Recent Food & Drink Highlights

Today, I'd like to highlight of some of the foods and related-shops I've recently enjoyed. I want to spread the joy of some delicious dishes and worthy food shops.

Chicken Skin Crisps! I recently stopped at the World Market at Assembly Row in Somerville, a store which sells furniture, home decor, and lots of food, from all over the world. I was impressed with the variety of food and drinks you could find here, from chocolates to teas, Japanese goodies to English ones. I picked up several items, including the above, Flock Chicken Skin Crisps. They are made from chicken skins and "culinary seasonings." They also state they possess 13 grams of protein, no carbs, and no sugar. They were very crunchy and tasty, not too salty, and made for an excellent snack. They sell several other flavors as well, including Nashville Hot, Ranch, Buffalo, Barbecue, Teriyaki, and Dill Pickle.

Cal's Creamery, in Reading, offers delicious, homemade ice cream, and their Sundaes are especially delicious. They stock over 50 different flavors of ice cream, some seasonal, and you might find flavors such as Baklava, Salted Caramel Cow, Nutella Chip, Oreo Cheesecake, Cannoli, Saltz Pretz, and all of the usual regular flavors, like Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry. On many summer days, there's a line outside their ordering windows. You can eat outside at a few picnic tables, or dine inside at one of their interior tables. 

Their Sundaes come in Small ($8.41) and Large ($9.35), and the Small comes with two scoops while the Large has three scoops. You can get scoops of all of the same ice cream, and get different flavors. I chose a Small, with scoops of Banana Cream Pie and Coconut Macaroon. You then have a choice of sauces, including Hot Fudge, Caramel, Peanut Butter, Pineapple, Salted Caramel and Strawberry. I opted for the Salted Caramel. Next, you can get home-made whipped cream or marshmallow, and then have the option for walnuts and a cherry. I chose whipped cream, nuts and the cherry. This might be a Small, but it's a hearty dish, and the ice cream is creamy and flavorful. And the whipped cream is a great addition, with a firm and creamy texture, and it's not overly sweet. Rather than lunch one day, why not have a delicious ice cream sundae?  

I most often dine at Cappa's Trackside Kitchen, in Melrose, for breakfast. I especially love their Pancakes, although their egg dishes, including omelets, are very good as well. Very reasonably priced, good portions, and tasty food all combine to make this spot an excellent breakfast choice. They also serve Lunch, and I've recently gone there a few times to check it out. I ordered one of their Cheeseburgers, and got it with a side of Steak Fries, although I wasn't expecting what arrived. What huge slices of potato! A crunchy exterior with the softer potato interior. Such a tasty dish, and it's rare to find any restaurant serving these type of fries. The Cheeseburger was tasty as well. 

You're unlikely to walk by The Bread Basket, in Danvers, as it's a bit off the beaten path, a side street off Maple Street where most of the businesses are located. However, it's well worth the short detour. It's a French bakery, which makes breads and pastries, croissants and cookies. I was intrigued by the loaf of Cinnamon Babka, which in the above photo is behind the Chocolate Chip Babka. It was a good choice, filled with lots of cinnamon flavor, permeating much of the loaf, and the bread itself was soft and with some crunch from its exterior. If you love cinnamon, this would be a great choice. As I was ready to leave with my purchase, one of the cooks put out a basket of fresh, hot baguettes, and I had to buy one. Once I got to my car, I tore off a piece of the baguette as I couldn't wait to taste it, especially as it was hot. And it was everything I wanted in such a baguette, a crusty exterior with a fluffy interior. If only I had some butter with me at the moment. 

Also in Danvers, Tea Camilla is an independent tea shop, which sells over 150 loose-leaf teas and botanicals, as well as books, cups, candles, and other related items. What a huge selection of teas, including white, green, black, rooibos, and more. A number of the teas are flavored, and there's plenty of diversity in those flavors. You can purchase a packaged, small amount of the teas, often containing 1/2 to 1 ounce, or you can purchase a larger package. The small packages are a great way to try out the teas, to see if you like them or not. I ended up buying 6 different teas, including a Butterscotch White Tea, a Golden Tipped Yunnan Black Tea, and a Peach Oolong Tea. I've been using them to make iced tea, and I've loved all of the teas so far. The flavored teas are more subtle, and not overwhelming, and they don't present as sweet. You might think the Butterscotch would have been sweet, but it wasn't, and added more a creaminess to the tea, with the taste if butterscotch. 

They also serve hot and cold teas, and will make a hot tea for you from any of the teas they sell. Everything is made from scratch, including the iced teas, so you have to wait a short time for you tea to be ready, but you'll be very pleased with the results.