Let’s say you’re hosting a party, and time is of the essence. If you can’t waste days traveling from here to there to purchase specialty items, there’s one unique store in Outer Baristaville where you can pick up wine, cheeses, fresh baked local bread, fine meats, fresh fish, dessert, flowers to set the mood, and a pizza on the way out: Corrado’s Family Affair 1578 Main Ave., Clifton, or the newer location in Wayne, 201 Berdan Ave.
I recently spent a morning walking through Corrado’s in Clifton, with manager, Domenic Scalia. Specialty ethnic items abound at Corrados.
We began in the cheese department. Corrado’s makes its own fresh ricotta ($3.99 lbs), which works brilliantly for homemade ravioli. They also carry the pear shaped imported cheese, Caciocavallo, as well as mozzarella’s drier doppelganger, Scamorza. Beside the cheese is an ample heap of cured meats, including Italian and Hungarian salami.
Corrado’s fish department boasts an abundance of fresh seafood, from Scungilli (Conch) to Snapper; and there’s the baccala and stockfish.
Then, there’s the meat, featuring store made sausage, including Brooklyn Sausage made with the leanest cuts of beef, and Manhattan Sausage with jalapeno peppers for folks who prefer a spicier sausage. Halal? They’ve got that too. In addition to pork belly, tripe, trotters (pigs feet), pig ears and tails. Want a bit of the standard fare? Corrado’s has filet of beef, priced on special at $3.99 (it never exceeding $5.99).
Next to the meat aisle is the bread aisle. Corrado’s receives delivery from local bakeries, such as Orlando’s Italian Bakery in Garfield, Reliable Bakery in Brooklyn, and Calandra’s Bakery multiple times a day, insuring fresh bread at any hour.
The produce department is full of nearly every fruit and vegetable imaginable, including persimmons, cactus pears, breadfruit, cardoons, and uncured green olives to name but a few.
And wine? Yes. Corrados has a full liquor department with wines from California, Chile, France, as well as Macedonia, and Croatia. They also carry beer from Czechoslovakia.
Then of course there’s pastry, supplied by local bakeries as well.
Want to see for yourself? Watch the video:
I’ve been meaning to go to Corrado’s. This place looks delicious!
Damn. That was my secret place for years. Now everyone will be going there. But there is better produce just down the block at the Paterson Farmer’s market…
Man I love the label on that specialty Czech beer (and it taste good to).
I’ve been driving by this place, meaning to go there, for almost 20 years. Looks amazing.
Same here! Always wanted to go, but never could see myself standing in line at a supermarket in Clifton! Clifton?????
Corrado’s is Juan WIlliams’ worst nightmare. Moslem shoppers in every aisle.
Or, as Sharron Angle might say, Sharia law is in effect in the frozen food section !
LauraLoonie….Don’t let that stop you. It’s only a stone’s throw from Paterson….The Silk City!
@ Laura: You’ve got to work yourself up to it. Try going to Costco first. After that, any checkout experience is a walk in the park.
@Spiro: I much prefer to see members the Moslem/Muslim (help me out here) community loading up at Corrado’s than Radio Shack and the farm supply outlet for nitrogen based fertilizer!
@deadeye…I’ve been to White Trash Saturday at Costco and I was sick for days.
@PAZ…Do you think I can pick up some fishnet stockings in the Silk City?
Yeah LL….but they’re probably made in China and someone will be in them. The only thing they make in Paterson now is Graffiti & Litter much like Newark.
I haven’t heard of half the stuff that Melody knows how to pronounce, but I love Corrados — especially for the spice and oils aisles. Great place to stock up on low-fat coconut milk, odd little condiments, amazingly cheap fresh-cut fruit and all kinds of kitchen tchotchkes. Avoid weekends if you can.
Costco just has stuff. This place has great stuff, both ordinary and extraordinary. the multi-culture shoppers truly reflect the merchandise.
We’ve been Corrado’s regulars for almost 20 years. When we moved from Brooklyn, it was the only place around that could satisfy our need for the cultural mix of foods we easily got there. It’s on my list of places to take my out of town guests — who usually leave with a cart full of unusual items — and I’ve hosted many a Corrado’s-based feast at my home. We make our own full semolina loaf heros using fresh ricotta, smoked mozzerella, roasted peppers, etc. I also love the garden center and look forward to welcoming the spring each year by making an early April pilgrimage. Great video, Melody.
I like stuff!
