Eliseevskiy, the best food market in the world.
Quite a bold statement, I'm aware. But I just think it might be. This place puts Dean & Deluca to shame.
Michael and I are the kind of travelers that go to see the sights, yes, but we also go and see things that other tourists may not. One of our favorite things, as designers, is to go to local supermarkets. We went to a few in Russia, but were more fascinated by the lurid colors of borscht and the wonder that is cyrillic typography than anything else.
Until we went to Eliseevskiy. This place is insane. It looks like a Tsar palace that they sell food in. Gone are the visions of Russians waiting in line for a loaf of bread. Oh no. Here they have mangosteens (we don't have those in the US yet!), fresh tamarind, even longans from Vietnam! Sure, you'll pay $80 for a small package of them, but hey, it's not the price, it's the fact that you can.
Photographs from http://eliseevskiy.ru/, because we were too scared of the Russians to take any photos.
Oh my Gosh, this is even prettier then Balducci in the City. I agree on this, because the first I look at when I travel is a supermarket :))
If you ever go to Vienna(maybe you did already!), make sure you see Julis Meinl, that was very fascinating to me.
Posted by: Tea | April 10, 2008 at 02:09 PM
I have to tell you how fascinating it is to be at my computer in the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas, reading your description of this incredible store and able to go to their website! My goodness, what a glorious time we live in! My only question is - what is sturgeon shashlik? Thanks for sharing this. You made my day.
Posted by: deb zeiner | April 10, 2008 at 02:48 PM
sturgeon shaslik would sort of be like fish shish kabob - yummmm
Posted by: Al | April 10, 2008 at 03:05 PM
Beautiful! It reminds me a little bit of the food hall at Harrod's except that Eliseevskiy looks grander and more luxurious and palatial, etc, etc!
Posted by: maria~ | April 10, 2008 at 03:07 PM
I would love shopping in a supermarket with that many gilt surfaces and chandeliers...
Posted by: tommy | April 10, 2008 at 05:46 PM
Fabulous post. You know, I think that I go to supermarkets when I travel unconsciously; I'm going to be much for mindful about it now, thank you! What a great post!
Posted by: Lerch | April 10, 2008 at 09:51 PM
I'm SO with you on this one -- I love to visit local grocery stores and markets. This is amazing ... and check out the fur coat!
Posted by: Kate | April 14, 2008 at 12:55 AM