Ambassador Wine & Spirits: Sake, Shochu & Lots of Wine

New York city has tons of wine stores, and when I visit the city I try to stop my some of my favorites, as well as check out one new to me.  On my most recent trip, I was most intrigued to visit Ambassador Wine & Spirits because they were supposed to have an excellent selection of Japanese sake. I was unsure whether I would have the time to visit the store while I was in New York City, but was able to squeeze in a little time before dinner on Tuesday night. I would have preferred to have more time, but it was sufficient to get a basic sense of the store, as well as to see the wide variety of wines, sake, shochu and spirits they carry.

The store has two floors, and most of the wines are shelved by geographic region. There are easily thousands of wine squeezed onto the shelves, with a good selection of brands, including numerous lesser known and more unique wines. You will also find a fair share of some types of wine here that you often do not find at other wine stores, such as a large collection of wines from Israel, Spanish sherries and shochu. Generally, it is very easy to peruse the shelves, to see what treasures you might discover. 

The downstairs area is a bit fancier, and you'll find a room devoted to Burgundy. You will also find Champagnes, including those of the major houses as well as grower's Champagnes.

There is another downstairs room which holds sherries and ports, including older vintages, such as 1955 and 1960. Their sherry selection is one of the best I have seen in a wine store, including some of the aged sherries (VOS/VORS). If you explore these shelves, I think you will find many treasures.

On the first floor, there is a long set of shelves with Shochu (also known as Soju), a distilled Asian liquor, maybe the largest selection I have seen anywhere. I have only tasted a handful of shochu, and it is a liquor of which I still need more experience. It is an interesting drink, which can be produced from many different ingredients, from sweet potatoes to milk, from rice to buckwheat. In the Boston area, it is difficult to find shochu, and even those stores that do carry it, only have 2-3 bottles.

Their sake selection is stored within a temperature controlled room, keeping the temperature low so the sake remains fresher. That is an excellent idea, and shows their concern for this wonderful drink. They have a good selection of brands, types and bottle sizes, maybe close to 100 different sakes.  Junmai, honjozo, ginjo, daiginjo, nigori, sparkling, and much more. A number of the bottles have shelf talkers, which will help intimidated consumers who know little about sake. If you enjoy sake, then this store will definitely appeal to you.

They also have a good selection of 1.8 liter bottles, party-size bottles, and difficult to find in most wine stores.  One of the most interesting bottles I saw was the Okunomatsu Junmai Daiginjo Formula Nippon Sparkling Sake ($160), probably the most expensive sparkling sake I have ever seen. It was originally designed for Formula Nippon race drivers to spray at the finish line instead of Champagne.

This is an independent wine shop that is worthy of your patronage. Interestingly, they mentioned that their younger customers, ages 25-35, are buying more spirits than wine, and they don't see that changing in the years to come. Because of this, the store has had to stock more spirits than they once did, though they still have plenty of wines, an interesting and diverse selection. The staff was generally very helpful to me, and I think they would be very helpful to all of these customers. On my next trip to NYC, I will make sure to take more time to explore this store.

Farm Hill Farmers Market: Now Open in Stoneham

Yesterday was opening day of the Farm Hill Farmers Market in Stoneham, located on the Stoneham Common. The market will now be open every Tuesday, through October 11th, from 2pm-6pm. (Though the banner says 7pm, the time was changed to 6pm). It is open late enough so you can make a stop there after work to bring home something for dinner. Throughout the seaon, the Market will also offer entertainment, weekly raffles, and information on healthy eating and organic products. If you live in the local area, you should make a stop here to check out all the delicious offerings. 

The Farm Hill Farmers Market, now in its third season, is the premiere fundraising project of the Senior Center Friends of Stoneham. Proceeds from the Market benefit the programs and services of the Stoneham Senior Center.  At the Market, you'll usually find about 15 or so vendors, with some of the vendors only present every other week. Despite being cool and overcaste yesterday, plenty of vendors still showed up for the opening, and I got a good sense of the nature of the Market this year, and it should be even better than last year.

Let me mention some of the vendors you'll find this year.

Hanson's Farm, located in Framingham, grows over 52 acres of fruits and vegetables. This is their first year at the Market, and currently offer a variety of fruit, vegetable and herb plants which you can plant in your own garden. They also sell fresh strawberries, some vegetables, and will be selling many more items in the near future.

