Wow. If we had a co-op like this in Nyack, I’d be in heaven. (Hmmm. Business idea?)
It is definitely taking its cue from Whole Foods, in that it’s one of those mainly organic stores that have taken the “health food store” stigma and vitamin aroma out of the equation.
In search of a good backpack, we headed to the new Ridge Hill shopping center in Yonkers, which has not only and REI and an L.L. Bean but also a Dick’s Sporting Goods. If you can’t find a backpack in those stores, there’s something wrong with you. (We did.) Since this is (ostensibly) a food blog, I will note that we had lunch at the Whole Foods there. The store, by the way, beats the White Plains one by a mile. So much more spacious, fewer people and lots more stuff. Bravo.
Greg made his own tacos from the “salad” bar. I got a panino. Srimp had milk.
Riviera Bakehouse in Ardsley is known for its “whimsical cakes. That’s even the name of their cookbook, “The Whimsical Bakehouse.” So when there was a possibility that we might be going to a pot-luck New Year’s Ever party, and I happened to be passing by the bakery after driving Chris to the airport on the 31rst, well, I thought it would be quite festive indeed to bring along a Riviera cake. (And not to mention super easy on the cooking front.) Unfortunately for the folks at the New Year’s pot luck, we did not go. So we had to eat the cake all by ourselves. Such a shame.
It was called “The Tipsy Cake,” and was chocolate with Bailey’s Irish Cream mousse. Yum.
We took srimp — that’s what we’ve taken to calling her these days, srimp. No “h” — to the last outdoor market of the season in Pleasantville. We stocked up on all kinds of goodies.
Clockwise from lower left: celery, potatoes, apples, frozen blueberries, leeks, Tuscan kale, butternut squash, tiny onions, pea shoots, beets, apple cider, pear cider, celeriac, carrots, Brussels sprouts, garlic, turnips, onions, and, the in the center, pears.
Quite a haul!
Greg calls the photo below “Joni Mitchell shopping in 1973.”
A few more market photos, after the jump.
Before the baby shower, I was registering for a few things. Buttercup & Friends in Piermont didn’t have a registry list, so I took a few photos of things for ideas for people. I thought they were cute enough to post here for posterity’s sake. Cherries, organic cotton and cute stuffed animals seem to be the theme here!
Also, a few photos from an ultrasound on Sept. 8, after the jump.
We were introduced to the beauty of Benton’s — a smokehouse not 40 miles from our cabin in Tennessee — by dining out in New York, particularly at Momofuku Ssam Bar and at PDT. We finally had the chance to get there ourselves.
It was our last day at the cabin, but tomatoes and peaches were really just coming in. Corn was just getting good. Blackberries were just shedding their last tartness. So we couldn’t pass up the chance to go to the Chattanooga Farmers Market — even if it was just to browse.
Plus, we decided, we could buy a few things. After all, Sarah, Wilson and Laurie were all staying longer. We’d just get ingredients for their suppers!
SCF fans may remember our last trip to the Chattanooga Farmers Market. That was the big one, held on Sundays under a grand pavilion. On Wednesdays, you’ll find many of the same vendors, but no craftspeople. This is a producers-only market, where you can find locally made and locally grown foods. And no pavilion. Sorry.
Another stop on the in-town errands: good bread. We found it at what we think might be the only artisanal bakery in Chattanooga. It’s called Niedlov. Get it?
We’d read about this cool sausage place – local hogs, artisanal craft, you know the deal! – in an article on Chattanooga in Garden & Gun magazine. So we decided to pop in for a few things.
After lunch, a little window shopping. We browsed Warehouse Row, mostly.
One of our favorite shops was called Revival.
A little low-impact shopping Saturday morning led us to two markets in Palisades: our old favorite, the Palisades Indoor Farmers Market, and a newcomer, called, appropriately, The Market.
We were warned. If you’re heading to Eataly, Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich’s new emporium of all things Italian and food: Bring sharp elbows and lots of patience. We needed only a little of each. A map would have helped, too. At least at first.
On today’s agenda is a visit to Peaks Island. And just across the street from the ferry terminal is a Standard Baking Company, owned by Sam Hayward — also the owner of Fore Street, which Boo and I visited during our trip in 2007. The bakery makes both breads and sweets, and on a Friday morning in August, it seems everyone and his mother wants to have one or the other. The line was out the door. Luckily, it moved quickly, and once you’re inside, you get to choose among these delicious items:
A little shop in Rockland captured our hearts with its great concept and fine products. Theresa told us not to miss Fiore, which sells flavored olive oils and vinegars. I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “I’ve seen basil olive oil on the shelf of my local A&P.” But this, my friends, is way different. These are premium olives oils and vinegars, which you can taste and are them bottled for you right there in the store. We were in heaven.
One must-see attraction on our Maine list was the Farnsworth Museum, which has a collection of Maine artists, including many Wyeths. It was raining pretty hard when we went, so I didn’t take any photos outside — and you’re not allowed to take any inside. So you’ll just have to take my word for it that we went. And afterwards, we wandered a bit around downtown Rockland.
For our final dinner errand of the day, we’ll stop at Jess’s Market in Rockland for lobstahs. Like this guy:
For supper on Monday night, Theresa had some delicious dishes planned. Lobster BLTs, for one. Corn. And a blueberry salad with arugula and gorgonzola. Killer. She bought all her produce from a terrific farm stand called Beth’s Farm Market. On the Beth’s website, Beth says (and yes, there is a real Beth): “If it is a vegetable that can be grown in Maine and it is in season, you will probably find it at Beth’s Farm Market.” I believe it. Come along for a look. The blueberries were out of this world.
I put this little video together about our Saturday morning breakfast order at the Mankato Farmers Market. Hope you enjoy.
Photos of the market, after the jump.
On the way home from our visit to Schell’s, we made a detour to Nicollet, Minnesota to check out Schmidt’s Meat Market. This is the spot where Bob and Ann get goodies each year around Christmas time and send us a nice care package. We were so excited to meet the meat in person.
