GF Shopping in New York - Acme Smokehouse outlet in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Today I'd like to talk about one of my favorite places to shop for gluten-free products in NYC, Acme Retail Outlet in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, that sells smoked fish and fish products. Oh, and before I get into details, let me get something out of the way... Disclaimer: this post is in no way, shape or form sponsored, all opinions are my own, YMMV.

I find that in New York not all stores and supermarkets are created equal when it comes to shopping for gluten-free food. When I just got diagnosed, I used to spend a long time just reading labels and picking foods I can actually eat instead of sticking to shopping list I had in mind. I didn't like being an opportunistic forager, and I hated being limited to just a few reliable gluten-free options that my local supermarkets used to carry. At some point I decided to be proactive and look for more products from brands I was repurchasing over and over again, and one of those brands was Acme.

Smoked salmon with avocado and cream cheese on gluten-free everything bagel

Some years ago finding clearly labeled gluten-free products was a struggle; I came to appreciate that all Acme products stated their GF status on the label, along with full list of ingredients. I started with Acme herring in glass jars and fish salads in big plastic containers; salads are really more of a spreads that work great on gluten-free crackers, and herring can be used in so many ways that it probably deserves a post on its own. My local supermarkets used to carry both salads and herring, but they were sold out fairly often; from time to time they would have Acme smoked salmon or gravlax, but again, they were often out of it. Often I saw Acme fish products (mostly smoked salmon) in Manhattan stores, such as Zabar's, Food Emporium and Fairway, and I liked everything that I tried. After checking out Acme's website (here) I realized they have more than one brand and their product selection is first, much bigger than I thought, and second and most important, almost everything that was listed was gluten-free. After spending some time skimming through the recipe section on their website I've noticed an almost obscure link in the very corner; it's less noticeable than links to products, or brands, or recipes sections. Turns out, Acme smokehouse is located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and once a week they sell their products at wholesale prices from their warehouse. 

Gluten-free bagels from Acme Friday's Retail Outlet in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

True to its name, Friday's Retail Outlet is open on Fridays from 8am to 1pm; it's cash only, and more often than not you'll have to wait in line outside for at least 10-15min. I would advise you to bring a scarf or something warm with you in summer, as it is quite chilly inside; you'll be in huge cold order assembly room the whole time, and employees usually have jackets on to keep warm. I've tried to take pictures, but they don't seem to like it; but imagine a huge industrial style room filled with tables, each table has different kind of smoked fish or fish product on it. As you navigate through the place, you pick up what you like; everything is fresh, made just this week. Products selection seems to change weekly, most probably it follows the changes in their production. It's a good idea to try to come early, as everyone's favorites tend to sell out fast, especially on holidays. Some of the products come prepacked, such as herring and salads, and some have to be cut to order. Almost everything is gluten-free except a few kinds of hot-smoked fish; I find the employees are very knowledgeable and honest about GF status of the products. Wholesale prices mean that on average I'm paying about half of what I'd expect to pay in Fairway or Zabar's.

I have to admit that Friday morning is not the most convenient time for me to do my shopping, but I still love the Acme Outlet; sometimes my husband takes a detour on his way to work to pick up some fresh smoked fish for us, and sometimes we manage to go together. Usually we end up buying cold and hot smoked salmon, herring, and some kind of other smoked fish, such as whitefish, or trout, or whatever else they happen to have that day. Personally I like not knowing what we'll find when we'll make it to the store; while they always seem to have our favorite salmon, herring and salads in stock, finding and trying some new products that Acme adds to the store makes shopping more interesting. Last time my husband was shopping there, he found new gluten-free bagels being sold frozen alongside of the fish; I'm not entirely sure how bagels from Pennsylvania's based company The Greater Knead (here) found their way to Acme's outlet, but it's a great addition, and I hope Acme will be selling them on regular basis.