Got a sweet tooth? Then buy some Caramel Corn or Confetti Corn (a multi-colored popped corn).

Lawton's Family Farm/Foxboro Cheese has some intriguing offerings, including their own cheese, grass fed beef, and humanely raised veal. They sell Asiago cheese as well as Fromage Blanc, in several different flavors such as chive and lemon honey. I sampled the Asiago and it was good. Their grass fed beef is available as ground beef, patties, hot dogs, kielbasa and more. The veal is available as rib chop, osso buco, veal stew, veal sausage and more. I will be buying some of their meat in the near future, but am excited that it is available at the Market.

The famed Piantedosi Bakery sells a wide selection of breads, from foccacia to ciabatta rolls, from scali to olive loaf. Most of us have probably eaten their breads before so you know what to expect.

 You'll find more than just food here, such as the Kaleidoscope Soaps, selling a diverse selection of artisan made soaps.

Maybe the cupcake craze is dying off, as whoopie pies seem to be now dominant.  Whoopdedoo Bakery, based in Stoneham, makes large whoopie pies ($2.50 each), in several flavors, including original chocolate, mint chocolate, lemon, vanilla raspberry, peanut butter and strawberry. I bought a couple of the original chocolate to taste, as they did look enticing.

Wenger's Farm offers plenty of tasty choices, including eggs, strawberries, vegetables, pies, cookies, breads, honey and more. I bought a loaf of their cinnamon pull-apart bread ($3.99).

If you get tired while walking around, Philip Davidson, LMT of PMD Massage, can give you a short massage.

Jones Farm, an organic farm, has a diverse selection, including eggs, strawberries, veggies, honey, breads, granola, maple syrup and even goat's milk soaps. If you seek organic produce, then seek them out. 

West River Creamery, located in Vermont, brought several different cheese, as well as some maple syrup. Their selection of cheese will rotate each time they are at the market, which should be every other week. The cheeses this week included Cambridge (a farmhouse cheddar), a Smoked Cambridge, Farmhouse Jack, Firehouse Jack, Chevre, Marinated Chevre and Marinated Feta. Samples of all were available, and they were very good cheeses. I really enjoyed the Smoked Cambridge and the Chevre.

Rett's Home Baked Goodies has a smorgasbord of baked goods, including cookies, breads, muffins and more. They sell Snickerdoodles so I will have to try some soon to see how they match up to my favorites.
A couple of the stalls were still setting up while I was there, one that seemed to be selling cosmetic jewelry, maybe handmade, and another that was apparently selling Tupperware. Mamadou Bakery, which makes superb breads (especially their sesame semolina) was unable to attend this first Market but should be there next week. You will see other vendors there in the coming weeks.

Still River Winery, who sell Apfel Eis, a delicious apple ice wine, also were not there this week. They are currently still trying to acquire a license from the town. The Governor passed a law last August, permitting local wineries to show their wines at farmer's markets, but each town must grant a license.  Many other communities have already granted licenses to local wineries and Stoneham should do the same.

Their primary concern may be liability, but that risk appears quite low. Still River has a single product, just one apple ice wine, so each customer will only receive a single sample, one ounce, of wine. That won't be enough to make anyone drunk, and obviously the owners would check everyone's i.d. before providing them a sample.  Still River is a small, local family business that deserves our support, especially as their apple ice wine is so delicious.

I hope to see some of my readers at the Stoneham Farmers Market in the coming weeks.

Eataly: Italian Mecca in New York City

On my recent visit to New York City, I wanted to visit Eataly, the new Italian market and eatery which many have raved about. Eataly is a partnership between Oscar Farinetti, Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich and Joe Bastianich, and aims to be a extensive market with several restaurants where you can dine on Italian specialties. The main complaint I have heard is that it gets too crowded, but on my Tuesday morning visit, that was not a problem at all. I was able to freely wander around, checking out everything without having to maneuver through a throng of people.

You will be able to find wine, beer, other beverages, salumi, cheese, pasta, bread, meat, seafood, produce, olive oil, housewares, books and more.  Some of the foods are freshly prepared while others are boxed or canned. Eataly was very clean, and it is awe-inspiring to see so much packed within this large space.  The foods looked enticing and I wish I had been able to load up a shopping cart with a diverse mix of items. New Yorkers are fortunate to have such a market available to them.

