October 8, 2008 · 3:51 PM

[Road Trip Eats] Mexico: Tulum

Tulum
17 W. Morton St.
Bethlehem, PA

We were jonesing for some cheap but tasty eats in Bethlehem, PA on a hectic weeknight, so we scoured the web for suggestions. We heard Tulum was a local favorite for casual Mexican food, so we decided it was worth a shot. Tulum (self-proclaimed “Beth-Mex”) is located on the campus of Lehigh, and is obviously a student hangout (though class wasn’t yet in session). The storefront was unassuming with a counter on one wall and a few rickety tables on the other. It being a nice day outside – several other tables were enjoying dinner on the patio out back.

The menu at Tulum consists of TexMex favorites like burritos, chips and guacamole, quesadillas, and the speciality of the house – various styles of burritos in ‘regular’ and ‘mini’ sizes. The burritos came on a flour tortilla and were filled with rice, cheese and a house-made crema (mixed with lime and poblano peppers) and fresh, mild pico de gallo. M opted for a Chicken Verde Burrito ($6.84) with medium green tomatillo salsa. L picked the Chicken Mole Minirrito ($5.35), which was more than filling enough. Tulum turned out a delicious rich mole, though the burrito could have used a bit more of the delicious sauce itself.

We were impressed by the quality and freshness of the burritos, which were certainly many cuts above Chipotle-style chains. Another fun surprise was that next to the counter there was an assortment of homemade sauces in Corona bottles. Our favorites were the sweet but super-spicy Mango/Habanero sauce and the smoky Chipotle sauce. Though its unlikely we will ever find ourselves back in Bethlehem, we’ll now know where to get a good burrito.

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October 7, 2008 · 1:53 PM

World Eats: Québécois Bagels

I’ve heard from various native Québécois and visitors about Québéc’s long and storied Bagel Tradition. Being from Chicago, a city with no great claim to bagels like New York, I am less dubious of this claim as some New Yorkers are. However, when thinking of Francophone Québéc I don’t think of Bagels. However, Montreal-style bagels have a long history – brought by Eastern European immigrants in the early 20th century. Though they are like New York-style bagels, they differ in a few important ways: They are baked in Wood-fire ovens, have no added salt, and have added honey.

Some of Montreal’s favorite bagels are St. Viateur Bagels (1127 Av. Mont-Royal est) which has been turning out doughy goodness since 1957, and Fairmount Bagel (74 Fairmount West). A Canadian astronaut even requested that his favorite bagel be transported into space with him. So maybe the idea of the Québécois bagel is not so unusual.

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October 3, 2008 · 9:24 AM

Friday Foodie Link: From Copenhagen to India

denmark_flagIndia FlagGaper’s Block: Drive-Thru had an interesting feature last week detailing a vegan foodie’s culinary adventures around the world – from Copenhagen to Delhi (and back to Chicago).

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September 29, 2008 · 11:22 PM

Grüezi, Cheese Days!

switzerland.pngGreen County Cheese Days
Monroe, WI
September 19-21, 2008

It seems like Wisconsin has some of the most random and wonderful festivals. The latest one we perused was Monroe, Wisconsin’s bi-annual Green County Cheese Days. M and I love attending food themed festivals but more often than not, the festival in question turns out to be a more general carnival/fair, paying no more than passing lip service to the food in question (We’re talking about you Harvard Milk Days). Cheese days did not disappoint, though. When we arrived in Monroe, Wisconsin we were heartened to see jolly old folks in Swiss garb and signs advertising the copious amounts of cheese-related activities.

There was a cheese tent, clearly the highlight of the day. The perimeter of the tent was loaded with vendors and the inner ring was an absolute chaos of cheese-hungry visitors. Though there was no real order to the sampling, there was a crush of people who insisted in standing in a single-file line, requiring M and I to swoop in for samples. We tried limburger, a slew of emmenthals, flavored cheese curds, goudas, muensters and many more. All varieties we available for purchase and some of the more industrious visitors even brought along portable coolers to house their purchases. Next to the cheese tent was a cheesemaking demonstration where a master cheesemaker was making a giant wheel of Emmenthaler. It was actually pretty impressive to see the 200-pound wheel of cheese forming in the copper kettle. The whole process took around 4 hours. Above is a picture of the cheese-in-process being hoisted from the copper kettle to the cheese mold.

As with any good themed festival, there were plenty of cheesy (ha ha!) activities. For example – we attended the first round of a cow milking contest, which was about what you’d expect. Turner Hall (above) had a craft fair with traditional Swiss wares, as well as history exhibits featuring the town. There was also a Swiss culture tent from the Swiss consulate which ironically featured Ricola cough drops and free bumper stickers incorporating the Swiss flag’s iconic cross. I got an all-red bumper sticker with “Neu+ral” written on it in white. I thought it was pretty clever. To cap off the experience, at the main stage there were polka lessons. M and I learned quickly that polka-ing is not difficult and with his Alpine roots M naturally excelled at the dance.

For lunch there was a variety of choices, most being heavy Swiss fare or cheese-related dishes. We opted for Apple Jack cheese sandwiches, being grilled up fresh by cheery volunteers on electric griddles. As the helpful cheese griller informed us – no apples were indeed involved – the cheese was named after Apple River, IL, where it was created. We had our grilled cheese on pumpernickel with a secret sauce that tasted something like thick french onion soup. Three dollars well spent. We probably had a pound of cheese each that day – so it goes without saying we will be back in 2 years!

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September 26, 2008 · 11:22 AM

Recipe Friday: Inter-Continental Risotto

M and I love making Risotto, because though it the actual prep takes a little while, the end result is well worth it. Plus, we both love carbs and cheese (no health-food diet for us). We came upon this recipe for Mexican Corn Risotto from Bon Appetit magazine after perusing the web for a recipe that would use garlic, cumin, and cilantro. In our rendition of the dish we used the chipotle cheddar from Brennan’s which added a great kick – that and we doubled the amount of cumin called for. We also omitted the whipping cream, and the dish was plenty rich enough without it!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup medium-grain white rice
2 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
1 10-ounce package frozen sweet corn
1/4 cup whipping cream or half and half
1 cup (packed) grated Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeños
Chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cumin; sauté 1 minute. Mix in rice. Add broth and frozen corn and bring to boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until rice is tender and mixture is slightly thick and creamy, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes. Add cream and cheese and stir until mixture is heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

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September 25, 2008 · 9:19 PM

Trying Uzbek food at Chaihanna [ Closed]

Chaihanna
19 E. Dundee Road
Buffalo Grove, IL

Central Asia always seemed like one of the most interesting culinary places to us – since it’s at the crossroads of so many cultures – yet there are very few restaurants in the area (or America, for that matter) offering its cuisine. So when the Eaters heard about Chaihanna, the first Uzbek restaurant in the Chicago area, we were pretty excited. Chaihanna (which means ‘teahouse’ in Uzbek) itself is tucked into an unassuming strip mall off a busy street. However – there is no way you can miss the red neon sign in a font meant to mimic the Cyrillic alphabet. Though pretty non-descript from the outside, when we entered the small restaurant we were surprised to find it covered with murals and tapestries.

The menu features a range of unique dishes from Central Asia like samsa (dough pockets with meat filling), plov (pickled watermelon!?!?) and the dessert chak-chak (fried dough with honey). To start with, we ordered some Lepeshki, a type of round leavened bread, which was hot and fluffy, and dotted with fork pinpricks. It came highly recommended by our waitress, and the bread is apparently made in-house. Our server was attentive throughout, and helpful with recommendations, as we were clearly fish out of water. At dinner on a weeknight, several tables were full of regulars speaking Uzbek and Russian.

For our entrees, I ordered the Chicken Tabaka ($7.95), which was a 1/2 chicken rubbed with spices. The dish was perfectly spiced (but not spicy) and the chicken itself was excellent. The plate also came with a dill and cumin oil sauce, which was perfect for dipping the Lepeshki. M ordered the Lamb Kebab ($12.99), which was a classic rendition, and came on a bed of rice with pickled peppers. For the price, the chicken was definitely the better value of the two, though M enjoyed the kebab. We were also impressed by the elegant blue and white china place settings- which are definitely uncommon for a place at that price point. We enjoyed our time at Chaihanna, and hopefully next time we’ll be able to sample some of the more esoteric dishes.

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September 21, 2008 · 7:09 AM

Chinese, Peruvian and Cuban food in NYC: Flor De Mayo

Flor De Mayo
2651 Broadway
New York, NY

It’s a well-known fact that Chinese food is available in most countries around the world. However, I have not had many of these international Chinese permutations. Flor de Mayo, an NYC restaurant boasts one of the more interesting amalgamations I have heard of to date, Chinese-Peruvian-Cuban. M and I were intrigued by the Upper West Side restaurant, which at first appears to be a garden-variety Chinese restaurant, with an unassuming exterior and simple decor. However, the posted menu was indeed extraordinarily eclectic and was divided into three neat parts: “Peruvian Specials,” “Spanish Food” and “Hong Kong Specials.”

On the front door of the restaurant there is a sign advertising their rendition of pollo a la brasa as “the best Chicken in NYC.” I (L) ordered a lunch portion, a 1/2 a la brasa chicken ($7.55) with a side of plantains. The plate of food was absolutely enormous – the chicken itself had a spice rub and was fall-off-the-bone juicy and tender. While we cannot verify the “Best in NYC” claim – it was some pretty good chicken. M ordered Ceviche de pescado ($9.25) a Peruvian-style fish salad tossed with onions & fresh lime juice. Though tasty, the dish was a little short on the seafood and heavy on the onions. But he was just happy to get some Peruvian food, one of his favorite cuisines. Our Chicago dining buddy Anne, who is now an NYC resident ordered the Sweet and Sour Chicken lunch special (normally off the Hong Kong Specials section) with a side of plantains, definitely the most cross-cultural of our dishes. Though we were expecting more of a fusion of all three cuisines instead of selection from each, we enjoyed our food at Flor de Mayo. I couldn’t imagine a Chinese/Peruvian/Cuban restaurant anywhere but NYC!

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September 19, 2008 · 5:16 PM

[Road Trip Eats] Spain: Despaña

Despaña
408 Broome St.
New York, NY

Though Chicago boasts a wide variety of specialty grocery stores offering Mexican and Central American foods, there are no continental Spanish groceries. So we were excited to check out Despaña in SoHo, NYC. The store itself is small but uncluttered with a large deli case on one side and shelves of packaged goods on the other. We perused the selection of vinegars and olive oils, and many varieties had little sampling dishes to try all the different varieties. There is also a small selection of sweets to try, like Spanish nougat candy Turrón. We picked up a Crema Catalana boxed mix to take home with us (a steal at $2.50).

At the deli counter, there is an extensive case of Spanish cheeses and meats. While there were of course well-known Spanish cheeses like manchego, we were excited to see some more exotic cheeses like the unusual sheep’s milk Murcia al Vino (also called “Drunken Goat“), which is soaked in red wine. At the back wall of the store there is also a section with pre-made foods to eat at the small table area or take home. Featured sandwiches included: Chorizo with Mahon cheese and hot peppers ($8.50) and Nocilla (Spanish Hazlenut spread) on Cibatta for $5. There were also small tapas-style dishes, called pinxtos ($3-5), for snacking. We opted for the homemade blueberry cheesecake made with Afuega cow’s-milk cheese, which was excellent.

At Despaña, also M got his first taste of Spanish horchata, which is quite different than the rice-based Mexican horchata that is common in the US. Spanish horchata is made from tiger nuts and mixed with cinnamon, so it tastes kind of like a spicy almond milk. A liter bottle of Chufi brand horchata set us back only $5. Another particular we enjoyed about Despaña was their helpful staff, who couldn’t have been nicer. If you are in the area, you should definitely check out Despaña’s Iberic treats. It’s a whirlwind culinary tour of Spain your pocketbooks can handle!

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September 17, 2008 · 7:08 PM

Another Roadtrip!

This past weekend M and I went to Minneapolis – St. Paul to visit our friend Katie. While there we tried some pretty great food – Stay tuned.

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September 12, 2008 · 7:36 AM

Friday Foodie Link: Neue Deutsche Cuisine

One of our friends is a big proponent of German cuisine. While the Eaters have never been huge fans, we are always open to having our minds changed. One of the major problems we’ve encountered is that many German restaurants in America seems pretty stodgy and old fashioned. So it interested us to learn that German food (in Germany, at least) is undergoing a sort of renaissance. The New York Times has the details about the new wave of Teutonic cuisine.

