Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Agata & Valentina Takes Food Prep Tips From Whole Foods
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Oct 23, 2010
Modified Oct 23, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
View all 7
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Oct 23, 2010
Modified Oct 23, 2010
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Last weekend, a tipster sent us a photo of Whole Foods' prepared chicken taking an elevator ride next to some gross trash bags. Whole Foods quickly apologized for the whole thing, and the city went back to believing that its gourmet markets served nothing but food of the highest quality. That is, until another tipster sent us these photos. She writes:
Today I was eating a sandwich in Subway on 1st Ave next to Agata & Valentina below 79th street. Along came a fish van and out came and A&V worker. The worker brought an old hand truck out and he loaded two large fish carcasses onto it. Then he took a third and placed it on the sidewalk. A few minutes later he took the second fish off the hand truck and put it on the sidewalk. He hauled the first fish away into the store and left the other two fish laying on the sidewalk for a good ten minutes. He came out again and loaded up another fish, then about five minutes later again came out and this time carried the last fish in his hands. Just before entering the store he dropped the fish on the sidewalk before making it inside. I also saw him wiping his nose with his gloved hand between handling the fish. This is totally disgusting and thought I should pass it along.
A call to Agata & Valentina left us on hold for a while until a gentleman took our number and promised to have the right person get back to us. A call Bob Gosman Company Inc., the seafood purveyors, was answered by a woman who told us that nobody was there and to try back for "Brian" in the morning. Though Agata & Valentina doesn't have a restaurant grade yet, it lost points on its last inspection for having "cold food held above 41°F (smoked fish above 38°F) except during necessary preparation."
Tagged
agata & valentia
food handling
unsanitary
Jaya Saxena
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .