Hello, my name is David and I like to write.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
Summer Lunch Series Part 8: Stephi's on Tremont
Part 8!!! I can't believe it has been 8 weeks of incredible lunches! I'm still loving every minute. Even if I was the only person lunching by myself in a busy restaurant full sophisticated South Enders. Not that it makes a difference one way or the other how many people are eating alone, I just like to observe such things. I was debating lunch on Newbury Street, but since I previously hit up a restaurant in Back Bay, I thought why not travel to another neighborhood - the historic, picture perfect, South End.
I decided on lunch at Stephi's on Tremont. I've been to Stephanie's on Newbury, so I figured now it was time to give her hip younger sister a try. I arrived at 571 Tremont to a lovely but nearly empty patio. 
I choose to be seated indoors where the air conditioning and a promptly delivered glass of ice water cooled me down in no time. It was a scorcher out there today.
Upon being seated I immediately took note of the fun salt and pepper grinders at my table. My waiter, who introduced himself as Travis, did an excellent job. No complaints in the service department. My drink and entree were delivered at rapid speed. I decided on a signature martini to start things off.
No, this is not a Cosmo. That's not how I roll. 
This potent creation would be a Tea Party ($12) - a Boston Tea Party at that, made with Absolut Boston, blood orange, lemon and iced tea. I get excited to see Absolut Boston on specialty drink menus as I just love the flavor infusions of black tea and elderflower. The martini might look like liquid candy but I assure you, it was only a tad sweet. Plus, I had a nice buzz after lunch.
The silky whipped avocado was spread a top smooth compact tuna that sat on a vibrant lime vinaigrette, swirled with chipotle chili soy sauce and topped with dollops of spicy mayo. The avocado layer looks rather thin, but it permeated flavor throughout the entire bed of sashimi. Speaking of flavor, those emulsions added layer upon layer of it to the dish. They were absolutely brilliant together.
The side of wonton chips were a pleasant surprise. They were served warm sprinkled with sesame seeds. The light and airy texture played nicely off their rich and buttery taste.
When the group next to me finished up, I snapped a picture or two.
Stephi's is clean and comfortable with floor to ceiling windows, off white wood paneling, large globe chandeliers and chocolate leather seating. 
The booth backs are upholstered in a warm colored olive, burnt orange, mustard yellow and red flower patterned fabric. On the wall across from me hung a three framed black and white photo montage of Stephanie's on Newbury. I thought it was a subtle and classy way to pay homage to the original.
For sophisticated comfort food and classy cocktails in the South End, Stephi's on Tremont certainly impressed. I would definitely need to sample more of the menu to make a truly informed recommendation, but from my experience so far, I'd say she's worth checking out. 
I decided on lunch at Stephi's on Tremont. I've been to Stephanie's on Newbury, so I figured now it was time to give her hip younger sister a try. I arrived at 571 Tremont to a lovely but nearly empty patio. I choose to be seated indoors where the air conditioning and a promptly delivered glass of ice water cooled me down in no time. It was a scorcher out there today.Upon being seated I immediately took note of the fun salt and pepper grinders at my table. My waiter, who introduced himself as Travis, did an excellent job. No complaints in the service department. My drink and entree were delivered at rapid speed. I decided on a signature martini to start things off.No, this is not a Cosmo. That's not how I roll. This potent creation would be a Tea Party ($12) - a Boston Tea Party at that, made with Absolut Boston, blood orange, lemon and iced tea. I get excited to see Absolut Boston on specialty drink menus as I just love the flavor infusions of black tea and elderflower. The martini might look like liquid candy but I assure you, it was only a tad sweet. Plus, I had a nice buzz after lunch.The buzz was likely also in part to my light entree choice. I ordered the Ahi Tuna Tartare ($13) boasting sashimi grade tuna served with sesame poached tomatoes, whipped avocado, chipotle chili soy sauce, spicy mayonnaise and lime vinaigrette.
The silky whipped avocado was spread a top smooth compact tuna that sat on a vibrant lime vinaigrette, swirled with chipotle chili soy sauce and topped with dollops of spicy mayo. The avocado layer looks rather thin, but it permeated flavor throughout the entire bed of sashimi. Speaking of flavor, those emulsions added layer upon layer of it to the dish. They were absolutely brilliant together.The side of wonton chips were a pleasant surprise. They were served warm sprinkled with sesame seeds. The light and airy texture played nicely off their rich and buttery taste.When the group next to me finished up, I snapped a picture or two.Stephi's is clean and comfortable with floor to ceiling windows, off white wood paneling, large globe chandeliers and chocolate leather seating. The booth backs are upholstered in a warm colored olive, burnt orange, mustard yellow and red flower patterned fabric. On the wall across from me hung a three framed black and white photo montage of Stephanie's on Newbury. I thought it was a subtle and classy way to pay homage to the original.For sophisticated comfort food and classy cocktails in the South End, Stephi's on Tremont certainly impressed. I would definitely need to sample more of the menu to make a truly informed recommendation, but from my experience so far, I'd say she's worth checking out.
