You don’t have to be a doctor or a dietician to know that seafood is good for you. But there are some items being offered at Citarella that are definitely hazardous to your wealth.
A recent scan of Citarella’s seafood case shows wild lump crabmeat at $99 a pound, wild stone crab claws at $89.99, lobster meat at $79, and wild Nantucket Bay scallops (the little ones) for $79 as well. At least you get 60-100 of the scallops per pound. The wild sea scallops check in at a bargain price of $49.99. And no, they don’t offer a layaway plan.
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Sometimes it pays to be kosher.
There is no denying the quality of Citarella’s seafood, and one of the fish mongers was quick to point out that these were authentic wild bay scallops from Nantucket, which many deem the best you can get. The sea scallops, he said, are top quality dry scallops, which are not treated with chemicals. He also said that it’s the suppliers at the fish market who are driving the increases. There have been several reports of record seafood pricing for retailers these days, so Citarella isn’t alone. But, they are likely at the top of the heap.
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The Citarella employee said their scallops are far superior to Fairway’s non-Nantucket bay scallops that you can pick up for $15.99 a pound. At the Sunday Farmer’s Market near the American Museum of Natural History, fresh caught sea scallops, which are also dry scallops, are $30 a pound.
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The whopping prices are not limited to the fish counter at Citarella. For instance, a prime-aged New York strip, porterhouse, shell or boneless rib steak costs $44.99 a pound. For about $10 more, you can goo to a high-end steak house where you can get a chef-prepared steak … and someone cleans up after you.
And, 59-ounce bottles of organic orange, apple and grapefruit juice are going for $12.99 a piece.
Attempts to reach Citarella for comment were not returned.
NYC overall has the highest prices in the US (other than Hawaii). Citarella is a business not a charity. They charge what the market will bear and their quality is terrific–saw them remove a piece of fruit that had fallen to the floor and was bruised instead of sticking it back in the pile to be taken by an unsuspecting customer.
The prices on nearly all items have gone from higher than anywhere else on the upper west side before the pandemic to obscene now. It is not a matter of what the market can bear, but what they think they can get away with. Many items don’t have prices on them, so you have to get to the counter to find out what they are now charging. Once a favorite stop, I no longer shop there if there is another alternative, often ordering online from Whole Foods. This is not inflation, it is greed. They are no longer reasonable members of the community that has supported them over the last many decades.
In one day Citerella raised coffee ground $4.00. The greed is palpable. If you go to:Amazon you can get New Orleans Chicory CAFE DU MONDE for $7.6 cents a tin. Fantastic coffee, stronger and 3 more ounces than Citerella. They raised the single brownies to $7.00 from $3.00. It’s unadulterated GREED.
I’m not buying there anymore!
I’m in East Hampton. Their prices have really jumped although I don’t mind spending a little more for quality. Eggs were 6.99 until this week when they increased to $9.99. That’s quite a hike, considering the “jumbo” eggs are more like medium now. Gallons of Poland Springs water $5.00. Everywhere else? $2.50. Cod? Doubled in price. Haagen Dasz ice cream – K tht’s my one treat – $9.99. Same exact thing at the supermarket? $3.99. Fish is not fresh unless you hit it on a Friday. By Monday the counter smells, uh, fishy and it stays that way until the following Friday when the weekend people come out. Skinless boneless chicken breasts, packaged just like they are in the small local stores for $7.99 are $15.99. Don’t tell me about quality either. At the local market the fish and meat are alwsys fresh, there is a butcher from Cromer’s which supplies many of the local markets and restaurants, and anything can be cut to order. I will say their produce is better than most, although one other store will definitely give them a run for their money. Rarely eat prepared foods but they have now just switched from platters to these metal boxes that look like a cafeteria at an airport which is pretty unappetizing so I’ll pass on the one or two things I occasonally buy.
What’s the point of this article. I don’t shop there because of the prices but other people do. You have options. Seems to be just a hatchet job
Thank you for this very accurate story. Prices go up. But theirs have doubled on many items. Your photo shows that even that their wild king salmon is now $59. I shopped at WHOLE FOODS yesterday, to compare prices and there is nothing comparable to these big price increases. I always supported Citerella. But now I will rather focus on my plant-based diet, elsewhere.
Yes, they have these nosebleed-expensive items, but I actually find that Citarella’s prices for more everyday types of fish are not much different from Fairway’s, which was not the case a couple of years ago. Things like branzino, tilapia, snapper, striped bass, etc. And the quality is way better at Citarella.
Everything is more expensive now. Not just at Citarella.
Has anyone noticed the $6.99 black and whites?
