Things that are awesome about coming home from New York

1. (clockwise from top left): Olive oil & sea salt crackers, black crackers, Marcona almonds, Jamon Serrano ham, aged Manchego, Italian soft cheese - all from Murray's;


2. Junior's Most Fabulous Cheesecake;


3. Sleepy kitty who you have missed all day while you were gone!

Spring Strollin'

Having now attended two of them, I can honestly say there is no better event in New London than the Food Stroll. Food Stroll happens twice a year - once in the fall and once in the spring - and each one seems to get better than the last.

I blogged about the Fall Food Stroll back in October. The Spring Stroll this evening saw many of the same vendors but with different offerings, as well as some very exciting new editions.

Noe and I were actually very involved in the logistics of Food Stroll this time around - I was on the committee (though I was too busy to contribute as much as I did to Reel Love), Noe volunteered for some various manual labor, and we both sold tickets and helped with the set-up and tear-down. Having worked on the inside, I can truly say that a LOT of hard work goes into this event and Tracy down at Main Street deserves a huge shout-out.

We hooked up with my good friends Dena and Jeanette and headed out. We started at the far end of Bank Street and hit Stroll staples Jasmine Thai (pad Thai and sushi rolls), Hot Rod's (serving my two favorite varieties of wings - garlic pepper dry rub and Thai chili) and Dev's (goat cheese!) as well as Steak Out (formerly Cafe 57), which was serving some marinated steak. (I'll actually be eating dinner at Steak Out for a company dinner on Monday, so a review will be forthcoming.)

We continued down Bank to Lucca (crostini with tapenade - only OK) and the sweet-tooth triple-threat of Daniel's Dairy, Muddy Waters, and Passion Coffee House. Then we doubled back a little ways to mosey down Golden Street to the recently opened Red Lion Steak House. Red Lion served us a decent mini crab cake, but gave us an excellent-looking taking out menu featuring some mouth-watering sounding steaks, as well as chicken and seafood options. That menu, combined with the fact that the place looks amazing (long wood bar, sophisticated color scheme) ensures that we will be back sooner rather than later.

We made our way to the far end of State Street, trying out chili con carne and guacamole at Zavala (I still have mixed feelings about Zavala - I love the look and the location, but the food is extremely inconsistent and the service is terrible).

Jeanette, me, and Dena outside Zavala

We continued up the street, trying out a spicy carrot spread and vanilla bean cake at organic haven Mangetout (the cake was fantastic and the spread was really interesting) and some run-of-the-mill chicken tender offerings from Wings & Pies. Then we came to the Crocker House, the be-all-end-all of food strolling.

Gourmet Galley Catering always sets up shop at Crocker House, a great event space in the heart of downtown. At both strolls I have attended, we've been greeted at the door with booze. In the fall it was rum-spiked cider; in the spring, champagne - Crocker and Gourmet Galley wanted to showcase their wedding potential, so they staged a mock reception.

Champagne in the Crocker House lobby

We took our champagne and headed through the rainbow-colored lobby to the courtyard, where we found ourselves face-to-face with a cheese table containing various varieties of bleu, goat, and soft cheeses such as brie along with crackers and various accompaniments such as olives, nuts, and fruit.

Cheese station

After Dena and I reigned ourselves in from the cheese table, we headed into the ballroom where mini salmon and filet mignon (as well as cake - I just couldn't handle more sweets) were being served. For being mini-portions, everything was beautifully displayed (where did those tiny forks come from?) and miraculously, nothing was overcooked. I'd hire Gourmet Galley to cater my wedding based on this sample alone.

Palm-sized salmon entree

We decided to go ahead and get our drinks at Crocker as well, because they had a full bar and actually pour regular-sized drinks. Even though it was getting a bit chilly, we enjoyed them in the courtyard before reluctantly leaving.

Noe, Jeanette, and Dena in the courtyard

After Crocker, we thought it might be anti-climactic, but then we got to 2 Wives, a new brick oven pizzeria opening officially tomorrow. We tried their four-cheese pizza with pink vodka sauce, and if this sample is any indication, 2 Wives is going to give Apizzo in Pawcatuck a run for their money. Noe and I - and probably the girls and I - will be back soon for sure to try out some more offerings.

We finished the night at Tony D's - unfortunately, they ran out of their famous calamari before we got there. We still accepted our cheese tortellini gratefully, however, and sat down in the lounge to rehash all the food we had just tasted.

Food Stroll continues to get better and better. The restaurants really seemed to step it up this time as well, with new and more complex offerings. I'm sorry I couldn't mention everyone in this post - I inevitably left out a few - but I hope they all keep participating. And I can't wait to try Red Lion, Steak Out, Passion Coffee House, 2 Wives, and - opening in June - the State Street Grill (cool building and - wait for it - gourmet burgers). It's exciting to see New London get so many new and promising restaurants...plus, it will keep me busy with my amateur food critiquing!

A Riesling For Living

I realize I am going to sound like a spokesperson for Brie & Bleu and Thames River Wine and Spirits, but I promise that it is just coincidence that they figure so heavily into two blog posts so close together.

Although I have been on a cheap eating kick this week (trying to use stuff that has accumulated in my refrigerator, cupboards, and freezer) I could not resist when my friend Jim - my main source of wine recommendations - informed me about a wine dinner he was putting together at Brie & Bleu on Wednesday (last) night. Winemaker Konrad Hahn, proprietor of Von Schlenintz Vineyards in Germany(left), would be bringing an array of wines (including a sparkling Riesling, a pinot noir, and some very rare eiswien) and they would paired and served with a meal prepared by James Wayman (below right), one of two executive chefs from the River Tavern in Chester. The menu consisted of the following:

• Foie Gras & black truffle custard
• Thai summer roll with shrimp, sweet chili & peanut
• Lob Gai: Thai chicken salad with toasted rice powder, Thai basil, mint & chili
• Baeckoffe: Alsatian braised pork with potatoes, carrots & Riesling - served with mustard
• Sable cookies, Stilton cheese, marcona almonds

I was essentially powerless to resist this combination. For $65 plus gratuity, I thought it was a phenomenal value. (Five courses and wine! This is a steal, people.)

As much as I was intrigued by the wine, the food was what really persuaded me to open my wallet. I have heard nothing but good things about James, and the menu seemed like such an interesting combination of sort of heavier, decadent dishes (the foie gras; the braised pork) and lighter, Asian-influenced dishes (the chicken salad; the summer roll).

The minute I walked into Brie & Bleu, Jim handed me a glass of Von Schlenintz Sekt, a sparkling Riesling. It tasted so fresh and dry and just so clean (for lack of a better flavor descriptor) on my tongue. I sipped the Sekt as I mingled with the other guests (a small and eclectic group, all very personable) and found my seat.

The set-up for these dinners consists of about 12-14 seats arranged around a group of small tables pushed together to form one large-ish table. The seats are limited in order to allow everyone to listen and participate in the conversation. The conversation was definitely quality as Konrad Hahn, seated directly across from me at the far end of our rectangular arrangement, described the Riesling grape and how his vineyard cultivates it to make such distinctly different wines. He passed around large color photos of the vineyard, showing the grapevines planted on steep slopes overlooking the river. We discussed Riesling's reputation in America as on overly sweet grape as we tried wines that proved it has versatility as a dryer beverage as well.

Drinking such well-crafted wine while discussing how it was made with the person who made it is a mind-blowing experience. And Konrad was extremely warm and inviting and very encouraging of questions. I think a person who had absolutely no wine knowledge whatsoever would have appreciated the dialogue as much as an experienced sommelier. In fact, I found myself regretting that Noe wasn't with me - he is not a wine drinker but I think he really would have enjoyed the conversation about how the grapes are grown and harvested.

James came out to talk about his menu as we were finishing our sparkler. Actually, James came in - he had been frying shoestring potatoes to top the foie gras and truffle custard out on the deck. He told us the custard was an "experiment" but it was one that the entire table was in agreement had worked. I've had foie gras before and think of it as kind of heavy - I have trouble naming a specific flavor, but the word rich is what immediately comes to mind. Somehow James' custard captured the richness of the foie gras along with the subtle truffle flavor and incorporated it into a creamy, lighter confection. All the decadence minus the heavy feeling - in short, magic.

The next two dishes - the summer roll and the Lob Gai - showcased an incredible understanding of how to use herbs. I immediately detected the mint when I bit into the shrimp and veggies of the summer roll - not overpowering mint, but just a hint of freshness that accented the crispness of the vegetables and the clean ocean-y flavor of the shrimp. The chicken salad had a great contrast of peppery spice and cooling cilantro (at least, I thought I tasted cilantro). (I sort of imagined that these two dishes would be what Jeff from this season of Top Chef would have made were he in the kitchen last night).

The fourth course was Baeckoffe, a departure from the lighter, Asian-themed second and third courses. This was more of a country dish: braised pork with potatoes and carrots. The pork was so tender that it more or less fell apart when I touched it with a fork. The vegetables were perfectly cooked - not underdone, but not at all mushy. This was paired with Konrad's lone red wine, a Pinot Noir. This German Pinot Noir was fairly understated - the color was a light ruby, and it tasted like it looked - not heavy at all. That is not to say it had no flavor - indeed, it had an almost slightly tart, cranberry-esque fruit with a smattering of what I think of as the typical Pinot Noir "spice". It was described by a member of our party as "the perfect red wine for white wine drinkers" and I couldn't agree more.

For dessert, we had the pleasure of drinking true Ice Wine (made from frozen grapes and very rare) alongside Sable cookies, Marcona almonds, and quite possibly the most divine wedge of Stilton on the planet. The cookies were buttery and much softer than they looked. It is a good thing they put a set number of almonds on each plate, because I would be a truly opportunistic feeder if a jar of Marcona almonds were set in front of me. There is something about those little golden nuts tossed in oil and sea salt that I can not resist. The Stilton was the crowning glory of the plate, brought to room temperature and the consistency of butter. I would take cheese over chocolate for dessert any day.

There were so many high points to this evening that it is hard to pick what was truly the best part, but I think it may have been how well these wines paired with the food. Eric (the importer) and Konrad explained why Riesling was such a good food wine, and every carefully selected dish prepared by James backed up their point. There are wine and food combinations that are good together - or at the very least, don't fight each other - but these pairings were truly complimentary.

All in all, the food and wine highlight of my time in Connecticut thus far...at least until the next one. Now that I know what I've been missing, I'll be trying very hard to make sure I don't miss any more.

Cheap Eats, Day Two (or Three)

Back in November of 2007, when I didn't know anyone in town, I signed up to go to an Italian wine and cheese pairing seminar at Brie & Bleu. I was apprehensive because at this point I didn't know how much I would come to love Brie & Bleu and Thames River and had no idea what I was in for. I needn't have worried - not only did I get to drink some really fabulous Italian wine and eat fresh mozzarella and poached pears and gorgonzola, I also met some nice people (and Joanne, one day we will meet up for that drink!)

Flash forward a year and several months, and here I am, trying desperately to make a week's worth of dinners out of stuff already in my cupboards (spurred on by $700 worth of car repairs). You would not think that Brie & Bleu's Italian wine and cheese seminar would immediately come to mind under these circumstances. Yet...that is exactly what happened.

I was staring at a package of organic spaghetti and a jar of Newman's Own vodka sauce in a very uninspired manner when I randomly remembered eating spaghetti at the Italian wine night. Even better, I remembered it being described as a "dish you make when you have nothing else in the house." So I dug through the old wooden Drambuie box I use to hold my cooking magazines and computer print-outs of recipes until I found the notes from the wine seminar.

There it was. Spaghetti with Pecorino Romano cheese and fresh cracked pepper. Three ingredients, all of which could be found in my kitchen at that moment.

The technique was simple: put some water in a pot on the stove, salt generously, bring to a boil. Throw in the spaghetti and cook until al dente. While the spaghetti was cooking, I used a hand grater to grate a mound of cheese. Drain the spaghetti and let sit for a minute - the sitting is important, because you don't want the cheese to melt (which it will do if the pasta is too hot), but rather to cling to the pasta. Toss the pasta and grated cheese together, add a LOT of fresh cracked pepper, toss some more, and put on a plate with some garlic baguette. YUM.

So simple, yet so incredibly delicious. And I was using a hunk of cheese from the supermarket cheese counter - I can only imagine what this would have tasted like if I had a higher-quality piece of cheese to work with. Don't let the fact that there's only three ingredients and no sauce deter you - this dish is not bland. Resist the temptation to add olive oil, butter, or pasta water - it will interfere with the way the cheese and pepper cling to the spaghetti and mess with the overall texture. The dish is not too dry, I promise! (Plus, you can always pour a glass of Inama Soave to help it go down.)

Anyway, I know I have been doing a lot of food blogging lately, but my cheap supper last night was so easy and so good I just had to share. I hope you will give it a try!

Art Smart

In order to escape the sense of impending doom that has been building up in our house over the past two weeks ( read the post below this one if you need the details), Noe and I decided to take a breather and head in to New York City on Saturday afternoon. It was a little bittersweet in the sense that it was the last time we'll get to take advantage of Noe's free museum admission perk, but at the same time it was great to get the hell out of town, even for a day.

Noe and I have gone to New York City eight or nine times since we moved to CT. The first time we went (with Joe N.) we took Noe up to the top of the Empire State Building and to the Statue of Liberty because he had never been to New York. The second time - only a month later - was at my insistence because I simply could not handle the fact that a giant Christmas tree was sitting two and a half hours away from me at Rockefeller Center and I might not get to see it.

Mostly, though, we go to museums. This might sound boring to some, but Noe and I love museums and New York City has some of the best. We've visited "the big three" - the MoMA, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Met - multiple times, sometimes for special exhibits; sometimes just to see things we may have missed on the last visit. For our last admission as corporate members, we chose to revisit our favorite, the Met.

When it comes to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I just don't know where to begin. The first time we went (in the fall) we headed immediately for the Egyptian wing and the Temple of Dendur. Maybe I read The Egypt Game too many times as a kid, but I knew that I had to see this collection. I was not disappointed in the least. From the small ornaments and figurines to the hieroglyphic scrolls; from the ornately decorated tombs to the reconstructed temple itself, Noe and I were completely entranced. We spent half our first visit in this wing alone.

Temple of Dendur

The Egyptians liked their cats as much as I like mine.

Almost better than the Egyptian wing (almost) is are Greek and Roman galleries. I love looking at the old pottery, the urns (some with extremely racy scenes depicted) and most of all, the statuary. It's these objects that for whatever reason really click in my mind as being old. The fact that you can stand two inches away from something that was sculpted or crafted in dates that end with "B.C." resonates with me. The statues are my favorites; I love to picture how these must have appeared when they were first unveiled, not missing any appendages or facial features.

If you are inclined to giggle at naked statues,
the Met may not be the place for you.

"See Noe? This guy has no face."

This visit, however, we mainly wandered amidst the Asian art objects and the various paintings. The Asian collections contains some beautiful scrolls and prints, including the "36 Views of Mount Fuji" series by Katsushika Hokusai, which contains the fairly famous The Great Wave off Kanagawa (below).

I love this print.

The Met has a great number of paintings (duh, it is an ART museum) and Noe and I made it a point to check out more of those this time. Last time we were fresh off a visit from the MoMA, so we skipped the Modern Art wings all together. This time, however, we were rewarded for our efforts with numerous Picassos and Dalis. We also checked out a ton of van Gogh and an impressive Georgia O'Keefe selection (unfortunately, we did not remember the camera until we were already in the van Goghs).

You need to get up close and personal with a van Gogh
to understand how much paint is actually on this canvas.

Yet as cultured and sophisticated as Noe and I appear to be, we are not above laughing at great works of art. One particular painting in the European wing caused us to dissolve into giggles to the confusion of the people around us:


Sacrilegious as it may seem, Noe and cracked up the second we saw this painting of St. Michael and St. Francis (being Catholic, we recognized Francis immediately - he gets a lot of love from the painting and statue world). We're not sure why St. Francis was painted with such an "ooh, big deal" expression, but that's how we interpret this painting. The imaginary conversation goes something like this:

St. Michael: Hey Francis, check this out!

St. Francis: Ooh, you killed a dragon. Whoop-de-freakin'-do.

All in all, a Saturday spent at the Met was a great way to unwind from the week. The stop at the Grand Central Market before the train ride back never hurts either, especially when I get to collect an assortment of cheeses from Murray's or prosciutto and salami from the meat counters. And no Grand Central stop is complete without picking up a Junior's cheesecake, but that's another post in itself...

Noe took a picture of me buying $30 worth of cheese at Murray's.

Staying Classy

Being classy takes a lot of work. And classy activities - such as wine drinking, cheese-eating, and dinner parties - can sometimes put a strain on the wallets of 20-and-30-somethings who have all just bought houses in the past couple years. However, there are ways to stay classy without laying out massive amounts of cash. Below, some tips for Being Classy on a Budget:

Budget Wine: Think INSIDE the Box

My good friend John - or CT Wine Guy, as you may know him - has been exploring boxed wines for awhile now and because of his blog, I have been able to find several boxed wines that are extremely drinkable and classy enough for most classy gatherings.

Boxed wine qualifies for the class-on-a-budget list because of the bang for your buck. Most boxes of decent wine hold four bottles, and the most expensive of the box wines currently top out at about $25/box ($6.00 and change per bottle - that is cheaper than Yellowtail, folks!) An added benefit of boxed wine is that the new bag and box technology keeps the wine fresher for a longer period of time.

Chardonnay is probably the most widely available boxed wine, and there are a couple worth trying. At John and Katie's recommendation, I tried the Black Box Chard and really enjoyed it (as much as I am going to enjoy a California Chard, that is - they are almost never my first choice). The Black Box Shiraz, which we drank at Amanda's house, was also nice - fruity and spicy.

I would suggest reading John's posts for more suggestions. Plus, then you can mention that you got the recommendation from a classy wine blog and sound like you keep up with these hip sorts of things.

Budget Cheese: Trader Joe's and grocery store selections

The Trifecta is very found of our fancy cheese store. I love the artisan cheeses available at the farmer's market. However, there are weeks when you are short on cash but still need some classy cheese to serve to some last-minute guests.

Never fear: Trader Joe's was made for this sort of thing.

Trader Joe's has a very good cheese selection and extremely good prices. In addition, unlike Whole Foods and other such stores, Trader Joe's does not cut all their cheese to a uniform size, so it is very possible to find smaller wedges of triple-cream brie and Port Salut which in turn cost less money.

(Side Note: Even though Trader Joe's is cheap, it enjoys a certain hipness in classy circles. It is what they would call "Cheap Chic." Bringing almost anything from Trader Joe's to a party will cement your status as hip and classy - even Three Buck Chuck, as long as you make a self-aware and self-deprecating joke about it's cheapness.)

In the event that you have no Trader Joe's close by, you can still find acceptable cheeses in most grocery stores. My go-to grocery store snack cheese is Boar's Head Harvati. This is a creamy (but solid) mild cheese that goes well with most crackers and is offensive to almost no one. A block usually costs between $5.00 and $6.00, but the taste is much classier than that.

Budget Dinner Party: Serve Pasta

The easiest way to cut the costs of your dinner party without sacrificing classiness is to make pasta for the main dish. Pasta itself is cheap and even if you put meat in it, you probably only need about a pound, which is much less meat than if you were to supply your entire dinner party with their own individual Cornish game hen.

My go-to cheap and classy pasta is from Giada DeLaurentis's cookbook Everyday Italian (probably my favorite cookbook ever. Go on Amazon and see if you can find a cheap, used copy). The Orecchiette with Spicy Sausage and Broccoli Rabe can feed six people and be made for under $12. Seriously, check out these prices from a recent grocery store trip:

• 1 lb. box of pasta - $1.34 (you can use penne or cavatappi if you can't find orecchiette)
• 1 bunch broccoli rabe - $1.99
• 1 lb. package of Italian sausage - $3.99 (it was actually on sale for $3.00)
• 1 head of garlic - $0.50
• Small block of fresh Parmesan - $3.16

The only other ingredients in this dish are olive oil and crushed red pepper flakes - kitchen staples. If one of your guests brings a salad and another brings a loaf of bread, you have a classy and filling meal on a minimum budget.

I hope you find this post helpful on your journey to classiness. Classy tips are always appreciated!

Wine and Cheese, Trifecta style

Lately the Trifecta (Amanda, Katie, and myself - plus sometimes the Mini Deal) have been spending a lot of time (and money) at two of the "Thames River" group of businesses - Thames River Wine and Spirits and Brie & Bleu.

Thames River Wine and Spirits has a great Friday night wine tasting. They try three or four (usually four) different wines, mostly ones that I probably would not stumble upon myself. They hold these free tastings in their cellar:


The Thames River tastings are a great way to try new wines. They pour a variety of regions, varietals, and price ranges. This past Friday, we started with an $11 Loire Valley sauvignon blanc and finished up with a $46 Italian red blend (mostly sangiovese). The taste they pour is generous and the glass they pour it in really lets you get your nose right in there. The staff is pretty accommodating and happy to answer questions.

I'll be the first to admit that I've been a little out of my wine element since leaving the Earle and Julie's wine tasting group behind in Michigan. I was very excited to find this Friday night tasting and even more excited to find friends who are really interested in wine. (Check out one of those friends at http://ctwineguy.blogspot.com/ - John recently posted reviews of the stuff we tried last Friday.)

Perhaps we are a little too interested - the Trifecta decided that one night a week wasn't enough and has since begun visiting Thames River's neighbor and sister business Brie & Bleu on Thursday nights.

Brie & Bleu is billed as "New London's Premier Cheese Market" but they are also an excellent little bistro with deck seating available in nicer weather. They have a menu consisting of some standard cheese plates, salads, and bruschettas, plus weekly entree specials. Their list of wines by the glass rotates and offers some unusual suggestions.

However, the Trifecta doesn't order by the glass. We think the best way to enjoy Brie & Bleu is to first visit the wine cellar next door and pick out a couple bottles. We can then take these to the cheese shop where a waitress or one of the wine store guys will open them and chill them if necessary.

We've found some truly wonderful wines this way over the past few weeks, including one of our new favorites, the Michel Torino Don David Torrontes. We actually can't take credit for finding this delicious Argentinian white - a third of a bottle was given to us a couple weeks ago by a couple also dining on the deck at Brie & Bleu who decided not to finish it. We went crazy over the floral smell and light citrusy flavors and bought our own bottle the next week. And then we bought more to take home. I know it's only June, but this might just be my favorite wine this summer...

Brie & Bleu has also provided some excellent cheese finds. We usually order one of the cheese plates on special. These plates include three regional cheeses and accompaniments.

Last week's Italian cheese plate was fantastic - but who doesn't enjoy some creamy fontina spread on crusty bread? The dried apricots and salami were perfect compliments.

We loved two-thirds of the French cheese plate we tried the week before. However, the third cheese was terrible. I mean really awful. It was a bleu cheese and I wish we had gotten the name of it so we could make a point to NEVER EAT IT AGAIN. All three of us enjoy bleu cheeses, but we dubbed this one the "morning breath cheese". The texture was bad, too - sort of gelatinous. If I find out the name, I will post appropriate warnings!

The occasional bad cheese aside, Brie & Bleu has provided us with some incredible food. If you are looking for something more hearty, I recommend their bruschettas. My personal favorite is the Parma - a delectable combination of prosciutto, tart apples, and blue cheese melted over a crusty baguette. Yum!

So between Brie & Bleu Thursdays and Thames River Fridays, we've been giving this group quite a bit of business lately. However, they've provided us with some wonderful wines and mouth-watering food, so I'd say it's a pretty fair trade.

A little wine and cheese adventure

I have to say that as far as boyfriends are concerned, Noe is a pretty great one. His greatness is especially evident when I ask him to humor some weird idea I have, such as going to the goat farm.

Yes, I asked Noe to take me to a goat farm. The idea came to me at work one day when I was bored and surfing websites that have not yet been blocked but probably will be soon due to my excessive surfing of them. Obviously, all the usual suspects - Facebook, MySpace, YouTube - have been blocked for awhile, and around Christmas time all the shopping sites - Amazon, Ebay, any store you can think of - started dropping like flies. (Believe it or not, they have not blocked Blogger - of course, that could be because one of our IT guys enjoys reading my blog and then calling my extension to discuss.)

