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.