No but it really irks me that those little tarts that I love can only be sold 6 at a time, even though they are jpriced at $2.39 each. I’m one person. I don’t wan’t 6. I want 2, maybe 3. Never understuood the rationale behind that but because of that I usually buy 0.
If you’re looking for seafood as fresh and varied as Citarella’s, you owe it to yourself to pay a visit to Lobster Place at Chelsea market. In my view, it’s the best fishmonger in the city and best of all – the staff are professional and do their utmost to cut the fish precisely the way the customer wants (frequently not the case at Citarella, where a take it or leave it attitude seems to prevail). Lobster place also sells smoked haddock, which for us Brits is a delicious rarity (and a must for chowder and the best fishcakes on earth!),
We have shopped at Citarella for the past 5 years after trying and discarding other places mentioned: specifically Fairway, and Whole Food. The prime meats and quality seafood is what we enjoy … and are willing to pay the premium. The service is also exceptional. Our motto: if the service and quality fit our budget we remain loyal clients!
I believe the article is unfair to Citarella. Yes, I too had sticker shock when I saw the prices for Nantucket bay scallops, jumbo lump crabmeat and stone crabs. The problem is that these items are in short supply this year and seafood markets (those that even carry these items) have had to drastically increase prices.
Excluding these items, Citarella compares favorably in price with other fish markets in Manhattan. Their selection is amazing and their staff are very knowledgeable about what to buy on a particular day.
I shop at the UWS location often and find their seafood to be the best in NYC. I am glad that their flagship location of Citarella is on the UWS.
Joel
What is the motivation for this dunning article? The 3 deep line for seafood at Citarella is anecdotal evidence that its seafood
is what it claims to be – and tastes delicious. The Citarella fishmongers are knowledgeable and it is a pleasure to shop there. Expensive seafood becomes more affordable if is eaten like the valuable resource it is – as an occasional meal with small portions. All meat and seafood should be consumed with the environmental costs in mind and purchase price is then less, too. Stop being so snarky! I love that Citarella is such a vital presence in my UWS neighborhood.
Are you the OWNER???..lol!
They are gouging at this point. It’s not the best seafood either. I cook fish the day I buy it and got very sick on very expensive flounder a while back. I buy from the fish mongers at farmer’s market. They are the best!
Fuel and labor comprise roughly 60% of the cost of fish. Figure it out.
Supply chain issues, folks. Transitory. ?
I live on Nantucket and our bay scallops are currently going for $24-$26lb. Bulk pricing direct from the fisherman is substantially cheaper so dear, sweet Citarella is laughing all the way to the bank…
Actually the freshest fish & seafood can be found at Rozzo’s on Ninth Ave/19th Street. Rozzo’s is the wholesale supplier to many of NYC’s top restaurants and opened a retail store when the pandemic hit. Prices are extremely fair.
A fair news story would have compared the Citarella prices to other stores. This was poorly executed.
They have the best, freshest fish in Manhattan.
The difference between theirs and Fairway or Whole Foods is about 3 days.
Don’t see how a $30+ round trip taxi to someplace downtown is a good use of time or money.
If you think Citarella has the ‘”best, freshest fish in Manhattan” you need to get around more. Lobster Box and New Star among others have better quality at better prices Not to mention American Pride at the Columbus Ave. Sunday Greenmarket.
How about $6.99 for a (non-organic) head of cauliflower at Fairway vs $3.99 at Citarella? There will always be variability.
That said, apparently Citarella takes the $45 can of jumbo lump crab you can buy at Fairway, dumps it into a plastic container and marks it up to $99.
And lastly, no you can’t get a USDA prime dry aged steak at a restaurant for $55.
There are many food stores to choose from.
If you don’t like the prices don’t shop there. But to isolate Citarella alone and highlight their price increases is totally unfair. This is typical of the complaining people do on the UWS…always too high. And the UWS had had a huge polpulation shift. Ask yourself why we have the least moderate to high price neighborhood restaurants to choose from, except for the upper UWS. Everyone is always complaining about costs of restaurants or food….don’t go !!! No one likes what’s happened..
Look around the country, prices are up EVERYWHERE…would you rather see Citarella abandon the UWS !
Yes, I used to buy that crab meat when it was $30 or $35 for the jumbo lump. Last year I went to pick some up for a celebratory risotto and died a little inside when I saw $99 a pound. Too rich for my blood, as they say. I substituted something more around $20 a pound, can’t remember what exactly. Everything costs more for sure. And I totally would have paid $40 or $45 to support fair wages and increased costs. But $99? The store seemed to be saying it didn’t want to be bothered with crab meat, so the price was set to keep people away.
The only place I buy meat and fish, keep up the good work Citarela !