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September 10, 2008 · 1:00 PM

St. Martin: Il Nettuno

Il Nettuno
70 Grand Case Boulevard
Grand Case

At one end of French St. Martin’s restaurant row, Grand Case, are the low-key lolos. At the other end, are a variety of higher-end restaurants ranging from nouveau French to Indian to Caribbean. In the mix is Il Nettuno, a hidden gem – which turned out to be one of the best Italian meals we have had in a long while. The restaurant is in the classic trattoria model, but boasts the unusual combination of an owner who spent 25 years in America, a Caribbean location and a French wait staff. Eating at an Italian restaurant smack dab in the middle of the Caribbean was definitely an interesting experience, but it didn’t take us long to be charmed. Our Maurice Chevalier-esque maître d’ notwithstanding, one of the biggest selling points were the gorgeous views of the ocean right of the shaded deck. We arrived just at sunset, and were treated to some amazing vistas

The menu at Il Nettuno boasted a variety of Italian classics, with an emphasis on seafood dishes. It’s definitely a bit pricier than the lolos, at about 16-25 euros for most main dishes. As we were perusing the menu, we were served a free plate of delicious bruschetta on crusty French bread.

For my dinner, I selected the special of the day: lobster ravioli in vodka sauce (€17). The menu claimed that seafood was a specialty of the house, and given the location, I didn’t doubt it. The lobster was fresh and sweet and the vodka sauce was a perfect blend of cream and tomatoes. We also ordered Rigatoni freschi con prosciutto, funghi, e rucola (€17): rigatoni with mushrooms, prosciutto, garlic and butter and Fusilli con melanzane alla Siciliana Fusilli (€17): fusilli pasta with eggplant, mozzarella and Sicilian tomatoes. Both pasta dishes were generously portioned, tasty and contained absolutely fresh produce (surprising given the location).

However, we all agreed that the best dish of the bunch was my mother’s pick – the Chicken Marsala (€19) with a delicious sweet potato mash, whipped potatoes and green beans. Since we eat a certain amount of Italian food at home, one of the best judgments of quality we have – is ‘could I have made this better myself?’ My mom makes a mean Chicken Marsala, but this one was even better. The chicken was not heavy or over-breaded (as often happens) and the Marsala sauce was rich and not too salty.

To finish off the meal, we let them know that there was a birthday in the group, so they brought out a free slice of tiramisu. It just happened to work out that the birthday girl’s favorite dessert was in fact tiramisu, and it didn’t hurt that Il Nettuno makes an excellent rendition. All in all we were extremely pleased with our dinner at Il Nettuno. The ocean-side atmosphere was charming, the food excellent and the service was great. We would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a slice of Italy with a little Caribbean touch.

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September 8, 2008 · 10:51 PM

[Road Trip Eats] The One Thing We Ate in Princeton, NJ: Mac and Cheese

Small World Cafe
 14 Witherspoon St.
Princeton, NJ

The mac and cheese at this place is phenomenal! Enough said.

Small World offers a wide variety of sandwiches and salads, but we did not try them. No need to, since the mac and cheese was the star attraction. The mac and cheese itself is a deceptively simple blend of curly cellentani pasta, mozzarella, gruyère and fontina cheese with a seasoned, crispy breadcrumb topping. We ended up eating two cups for lunch (one cup is $4.25/a larger bowl is $7.25). After we ordered our 2nd cup, there was only one cup left in the entire batch for the day (It was about 12:45 PM on a Wednesday at this point). As we were chowing down, we witnessed a lot of disappointed patrons who wandered in just moments too late. Sorry guys!

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September 5, 2008 · 10:57 PM

Friday Foodie Links: DIY French Pastries

So France is famous for its pastries (which we can’t get enough of). We’re not going to France anytime soon, so we figured it would be a good idea to learn how to make some treats on our own to save us the airfare. For this weeks Friday foodie link we’ve rounded up some delicious sounding recipes for some of France’s most iconic desserts.

  • Madeleines [Chez Pim] – Probably the most iconic of all French delicacies, these little shell shaped cookie/cakes are baked in a specially designed pan, and are famous for their featured role in Marcel Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past (for triggering his memory).
  • Financiers [Dorie Greenspan] – These little square, almond-flavored, half-cookie half-cakes were developed in a bakery near the Parisian stock exchange, earning them their interesting name.
  • Macarons [Serious Eats] – Completely unlike the coconutty macaroons found often in America (with 2 O’s), these elegant sandwich cookies are known to come in all colors and flavors.

We’re always up for making recipes, though we less frequently make sweet items. Looks like we’ve got some good work ahead of us!

