here I would be in hog heaven…
I LOVE this place–they make the best Pan Bagnat (the other sandwiches are killer too); have the best selection of produce and cheese in the neighborhood, and exude a chill, cozy vibe. I can’t say I agree with the other posters..maybe I’ve just been lucky, but Epicerie is one of the gems of the hood, in my opinion…where else to buy delish Pate and Amy’s Bread just a few blocks from home??
Maybe because I wasn’t buying bread and cheese there, but clothes, perfume, stockings, linens, etc., etc. — normal department store stuff. The saleswomen (always women in my experience) spend all their time talking to each other, never offer to help you (with the exception of the designer clothes floor — they’re very nice there), and when you have the nerve to go over to one of them to ask for something, she sighs, rolls her eyes, and makes it quite plain that you’re ruining her day before answering your question or trudging over to the cash register to allow you the privilege of giving her money.
I must say the worst offenders here are the saleswomen in the ladies’ (non-designer) department of Le Bon Marche, which otherwise is my favourite Paris department store, because it’s much less frequented by tourists.
And why would you live in Paris and buy your baguettes and cheese at Galeries Lafayette, when there’s an excellent boulangerie on just about every block and even the grocery stores have good cheese (and cheap creme fraiche — I am so tired of shelling out $4 a tub for the stuff at Whole Foods that isn’t even as good as Carrefour’s own brand!)?
the place on grand and lafayette is set to open soonish and the owners seem very nice…would also be a great addition to that block – the red cafe on grand is a wonderful atmosphere and the owners are unbelievably nice, good sandwiches, salads. everytime i go in with my daughter, they literally light up and greet us. the health food store next door to them is a bit odd though. very empty shelves – feels front-ish, though doesn’t seem to be the situation. i’ve heard the dry cleaner further down the block is the drop off for pay offs by the crack dealers to the 88th…
by the way, those of you extolling the virtues of their cheeses…are you kidding me? go to bedford cheese in williamsburg and then tell me about their great selection. the last time i bought cheese at L’epicerie, it was moldy – and not supposed to be…
i remember the parents there and they were great if you were a repeat customer, but the owner now needs to work on developing his own relationship with customers, not coasting on the goodwill people have for his parents, if he is the son…?
Come visit the nice French shopowners of Cobble Hill, like the guy who owns the deli on the park and the folks at The Pit Stop. Tres sympa!
I lived in Paris for 10 years and went into the grands magasins a la Galeries Lafayette about four times a week pour le pain et le fromage. I always found the workers there to be warm and sweet. Why do you think you had such problems Babs?
I really don’t care about the rudeness. The rotten produce, however, drives me nuts.
So close to one-stop shopping, yet so far. If those folks on Layayette and Grand know what they are doing, L’Epicerie might soon be going the way of A Table (which I don’t miss at all).
What does anyone know about the place opening on Grand and Lafayette? Details! Details!