Not to dispute all the approbations penned above, but Corrado’s can be maddeningly inconsistent in their stock keeping. One week they have what I came for, and the next time they don’t. I’ve been there only once or twice in the year and half since Fairway opened in Paramus.
And now that Fresh Direct delivers here, I can really cut down on the miles I drive and the trips I make.
Melody – loved this piece. It was engaging, interesting and fast-paced. Great work! Have you thought about taking people on a food crawl? I mean as part of your food/entertainment business. You are so knowledgeable and I know that I personally don’t always think outside the box when it comes to trying new things but you would be a great guide. Maybe the restaurants would reduce their rates if it were at an off hour or filmed for your show. There could also be a food crawl of sorts even at one restaurant. I guess that would be more of a tasting but you know what I mean…
I cannot tell you how many times I have been to Corrado’s and never asked about those amazing hanging imported cheeses or the sausage. I tend to stick with what I know. I will now expand my horizon next trip to Clifton (Paterson!!!)
Hi Monty,
Thank you so much! I’m glad you enjoyed it – it was a fun video to make.
About the “food crawl,” I’m considering something like that for the Ironbound video; it’s such a cool neighborhood and the interaction would make for great video/tv show. My only reservation was that we’ll probably be going to Newark in January – pretty cold, but all the more reason to warm up with Sangria!
When I finalize things with the restaurants I’ll try to make it work. Thanks again!
Truth be told, we’ve given up on this place. The quality of the produce varies wildly, and that, along with its proximity to Trader Joe’s, was its major attraction to us. Now that we have Fairway, we can kill the same two birds with one stone. and best of all, once we hit Fairway, we’re done with Rt. 17. Fairway’s other specialty depts (fish, prepared foods, coffee, olive oil) also leave Corrado’s in the dust.
Love, love, love Corrado’s. I really should go there more often. We tend to go around the holidays. Now I feel like going there tomorrow!
Also – love the Ironbound, will be interested in the food crawl there!
I go here twice a week, it is excellent, especially this time of the year. I love the homemade Mozzarella, nice when its warm.
@Mimi, Any Ironbound suggestions?
It took Baristanet this long to get to Corrado’s? How timely here, as usual. And all delivered in the typical Baristanet style, meaning as if the wheel has just been invented.
Their fresh mozzarella isn’t so hot. But it is the place to go if you want apricot ja,m from Syria, mineral water from Macedonia or Poland, or halal goat meat. I get the impression that anything a particular ethnic group asks for, Corrado’s will try via at least one shipment. Which is nice.
Meats, however, are not generally of the highest quality, and the fish requires close attention. Great, cheap spices, vinegars, etc. But also an ordeal to negotiate the later in the day you go.
Smart, well-trained cashiers, however (including those in hijabs). It’s nice not to have to tell a clerk that the stalks they’re holding are in fact cardoons at 1.29 a pound.
I love the Asiago cheese from Corrado’s…It’s the same cheese my grandfather would give all his grandchildren at Christmas. I still call it “Grandpa Cheese.”
We’ve been going to Corrado’s for well over 30 years, starting from the time they were just one of the many vendors at the nearby Paterson’s Farmers market. It was a bold move many years ago for them to take over a defunct grocery store, which is now their current main location. They have even expanded the business over to Getty street to include a wholesale division, wine equipment shop, garden center, gas station, and children clothing.
But what keeps us coming back is the food at the main store–both for the variety as well as the prices. Yes the quality can be somewhat erratic. In some cases be sure to consume it as soon as possible as some of the produce can be rather ripe. But one never knows what you’ll procure on each trip. For instance today I picked up asparagus for 99 cents/lb and honey crisp apples for the same price (currently around $2.49 locally). But alas the filet mignon has moved up to $4.99 from the previously reported $3.99.
While you’re in area, be sure to explore the other stores and restaurants in the neighborhood. Recently we’ve noticed that there’s been in influx of people from Turkey. There’s even a Turkish grocery store with many interested items which just open on Main Street just south of Corrado’s. Or if you have a hankering for fresh out of the oven Turkish bread, you can’t go wrong with nearby Taskin’s Bakery at 103 Hazel which is opened 24/7(but be forewarned that Clifton is currently putting in new sewers in the area and the streets are torn up).
Be sure to bring your children. It can be intimidating at first, especially if you go to Corrado’s on a crowded weekend. But where else can they get acquainted with both a variety of ethnic food and people in one place. While I can’t understand what they are saying, we all enjoy an appreciation for good food. And it’s all only about 15 minutes away.