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September 4, 2008 · 4:44 PM

[Road Trip Eats] Greece: Omonia Cafe

Greece Omonia Cafe
3220 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11106

Astoria in Queens, NY is known for its Greek restaurants, and M and I were treated to a tour of the main drag by our New York friends Lauren and Ryan. Omonia Cafe is one of many Greek restaurants in Astoria and has been commanding a prominent corner there since 1977. There is no way you can miss this place, especially at night, as it is covered with colorful lights and neon signs. Snagging an outside spot also makes for some good people watching, and on nice nights, the outdoor area is overflowing. The menu is huge and varied, but concentrates on Greek (no surprise there), Italian and classic American favorites. There are also several pages dedicated to desserts, but I’ll get to that later.

For an appetizer we all ordered saganaki, one of M and my favorite Greek indulgences. How can you really go wrong with fried kasseri cheese, now? Omonia delivered on this one, though it does not come to the table with the “opa!” fanfare of the Chicago Greektown restaurants. I (L) ordered homemade spanikopita spinach pie stuffed with feta. The homemade version of the pie was on the menu along side with a cheaper spanikopita that was not billed as homemade. I’m glad I went with the homemade dish – since you could really taste that it was. M ordered the Penne a la Vodka, one of his favorites. Despite coming from a Greek restaurant, their rendition of the Italian dish was solid. Lauren sampled a dish I had never seen before – Strapatsada, which were a kind of Greek scrambled egg dish mixed with feta, tomatoes, olives and oregano, with pita triangles. This new dish was intriguing to me, and if I ever come back to Omonia, it would make an awesome brunch dish.

However, the real showstopper at the Omonia Cafe is the dessert case at the adjoining bakery. My sleuthing even tells me that this bakery created the flamboyant cake for the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. How cool is that? The desserts range from traditional Greek (Baklava and Yianniotiko – phyllo with nuts and shredded wheat) to Italian (Cannolis and Tiramisu) to plain American (Strawberry Shortcake and Jello). We tried a sampling of desserts including galactoboureko, which was a milk and honey custard baked on a phyllo crust. This unpronounceable dessert was very light, and pleasantly sweet. We also sampled a little chocolate and almond tart, which had a filling of chocolate cream and an indescribable liquor (orange? hazelnut? almond? all of the above? we have no idea). With all of the tantalizing desserts on display, hopefully we’ll be back someday to try out some more!

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September 1, 2008 · 10:57 PM

Chicago to Philly Road Trip Eats

The eaters just recently completed a roadtrip for a wedding out east, and will be presenting posts over the next few weeks related to our eating adventures in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey. We will be talking about a few good local pitstops, good ethnic groceries and even some new cuisines we haven’t tried out before. Stay tuned!

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August 30, 2008 · 8:19 AM

St. Martin: Lolos

“Lolos” are what locals call informal outdoor barbecue restaurants, and are found all across St. Martin. Two of the most famous lolos are located in Grand Case, in the French half of the island. Grand Case is St. Martin’s restaurant row, and a single narrow street running parallel to the ocean, filled on each side with restaurants ranging from fancy to very simple. Any choice on Grand Case is probably at least solid, but some of the most popular are the lolos. The proprietors of these open-air restaurants are frequently seen pounding the pavement offering “1 dollar to 1 euro” currency conversions. Given the weakness of the dollar at the moment, that offer certainly caught our eye. However, the real draw is the laid-back atmosphere and tasty food.

Talk of the Town
Grand Case
St. Martin

The menus at Talk of the Town are displayed on wooden easels right on the sidewalk, and the delicious smell of shrimp and ribs on the grill draws passersby in. The lolo itself was a series of picnic tables covered with a canopy, adjacent to an open grill and a wooden bar. For less than ten dollars you can choose a main dish with a plate load of sides, cooked to order. I wish I had a picture of Talk of the Town itself, since it is no simple affair (we’re talking 30+ picnic tables), and is usually packed to the brim with an assortment of locals and tourists alike.

Our table ordered the Creole shrimp, Barbecue Ribs and BBQ chicken. The plate came with a heaping helping of side dishes, each of which can be ordered as a side dish for a couple of bucks. As you can see, the creole shrimp above came with a smörgåsbord of sides: a green salad, coleslaw (which was quite good and fresh), mac and cheese, red beans and rice, and spaghetti in creole sauce. The shrimp was beyond fresh, and with a beach-side location dotted with fishing and shrimping boats it’s no surprise. The ocean-fresh shrimp were well-complimented by the creole sauce, which was was a piquant blend of curry, onion, peppers, garlic, and hot sauce. The barbecue dishes were tangy and spicy with a tomato-based sauce that rivals any Southern BBQ joint. We would highly recommend Talk of the Town to anyone visiting St. Martin. It’s a unique experience with some excellent food. Beyond that, the high turnover and constant crowds assure all dishes are fresh to order.