Plenty of fresh vegetables and food are available.

There is even a Vegetable Butcher on the premises (and where else can you find one?), who will prep your veggies for you. In addition, you will find Le Verdure, a restaurant specializing in Italian-style vegetable dishes, so vegetarians will want to visit here.

The fresh pasta were compelling, and you could even watch it be made behind the counter. Agnolotti, ravioli, pansotti, fettucine, gnocchi and much more. Lots of variety, and if you want dried pasta, you can find plenty of that as well, including many well known brands.

Loaves of fresh bread, again plenty of variety, which are all produced on the premises.

An extensive case of meat, from beef to rabbit, pork to lamb. The meats look very appealing, and once again diversity reigns.  You can even learn the source of some of the meat, and you could probably ask about the source of the rest.

Seafood ranges from shellfish to fillets. You'll find razor clams, PEI mussels, kumamoto oysters, and steamer clams.  You'll find wild King salmon, wild halibut, Arctic char and much more.

Cheese galore, from ricotta to parmesan, and dozens of more choices. I am not sure I have ever seen as many different types of Italian cheeses as here.

Near the cheese, they also carry plenty of salumi, from prosciutto to pepperoni. And if you any questions, just ask the cheesemonger on duty.

There are numerous appealing desserts, from gelato to tiramisu. 

Besides all the food, you'll also find houseware, such as dishes, plates, expresso makers, and more.  Plus, there is a book section, concentrating on Italian food, but including other food-related titles.

For lunch, I stopped at La Pizza & La Pasta, which makes Neapolitan pizzas in gold tiled ovens. Pizzas range from $9-$19, dependent on the toppings. Choose a simple Margherita ($13) or a heartier Salsicciotta ($19), with tomato sauce, smoked provola cheese, mushrooms, Neapolitan sausage and fresh basil. If you don't want pizza, there is a separate menu with a list of pasta entrees.

I chose the Quattro Formaggi ($14), with mozzarella, gorgonzola, and parmiggiano reggiano. Cooked perfectly, this pizza was superb, with a thin, crisp and chewy crust, and plenty of flavorful cheese, especially the tang of the gorgonzola. This is my kind of pizza.

Next door to Eataly, you will find their Italian wine shop, where you can find a huge selection of Italian wines, from all over that country.

The medium-sized shop is jam packed with wines, generally arranged by geographic area. Prices seemed reasonable, based on prices I knew about, and varied from about $10 to several hundred dollars.  I was impressed with the diversity available, finding plenty of wines previously unknown to me. Besides Prosecco and Barolo, you will also find Friuliano and Pelaverga. They even stock grappa and amaro. After shopping at Eataly, you can stop here and buy a couple bottles of wine for that evening's dinner, or to store for the near future. 

A display of some of the Gaja product line.

This all is but a brief sampling of what is available at Eataly, hopefully enough to entice you to check it out if you are in NYC.  I found it to be an impressive market, and would advise you to visit it during more off times to avoid the crowds. The weekend is probably the busiest time there so you might want to avoid it then, and visit instead during the week.  The quality and diversity of products available is excellent, and I wish we had such a market in Boston.

SOWA Food Trucks: A Sunday Feast

A great way to spend a couple hours on a Sunday, shopping and dining, is to visit the SOWA Open Market in the South End. It is also a good way to start an entire day touring around the South End. Now, at the market, you'll find a rotating selection of food trucks, giving you even more dining options. On my most recent trip to the market, there were about nine different trucks, and I sampled foods from several of them.

Many of you may already be familiar with Grillo's Pickles, a local pickle company, and if you don't know about them then you should. They have a small selection of products, including Italian Dill Pickles, also available in a Spicy Version. A quart of pickles costs about $6, and they are top-notch pickles, with lots of flavor and a crisp snap to them. You can even try a couple pickle spears for only $1, my favorite being their spicy version. They also sell a relish, pickled carrots, pickled green tomatoes and more. When you visit the market, you must stop here for some pickles.

Clover is also well known, a vegetarian food truck which usually would not raise my interest much. But, they make popovers, which I love, so I had to try them. The popovers are very good, large and with a tasty, eggy interior. I would have enjoyed them even more if they were warm and slathered in butter, and next time will buy some to take home with me. So, even if you are not a vegetarian, it is worth checking out the Clover truck.

