Dean & DeLuca (560 Broadway)

Not exactly a restaurant and not exactly a grocery store, Dean & DeLuca was the downtown proto-modern Erewhon of our dreams. Simply walking inside from insanity of Broadway felt walking out of a full day at Aire. Their salad bar was unbelievably high end and even more unbelievably affordable. Nothing is quite the same as this place was — the aforementioned Erewhon a little to 'health' & 'lifestyle' forward, Meadow Lane a little too up its own ass. Oh well.

I'll never forgive PE for buying them out before running them into the ground and I'll never forget their chocolate chip cookie.