Comments on: NJ Dining: Union City Exploratory Expedition #1

By: Kaze

Kaze — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:49:23 +0000

There’s no such thing as “Good ol’ USA” anywhere in the USA because there’s no such thing as a non-multi-cultural funded USA. This country was made by immigrants with multiple cultures, for immigrants with multiple cultures.
It’s silly to even claim that such USA shouldn’t exist. There mere statement contradicts itself to levels you can’t even imagine.

By: dave

dave — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 15:52:49 +0000

It’s ironic…to me….the rich variety of people and cultures in this area feels more like the “good old USA” than the ultra-corporate A&P Fresh Market…
The best is actually going into one of these markets with a white face and speaking Spanish to them (albeit poor Spanish) But I don’t care. And neither do the people listening to me. Shopping in this area makes marketing kinda fun and makes me happy I live in such an area. A&P Fresh Market makes going to the market feel like it does at any cookie-cutter supermarket in America.

By: NJ Dining: Giant Farmers Market « Off The Broiler

NJ Dining: Giant Farmers Market « Off The Broiler — Fri, 11 May 2007 16:55:33 +0000

[...] I love going into Union City and the Bronx to shop for ethnic ingredients and produce, sometimes I just don’t want to [...]

By: daniel

daniel — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 17:25:45 +0000

i agreee with all of the above. I never said that they weren’t nice. Anyway, the new a&p at Riverwalk on River Road is great and it felt like the good old USA again. I will still go to the food bazzar though to get my produce. The spanish supermarkets there (that are all owned by Koreans actually) have the best produce!! I am definitely steering clear of that chicken joint though!!

By: Robert

Robert — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 03:12:06 +0000

daniel: why did you move to WNY if you don’t like living in an entirely spanish neighborhood? Maybe you should have explored the area BEFORE you moved there. I don’t think your ancestors spoke english when they moved to america, did they? Learn to tolerate and learn from others. If you enjoy their food, don’t you think if you take the time you could also learn from the people that make the food? All food has history, it is time for you to educate up son!

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 19:01:13 +0000

I think it might be more accurate to say that deep in Union City, “it feels like you’ve been transported to another part of the world”. That way we can avoid the “Americas” linguistic trap mentioned in some of the responses above.

The times I’ve been there the reaction to me as a white-faced English speaker has varied. Some folks have been even more polite and friendly, while others have stared at me like my presence was a personal offense to them. The range of reactions seemed reasonably in line with normal human nature, however, and essentially no different from the range I’ve gotten in the almost completely Korean areas around Ridgefield, NJ or the Indian areas around Edison–just on an even grander scale, since its larger than either of those populations.

Its definitely very under-explored territory from a culinary review perspective. Its daunting to face an area where literally every single storefront serves food. From the smallest bodega to the largest chain, you can literally ride down a block and at the very least see the word “torta” on every window, except for those serving chicken, of course!

I was with Jason at that Poultry butcher by the way. He’s under-describing how terrible the smell was. Imagine what the devil’s sweat must smell like… that was the odor, only more err… chickeny.

By: Ona D.

Ona D. — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 15:11:51 +0000

Daniel - you have no problem enjoying the food from these Latino countries; you’re gladly willing to stuff your face with their fajitas, carne asada, chiles rellenos y mole, but darn them if they dare to speak their own language! If you can’t respect a culture, you don’t deserve to “enjoy” the parts that don’t offend you. “Sometimes it doesn’t even feel like America” - spoken by a man who clearly doesn’t know that there isn’t just a NORTH America and that spanish is one of the fastest growing languages here. Somebody is wishing he lived in another, thankfully-long-forgotten, homogeneous era.

By: daniel

daniel — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 13:45:37 +0000

I live in WNY and it is unbelievable how many places there are to see and try. I go to some of the larger supermarkets like Bandera but usually only buy my produce and spices and maybe some canned goods at them as I do question the cleanliness of many of the markets and restuarants in the area. Another big problem for a white guy like me that is interested in all of the food is that it annoying trying to find someone that speaks a word of english in many of these places. Sometimes it doesn’t even feel like America. I hope that someday changes if you know what I mean. I am however very excited about the A&P Fresh opening tomorrow on River Rd. in WNY. The liquor store next to it, Gianonni, is also opened and has a very extensive wine selection and very knowlegable owners. Check it out!!

By: migui

migui — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 03:37:04 +0000

I love Country Club’s Merengue. My all time favorite soda

The chicharron de puerco at Mi Bandera is to kill for, and my brother Leo swears by Pollo Supremo..Im still to try Kikiriki…

By: daisy

daisy — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 01:05:08 +0000

dood! you totally beat me to the punch! Nice entry!