Shopping for Your Kitchen Like a Chef

There are many places around New York City to buy kitchen equipment — from chains like Williams Sonoma, Sur La Table and even Bed Bath and Beyond, to smaller stores like Bowery Kitchen Supply, Broadway Panhandler,  and my newest favorite, Whisk.

Where chefs go for basic supplies

But if you’re looking for some basic kitchen supplies, then you need to go down to the Bowery on the lower east side of Manhattan. There are several stores to choose from, all clustered around Delancey and Kenmore Streets.

Simple decor but many choices at Bowery Restaurant Supply

I like to go to Bowery Restaurant Supply; a small, packed store that’s reasonably priced. Inside you can find smaller items like soup ladles of all sizes and stainless steel mixing bowls, to larger equipment like deep fryers and 2 gallon pots.

Fishs Eddy, named for a small hamlet in upstate New York, is a different kind of restaurant supply store. This 25 year old company got it’s start when the owners stumbled upon a barn filled with restaurant dishware from a near-by manufacturer. The tons of plates, bowls, platters, cups and saucers had been in a fire but every dish was intact.

Inside Fishs Eddy

Today you will still find China and pottery retrieved from restaurants, as well as unusual sets with patterns like the Brooklyn Bridge, the New York Times crossword puzzle or Alice in Wonderland.

Inexpensive flatware is a real find

When I needed to get new flatware for Passover, I found great options at Fishs Eddy for under $2 a piece. Go there also to find interesting glassware, serveware, linens and unusual gifts