This was my first time at the Boston Speed Dog truck, and it will certainly not be my last. These are no wimpy dogs and you better have a good appetite if you want to finish one of these half-pound dogs. The all-beef dogs are marinated in apple juice and brown sugar and grilled over charcoal. You can get a number of toppings on your dog, such as mustard, chili, BBQ sauce, relish, onions or their special sauce. The hot dog rolls are soft and fresh, and large enough to accomodote the hearty dog and toppings. When you bite into the dog, there is a crisp snap as your teeth break the skin and taste the meaty interior. It has real flavor and you will enjoy it even without any toppings. Yes, this has to be one of the best hot dogs in the city, and I fully understand the raves it has earned.

Grilled Cheese Nation basically makes grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Their sandwiches are made from Iggy's breads and cheese from the Vermonth Butter & Cheese Company. I ordered The Boston Common, Grafton Vermont Cheddar on Iggy's Organic Pan de Mie bread with tomato and bacon, and a small cup of tomato soup. Sadly, it took about 25 minutes for me to receive my order, despite being told it would only take about five minutes or so. It was not due to them being too busy, and I suspect it took them much longer than usual to prepare the grill, though they did not give me any reason for the long delay.  The sandwich was very good, and it is even better that the ingredients are local, but it was not worth such a lengthy wait.

The Bon Me truck serves Vietnamese inspired food, including sandwiches, noodle salads and rice bowls. Though the food looked good, I only ordered a ginger lemon iced tea, still too full from all of the other food I had eaten. But, on my next visit to the market, I will be sure to check it out.

I did made a final stop at The Cupcakory, more curious than anything else. Another cupcake place? Yawn! But, I have strong standards for cupcakes and decided to see if they could measure up or not. Whenever possible, they use local and organic ingredients, so that was an appealing trait. Their cupcakes generally cost $3 each, similar to many other places, and I tried their Double Vanilla and a Pecan Streussal Coffee Cake. Surprisingly, the cupcakes were pretty good, fairly moist, and better than many others out there. I especially liked the frosting, which was lighter, more like a whipped cream frosting, and not the thick, overly sweet frosting you more often find. It is worth checking out, offering some of the better cupcakes out there.

So if you decide to visit the SOWA Open Market, be sure to bring your appetite and sample what the food trucks have to offer.

Rant: Local Wine at Local Farmer's Markets

Massachusetts legislators finally got something correct regarding our antiquated wine laws. Back in September 2009, I ranted about efforts to permit the sale of local wine at farmer's markets. Senator Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, had been the lead sponsor of a bill that would have permitted wine tastings and sales at farmers' markets. It also included a provision for beer and distilled spirits, though the primary objective was for wine.

I fully supported this idea and am very glad that on August 5, 2010, Governor Deval Patrick signed S2582: An Act Relative to Economic Development Reorganization. This new law allows local wine, though not beer or spirits, to be sold at farmers markets, fairs and festivals. In addition, the local winery can provide, without charge, a tasting of the wine, though each sample cannot exceed one ounce and no person can be given more than five samples. 

Any local winery which wishes to participate, must apply for authorization at each particular farmer's market, fair or festival.  As the season for farmer's markets is now beginning, you should start seeing local wines offered alongside the fresh garlic scapes and tomatoes. For example, the Stoneham Farmer's Market, which begins on June 14, will host Still River Winery, who will be offering tastes of their Apfel Eis, a delicious apple ice wine. Numerous other farmer's markets have plans to host other local wineries, such as Travessia Urban Winery at the Sandwich Bazaar Farmer's Market. Travessia produces some of the best wines in Massachusetts and it is worth visiting them at the farmer's market.

As many local liquor and wine stores usually don't stock a significant amount of Massachusetts wine (with the exception of a few stores like The Reserve Bin), these farmer's markets will be a great place to experience local wines. There are over 30 licensed wineries in Massachusetts, will more likely opening in the future. As they are all small producers, they can use all of our support. Some of these wineries are producing some excellent wines, and when you go to the farmer's markets, take the opportunity to taste their wines. If you like what you taste, please buy some of their wine and help support a small, local business. It is our patronage which will enable these local wineries to survive.

If you know of any local wineries presenting at Massachusetts farmer's markets, please add them to the comments.