Where this Branding Expert Stops Every Day in Soho

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New York City has more stores than anyone could physically tackle, but somehow we always keep returning to the usual suspects. To break out of the rut, we've asked some local shopping and fashion gurus to provide their hidden retail gems—those unique stores around our fantastic city that we might not all know about. Cue the Beatles: We're about to get a little help from our friends.

Deli image via Dan DeLuca/Flickr

Geoff Cook is the NY-based partner of design firm Base. Prior to opening his agency 13 years ago, Cook helped to turn DKNY into the household brand that it is today. Now, he works with a wide range of clients including Kiki de Montparnasse, the Gagosian Gallery, Puma, and the Museum of Modern Art. Here, he points us to 21 Crosby Deli Grocery, his favorite spot for household supplies and addictive chocolate chip cookies.

There are delis that are perfectly curated, miraculously stocking every item that one could yearn for. The owners, often unknown, garner a level admiration from neighborhood residents that Sarah Lerfel and Carla Sozzani could only dream of. Unfortunately, the deli near my studio is not of this ilk. Rather, it is a mix of sub-par sandwiches, esoteric Chinese snacks, panty hose, shrimp puffs, tamarind sodas, and NY Lottery tickets.

And yet, amidst these assorted oddities lay the entire range of Tate's Cookies, which for some reason are not included on the DEA's list of highly addictive substances. These delightful morsels have not only compelled me to ride my bike to work to burn off the additional 560 daily calories I now consume, but has made the deli at the corner of Grand and Crosby Street my choice as the best kept secret ever to hit Shopping Confidential. Don't let the word get out!

· Base [Official Site]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked NY]

21 Crosby Deli Grocery

133 Grand Street New York NY 10013