Tag Archives: Cheese

Star Provisions

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Star Provisions, The Westside

The Market of all markets. This place is the Mecca if you like eating or cooking.

Prepared foods? check. Bakery? check. Cheese? check. Seafood and fish? check. Cured meats? check. Fancy oil olive and obscure salts? check. Random gifts and kitchen utensils? check.

The prepared food part has great sandwiches and desserts plus fresh salads and sides daily. My favorite sandwich is the baguette with butter, prosciutto and shaved Parmesan. The simplistic nature of this sandwich is pure genius. It was actually on a recent trip up to New York, while I was at another cheese shop, that I finally realized how highly regarded this place was. When I told them I lived in Atlanta they asked if I ever went to Star Provisions and when I said, “yes, all the time it’s an awesome store” they proceeded to tell me that the Cheese Monger, Tim Gaddis, is one of the best in the country.

You shouldn’t really need convincing to come here. Whether it’s for a quick lunch or you plan on spending an hour roaming around the store picking up food you didn’t know you NEEDED you’ll instantly be hooked.

Alon’s Bakery & Market

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Alon’s Bakery & Market, Morningside

I heard about this bakery and market long before I came across it. In fact I was looking for the dry cleaners next to it and not a haven for desserts or prepared foods. I have a love/hate relationship with Alon’s, while I love all things it offers—fresh bread, pastries, cheese, wine, & prepared foods I don’t necessarily need everything I buy. I could say this is my target, I walk in to buy one thing and walk out with a bag full of deliciousness. There could be worse things but just because it’s Thursday and the week is almost over doesn’t mean I need to buy a piece of the Chocolate Truffle Cake or an individual Tiramisu cup  or an individual Chocolate Raspberry Mousse or a piece of the Opera Cake (chances are if it’s chocolate I have tried it) plus a bottle of some red wine I have inevitably never heard of. The cheese selection is standard for a specialty store, my notable picks have been the Point Reyes Blue, a couple Pecorinos, and an earthy Taleggio which I obviously needed a French Baguette to go with it but don’t worry Alon’s sell those too! And lastly the prepared food section, which is half of the store… It can be daunting but I’ve managed over the visits to have two preferences either the Calamari Salad or Risotto Cakes. This list could really go on though. The woman who mentioned this store to me in Nordstrom’s when I first moved here put it perfectly, “I  am now fifteen pounds heavier since living near Alon’s.” While I haven’t gained the ‘Alon’s Fifteen’ it certainly can be a dangerous place in which you’re either in an indulgence purgatory or a decadent nirvana.

Hen of the Wood

Posted in Vermont by

I recently visited home and my sister and I spent the day in Vermont; the afternoon in Burlington and dinner in Waterbury at Hen of the Wood. It is a true farm to table restaurant and it was great to see local meat, cheese, and produce throughout the whole menu. I would have to say my favorite course was the cheese course because a) I don’t buy myself good cheese a lot and b) there was a rhubarb butter that was paired with Spring Brook Farm’s Tarentaise and it was a magical duo. The other notable dish was of course the chocolate pot de creme for dessert, which had these chocolate bits on top before the cream that gave it a fun crunch. My sister did a great job picking out a Spanish wine, I don’t always feel comfortable ordering wines from Spain since I am not familiar with all the regions but after trying this one I might have to do some exploring! Once it had time to open up it gave off some solid spicy notes and went well with the duck sausage and polenta we had for starters. If this restaurant wasn’t 1,200 miles away I would be in some serious trouble.