Downtown residents have a new grocery store to shop at.
Sandwiched between LITM and Pasta e Vino, Oliva opened last week inside the former Tendershoot Farms space at 138 Newark Avenue.
The grocery store is similar to New York’s Garden of Eden chain carrying a mix of everyday staples such as milk, fruits, veggies, and prepared foods. A few items you can currently find include:
- Veggies/fruits
- Deli (salami, mortadella, sopressata, jamón serrano, etc.)
- Milk, eggs, cheese
- Variety of juices (mango, pomegranate, coconut, etc.)
- Hot deli with salmon, quesadillas, tamales, wraps
- Small bakery with pastries and cake slices
They also have a nice selection of cheeses including cotija, gouda, queso fresco, and some imported Italian cheeses.
Missing from the shop at the moment is pet food, seafood (only prepared/smoked salmon is available), spices, and a frozen foods section. However, an upstairs section with seating and more groceries is expected to open soon.
The store is extremely narrow and bottlenecks form rapidly at the two cashiers. (This is especially true during the evening rush hour when PATH commuters exit the Grove station and enter the store).
Prices at the moment are very reasonable for the neighborhood and Oliva easily undercuts neighboring Sprove Market and in some instances, also undercuts P&K Fruit Market. Some current deals include:
- Driscoll strawberries 2 for $5
- 3 avocados for $5
- asparagus at $2.99/lb.
- blackberries/raspberries for $1.50
The market just opened and I do expect prices to change sooner than later (hopefully I’m wrong). In the meantime, if you still haven’t visited, below is a small tour of the space and foods you’ll find.
