Drop By Gourmet: Shop Making Homemade Cuisine in New City for Nearly 20 Years

Located on the corner of Demarest and Main Street in New City, Drop by Gourmet has been a haven of homemade cuisine for almost 19 years. 

Owned by Angela Sanchez, a New City native, this small-ish gourmet deli offers a multitude of choices and it is amazing that all this food, made entirely from scratch, comes out of the shop's kitchen.

“Every morning, except Saturday when we get here at 10 a.m., we get here at 8 a.m. and prepare everything fresh for that day,” explains Sanchez.

Locals stop by to grab lunch to bring to their office and four of Sanchez’s sales reps set out to sell lunch all over Rockland County. Drop By Gourmet has more than 65 different sandwiches, not including specials. Located on a peculiar “half” one-way street, Drop By Gourmet can be accessed  easily from Maple or Main Street and has a parking lot.

Sanchez grew up in New City, attended Strawtown Elementary and Clarkstown South High School.  She attended Rockland Community College but wasn’t quite sure where life was going to take her.  With a stay-at-home Mom and a Dad who was a principal in the South Bronx, Sanchez decided to work at St. Agatha’s in Nanuet for a few years.

“It really affected me, the children, it was so sad.” says Sanchez. “I knew it wasn’t where I could stay.”

Culinary aspirations

“In my late teens and early twenties, I started going to all different types of restaurants and experiencing all kinds of foods," Sanchez said. "I would come home and try recipes that I had out.”

Realizing that creating culinary delights was a gift, Sanchez along with a partner, started making and delivering sandwiches, salads and sides to office complexes around Rockland 20 years ago. They wore tuxedos and little bow ties, folded black and white linen napkins in their baskets and set out on a culinary delivery adventure. A few years later Sanchez opened the store where she is now, which used to be The Chocolatier of New City.

Currently, in addition to delivering lunch and selling lunch and dinner out of the gourmet store, Drop By Gourmet caters everything from pool parties, corporate events, baby’s first birthday to elegant weddings. Sanchez scours farmers markets all year for the freshest ingredients possible. She bases many of her “specialty” items on whatever is available fresh that week and loves to try new things.

Up and Coming For Spring

In a few weeks, be on the lookout for the bistro tables that Sanchez places outside the store. Coming soon are her famous popsicles with all homemade ingredients (fugsicle with chocolate ganache, pineapple with chili and lime) and her Atole De Elote a traditional Mexican custard drink, her homemade pies, pop tarts, ice cream sandwiches and gluten free desserts, Easter cookies, and Passover A La Carte Menu.

If you stop by the Drop By and Angie is making her Beet Pie, definitely grab a slice. Not what you might necessarily wish to be the filling of your pie, this creation is healthy, a little sweet with a perfect crust with just the right mix of  moistness and crunch.

 A  Few Sample Lunch Choices:

For $6.50 the Spa Vegetarian Sandwich: Cucumber, avocado, black olives, provolone, sundried tomatoes, lettuce And alfalfa sprouts with our homemade pesto mayo on black health bread

 For $9.50 Chicken with Goat Cheese, Farm Stand Apples and Candied Pecans Salad

For $6.95 the Fertility Twister: Egg Salad and Dill with Spanish Olives, Spinach, Red Onion and Tomato

 For $7.50 the Pistol Packin' Mama: Smoked Chicken with Goat Cheese, Spinach and Chipotle Tabasco 

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Check out Drop by Gourmet’s facebook page for upcoming specials.  Also go on the website at http://dropbygourmet.com for a special recipe contest and have the chance to win a $25 gift card. Click on the “recipe” spoon.

Drop By Gourmet 40 S. Main St., New City. Parking is available. 845-634-2828

Monday-Thursday 8am-6pm

Friday 8am-5pm

Saturday 10am-4pm

Sunday By Appointment only