Sky’s the Limit
 Grand Case
St. Martin

Located right next to Talk of the Town, we just narrowly chose against Sky’s the Limit. Both have a similar laid-back vibe, feature open grills and outdoor seating at informal wooden booths.

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August 29, 2008 · 11:26 PM

Friday Foodie Links: Eating Africa

African food, though there are pockets with a lot of good restaurants, is relatively uncommon in America. Beyond that, most African restaurants in the US feature Ethiopian or Mahgreb cuisine (which are both delicious). However, the eaters wanted to see if we could try some different African regional cuisines. Luckily both the New York Times and the Chicago Reader have made lists of the African restaurants in NYC and Chicago. In terms of places off the beaten path, NYC boast a South African restaurant, Madiba, (195 DeKalb Avenue, Fort Greene, Brooklyn). While Chicago is dominated by Ethiopian, there is also an all Ghanaian restaurant, Palace Gate (4548 N. Magnolia).

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August 28, 2008 · 7:29 AM

Time for Dessert at Hot Chocolate in Chicago

Hot Chocolate
1747 N. Damen Ave.
Chicago, IL

This ultra-modern chocolate bar has the feel of sitting inside of a chocolate bar itself! Done in deep browns and creams, Mindy Segal’s restaurant has a full dinner menu, as well as the featured deserts and chocolate drinks. We weren’t really in the mood for another large meal, so we stayed in the lounge section at the front of the restaurant and sampled some of the chocolate drinks and dessert creations instead. As dessert bars usually are, this one was a bit on the pricey side. However, the delectable deserts were worth it.

Doughnuts by Stu Pivak

Doughnuts by Stu Spivak

We sampled a vanilla crème brûlée with summer berries ($11) and a “Shot of Hot Chocolate” which was a tiny, rich brownie with a shot glass of chilled hot chocolate ($4). Each was delicious, and an inventive take on a dessert classic. Other unique menu items included a platter of doughnuts with a hot chocolate dipping sauce. We also had a good sampling of chocolate-flavored alcoholic drinks such as the Chocolate Martini, with Stoli vanilla, Kahlua, Baileys and chocolate milk ($12). In this case, the alcohol tended to overpower the chocolate. Not bad, of course, if that what you’re going for. All in all, sampling the treats at Hot Chocolate is a great way to end the night and satisfy your sweet tooth. Maybe next time we will even saple some of the savory items. If you’re ever in the Wicker Park area, we recommend stopping by to at least check out the unique ambiance and delicious deserts.

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August 22, 2008 · 11:32 PM

Friday Foodie Link: FXCuisine

The eaters have stumbled upon an awesome culinary site: FX Cuisine. According to the ‘about me,’ the author is a Swiss gentleman named François-Xavier (FX). The site has beautiful pictures, and interesting tales about recipes and trips across Europe, updated twice weekly. We should be so lucky to watch a Sicilian food expert make gelo di melone and visit an authentic Swiss cheese operation. Definitely a must-see site.

Also, we have just found out that ETW favorite Pasticceria Natalina is making gelo di melone for the next few weeks!

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August 21, 2008 · 9:46 AM

FTC: Santander chocolate

When the World Market by me was going out of business *sniff* I stopped by one last time to scavenge. I picked up a mug and tea strainer, a tiffin box and a 70% Cacao & Espresso Coffee chocolate bar by Chocolate Santander. I am glad I did, though of course how can you go too wrong by combing two delicious flavors: dark chocolate and Colombian coffee. The dark chocolate was very smooth, and not bitter, and the coffee was not overpowering, and turned out to be a great compliment.

These artisinal bars are made in Colombia of 100% Colombian coffee and specific origin chocolate of the “Criollo” and “Trinitarian” varieties. Little did I know that Santander chocolates are made at the factory of Compañía Nacional de Chocolates, a company established in 1920. The company produces other varieties as well. Hopefully I will be able to find them elsewhere (RIP World Market)!

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