The problem here in New Jersey is that we're in this bizarre "Twilight Zone" -- partly an ongoing disaster (especially for people who have no power and are facing the first cold spell of the season next week), part disaster recovery, and yet fully functional in other respects. So we have at least half the population going about their lives as if there is nothing wrong, which means their consumption patterns for things like food and fuel are back to where they were before the storm. Yet the supply chains that provide some of these things aren't likely to be back to normal for days -- if not longer.
Ironically, I live within a 1/2-mile walk of two grocery stores, three convenience stores, and about two dozen restaurants. Every one of them is up and running, and doing great business. Trucks have been making their normal deliveries to these places for days.
I agree with you, and would add that a few posters are ignorant of the choke points also. I believe that much of the Gasoline in the greater NY area is refined in Jersey City. These refineries also store significant quantities of fuel. Without power the refineries cannot run, nor can they move fuel to distribution nodes. A large percentage of the Oil they refine comes in from a pipeline(s?) from the west, no power and the pumps on that pipeline do not work.
Once the electricity is restored to those bottle necks the fuel shortage will be quickly alleviated. I doubt that the refineries took significant damage, although they probably were shut down for the storm and I would not be surprised if it takes several days to restart them.