Eli's Manhattan

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All of Eli Zabar's food stores share a spacious, suburban feel quite unlike the dense jumble of their Upper West Side forbear. Certainly such a wide array of fresh foods, cheeses, baked goods, coffee, deli meats, and prepared foods are available at many stores in town, but this enormous Upper East Side megastore also feels personal, with abundant sensory delights on all sides. Organized on two large levels, the store is laid out so shoppers have to pass through every section to get to the checkout. It's not a place for a quick food run, but for those with time to linger, the aisles wind through a panoply of food pleasures. Prices can be slightly steeper than other neighborhood gourmet shops, but Eli's discriminating clientele appreciate a premium chocolate bar, crafted from the finest Grand Cru cocoa that Switzerland has to offer, not to mention lovingly-baked ficelles, fresh-made jam, and gelato that seems to have come directly from the Piazza San Marco in Venice. For the kitchen-averse, Eli's offers complete catering services, from one-dish wonders to feed a crowd to elegant, formal meals designed to impress. — David S. Hirschman

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