If you’re reading this article, it means you’re probably like us. Namely, huge fans of Meadow Lane, the new—and very luxurious—gourmet grocery store in Tribeca founded by Sammy Nussdorf. As chronic TikTok doomscrollers, we were already familiar with Nussdorf, who goes by “Brokeback Contessa” online. And for the past few years, we’ve watched Nussdorf take us through the trials and tribulations of opening his dream grocery store, going through test after test to perfect the best chicken salad or beef bowl. He’s showed us both the ups and the downs of that journey with honesty and candor.
As a result, the hype surrounding Meadow Lane is enormous. When we told our Gen Z friends and coworkers we were getting an exclusive preview a month before opening, our group chats immediately blew up. “I’m so jealous!” “Can you help us cut the line?” “I know you work at Vogue and get to do cool things all the time, but this just might take the cake.” (The answers to the above are: “We know, no, and yes!”) On the 10-minute walk back to the office from the press preview yesterday, we were stopped at least four times by passersby who spotted our checkered blue and beige Meadow Lane reusable tote bag, asking how we got an early look.
You might be asking what our credibility for reviewing grocery stores might be. A valid question! While we don’t have any “formal” training, we are lovers of luxury grocers nationwide—from Round Swamp Farms in the Hamptons, to The Farmshop in Los Angeles. This summer, just like Bethenny Frankel, we were on a journey to find the perfect chicken salad. This meant trying all options—from the $16 tub from Citarella to the infamous $18 Round Swamp Farms version. A few hundred dollars later, we have officially determined that the Round Swamp tub of mayo-y, chicken-y mousse is popular for a reason.
And while in New York we’ve always found Happier Grocery to be a great option, after a visit to Meadow Lane, we have to say: There has never been a grocery store like Meadow Lane. (Yes, we did get to go early and skip the line, but we would line up any day for that honey mustard alone.) If you want to know exactly why, read on as we analyze whether this gourmet grocer is worth the trip—and the inevitable queue.
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The Location
Meadow Lane is located on 355 Greenwich St, just a 10-minute walk from the Vogue offices. While we’re excited about our proximity to the store we’re also worried about the amount of foot traffic it will get. It’s on a busy street just steps away from Citibank’s NYC headquarters, Goldman Sachs, and the American Express headquarters, making it a potential hub for finance bros—though Tribeca is also home to some of our favorite stores, from Bode to Thom Browne.
Having previously worked right on Greenwich Street, I know the lines at the local Olive’s and Juice Press get long during lunch hours. So we can only imagine how insane opening day this Friday will be—especially considering how easy it is to “work from home” while waiting in the queue, with Slack open on your iPhone. (We won’t tell, considering that we did the same thing when visiting ourselves.)
The Food
Meadow Lane’s founder Sammy Nussdorf has been teasing the food on TikTok for the last few months, building hype around everything from a colorful Chinese chicken salad to a perfect chicken nugget dipped into a golden pool of honey mustard. So when it came time for our official taste test, we really only had one thing on our mind: “We hope to try some chicken nuggets.” Lo and behold, two perfectly sized containers appeared before us. We shared an excited glance, but tried to play it cool in front of the staff.
As for the nugget? It was everything we had hoped it would be—flawlessly seasoned, perfectly crispy, and accompanied with the proper balance of sweet and savory honey mustard. “And they are gluten-free,” Nussdorf explained as we both reached for a second. As two pro-gluten girls, we can confidently say: you do not miss the gluten. (We also tried the meatballs and homemade granola—both terrific, and leaving us excited to try the rest of the menu.)
The coffee bar also shouldn’t be missed. The coffee is sourced from La Cabra, and the matcha from Montauk General. Milk options range from almond to pistachio, but the oat milk was a personal favorite of ours. As mentioned to Nussdorf IRL, you can really taste the “earthiness” of the milk, and we mean this in a complimentary way. (You can even buy it bottled in the refrigerated section of the store.)
The pricing was on par with other luxury grocery markets. The container of chicken salad came at $12, while six bigger-than-average nuggets were $15. It also comes with honey mustard on the side at no extra charge, and at checkout your cashier will put it in your bag. The salads, which have enough for one to two portions depending on your appetite, start at $15. And the coffee bar pricing starts at $4, making it competitive with other coffee shops in the Tribeca area.
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The Interiors
The interior looks just like the mock-ups Nussdorf shared in a TikTok last year, which we were pleased by. Designed with interior designer Sarah Carpenter, the store is elegant and feels expensive, with sleek wood finishes punctuated by greenery and florals. (It feels more like you’re walking into a luxury boutique than a grocery store.) While Nussdorf has no formal background in design, his eye for detail is evident. “I’m into interior design, but I’m not a designer,” he explained. Having previously worked for a top celebrity florist in LA, flowers were a must for Nussdorf—and the in-house florist not only makes arrangements to decorate the space each day, but will also whizz them up for customers who want to purchase their own.
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The Products
Outside of the food made in-house, Meadow Lane’s shelves are filled with every trendy and delectable CPG product that has ever appeared on your Instagram feed. Of course, they have the classics such as Masa chips, Maldon salt, and The Real Cereal, but Nussdorf has taken it one step further by sprinkling in some unique finds, such an exclusive partnership with Lil Sweet Treat candy (another NYC based founder who found fame on TikTok) and Volzhenka caviar (with packaging so beautiful we mistook it for skincare). And customers get to carry all of their products home in that beautiful blue and white checked grocery bag. Step aside The Row Margaux—the Meadow Lane tote is set to be the next must have it-bag for Tribeca moms this winter.
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