Luckily for me, restaurant sites have not been put on the chopping block. Nor have chamber of commerce or downtown development-oriented sites, such as New London Main Street. Most people probably wouldn't care, but I occasionally go to these types of sites in my desperate attempts to find things like teams, lessons, events, etc (still looking for that soccer team, by the way). Anyway, somehow I ended up on the Fiddleheads food co-op site, I think maybe because I was trying to find the hours for the farmer's market. From there, I ended up on the "links" page, and from there I ended up at the (virtual) goat farm.

Meadow Stone Farm is in Brooklyn, Connecticut. According to MapQuest, it should have taken us 56 minutes to get there but it took more like 45. I wanted to go because Meadow Stone Farm makes and sells artisan cheeses on their premises. They sell both cow and goats milk cheeses. It was a little early in the season for the goat cheeses, but the website said they had two varieties of cow's milk cheeses (they also sell all kinds of soaps and lotions, most made with a goat's milk base, in addition to honey, occasionally eggs, and some other good stuff).


A very nice woman at the farm told us all about the cheeses and the different products and let us sample the two cheeses available, the brie and the abbey (kind of like cheddar).

The brie, while not as creamy as one might expect (it had a little bit more of a crumbly texture, although definitely not as crumbly as, say, chevre) had great flavor and was especially good when spread on some rosemary crackers I had in the cupboard (thanks, Judy!) The abbey was delicious as well and I'll probably eat it sliced up alongside some apples (maybe Granny Smith?)

As you've probably guessed, I purchased both cheeses and am very much looking forward to going back in May or June to get some goat cheese and - wait for it - milk and dark chocolate goat cheese truffles. (Chocolate and goat cheese may sound disgusting to some, but please trust me when I say it works. It works beyond belief.)

Part of the fun of buying our cheese at a goat farm was obviously seeing the goats. Although we were informed that Elsa, the goat who appears on the website and many of the product labels, had passed away, there were plenty of other goats around (including Elsa's daughter, GiGi). We even saw some tiny babies (only a couple weeks old) and were told that there was actually a litter of goats born that morning before we got there.

By the way, Michigan readers - Meadow Stone Farm ships, so if you're interested check out their website: http://www.meadowstonefarm.com/

You might think our foodie adventure ends here, but since Noe was being so accommodating, we also got to visit the winery down the road. Sharpe Hill Vineyard is sort of hidden - it's way back on a twisty-turny, very narrow country road - we thought for a few minutes we might be going the wrong way. However, we eventually located the vineyard and headed in to the tasting room.

Now, wine is not really Noe's thing, but he tried a few varieties anyway. I tried more than a few. Most were drinkable and some were pretty enjoyable. I think I made my selections based completely on the nice weather we've been having - I left with a Dry Riesling and the Dry Summer Rose. Both will be enjoyable chilled while sitting in the backyard, perhaps after we put in the patio. I did not pick up any of the Select Late Harvest (a dessert wine made entirely of estate-grown Vingnole grapes) on this visit, but we did try it and it was a mouthful of sweet fruity deliciousness. Actually, Noe said he "kind of liked it", which coming from Noe is pretty high praise for a wine. (Noe only likes the sweet stuff.)

All in all, this was a pretty enjoyable way to pass a warm and sunny afternoon. Cute baby animals, cheese and wine...does it get any better than that?

Some food for thought...

Mangetout, the organic place across the street, has been open for a couple months now and I haven't made it over. I am thinking about trying it either today or tomorrow. I'll give you the update...here's the link: http://mangetoutorganic.com/Home_Page.html

Also, I wanted to mention this earlier but it didn't fit with my basketball post: Stop & Shop has started selling Haloumi cheese! For those of you that are not familar, this would be the Greek goat's milk cheese that I have probably grilled for you at some point during a summer barbecue. The fancy cheese shop downtown carries it, but I am THRILLED to be able to buy it at the grocery store. Try it out if you haven't already - just slice it, brush some olive oil on it, and throw it on a grill or in a frying pan until it starts to turn golden-brown. YUM.