The Blind Pig
It might not be evident these days, but I used to be quite the book worm when I was younger. I don't know that I could describe my 'taste' in literature, but it ranges from more serious, science-y type books to entertaining beach reads. A friend of mine recently gave me a copy of The Blind Pig by Elizabeth Dougherty. It satisfied the scientist and foodie in me and I couldn't put it down!!
Since I really enjoyed the book, I hope you will too! Luckily I was able to interview Beth and am going to give away a copy of the book! Read the interview below and contest details at the bottom of the post. It was great to get to know Beth a bit more, and I think you'll get a good taste of what the book is about from her answers.
What made you decide to write The Blind Pig?
I had just started working as a science writer in Boston and I was pretty blown away by how quickly genetic engineering and synthetic biology were moving. I was also overwhelmed by the public health problems that medicine is trying to solve. At the same time, I lived way out of town in a 200 year-old farmhouse, so there was sort of a culture shock between my work-life and home-life. Out here, things are quiet and we worry about whether or not the tractor is going to start more than about whether the country will go bankrupt taking care of an unhealthy population. That's not completely true, but you get the idea.
Anyway, I had a 2-hour (each way) commute on the train, so I just started writing, kind of as therapy. I used to be an engineer, so I'm a natural problem solver, and my brain just started applying all of these incredible new discoveries and technologies to solving our public health problems. Once I had the idea for the NArc, the cultural tension between the modern city and the old-fashioned country helped me find the plot. And once I had some momentum, I kept going because writing this book was really a lot of fun.
How did you come up with the title?
I'm embarrassed to say that I got the title straight out of Wikipedia. I had this idea to have speakeasies play a role in the book, so one day I just looked them up to start learning more about them. When I saw that a 'Blind Pig' was another name for a speakeasy, it just clicked. It worked on so many levels but didn't hit you over the head.
At the time, I also was in the middle of an obsession with lard. I was baking with it -- biscuits, pie crusts -- and rendering it myself. I was visiting pig farms and small slaughterhouses to learn more about pigs. The whole story in the book about the tubs of lard the USDA researchers tipped over that Herb tells Angela is actually true. And in a completely non-scientific taste test I did with friends, the lard-based pie crusts were voted flakiest and tastiest. Did you know that the pig is considered to be 'nature's refrigerator'? People used to use pigs as 'larders' -- they'd stuff them with food to fatten them, then eat them over the winter.
But maybe that's just too much information!
What was the most surprising/disturbing thing you discovered when doing research for the book?
I think I'm most disturbed and surprised at how often people have forwarded me news articles about things happening right now that foreshadow some of the futuristic things in the book. People are growing artificial meats, they are linking engineered organs together to make working bodily systems, they are growing gardens on the sides of skyscrapers, and they are making health-monitoring systems that people carry with them everywhere and that report back to doctors. People are even developing expert systems to help doctors interpret personal genomes for patients. It's eerie. Of course, we have no idea what the future may hold, but if we aren't paying attention, we might not like where we end up.
Have you changed the way you eat since writing the book?
Yes! During and since writing this, I've spent a lot of time growing food myself. I enjoy it and it tastes good. I have also developed an appreciation for just how hard it is. I cannot imagine being completely self-sustaining. I also sometimes buy meat from local farmers. It's a challenge because cooking this food is more work than cooking convenient cuts of meat from the grocery store.
At the same time, I've been thinking a lot about how food affects me -- especially since I'm a runner -- so I've sort of NArc'd myself. I did an elimination diet and now I actually have a pretty strict diet because certain foods -- especially sugar and wheat -- just get me down. This is a drag, since I love making pastry, but I allow myself to cheat sometimes. Luckily the only fine I pay is in feeling bad! So mostly I eat pretty simple food. Meat. Rice. Quinoa. Vegetables. Fruit. I really should move to a place where almonds, apricots and olives grow because they make up a huge part of my diet. South of France, here I come!
And since you're a runner... what's your favorite way to fuel for a long run?
Geez, you had to ask that, didn't you? Ok. I'll admit it. For a long run, I eat engineered food. Specifically, Clif Bars. Peanut toffee buzz is my favorite. I actually think they're pretty yucky, but they are filling enough to keep me going. I sometimes make oatmeal, but I don't like to do anything that gets me feeling too cozy before a long run. There's a risk I'll just curl up on the couch with a book instead, especially if it's snowing. And during any run that's longer than 90 minutes, I eat Clif Blocks and bring water along in my CamelBack. The blocks are also pretty gross, but they are, in my opinion, thousands of times better than goo.
Wow, so articulate. I guess I should expect that from an author ;) Thanks Beth!!
To enter to win a copy of The Blind Pig, all you have to do comment and tell me your favorite book of the summer! Contest will run until 10am Sunday August 15th.
Do you know what you're eating?
Since I really enjoyed the book, I hope you will too! Luckily I was able to interview Beth and am going to give away a copy of the book! Read the interview below and contest details at the bottom of the post. It was great to get to know Beth a bit more, and I think you'll get a good taste of what the book is about from her answers.
What made you decide to write The Blind Pig?
I had just started working as a science writer in Boston and I was pretty blown away by how quickly genetic engineering and synthetic biology were moving. I was also overwhelmed by the public health problems that medicine is trying to solve. At the same time, I lived way out of town in a 200 year-old farmhouse, so there was sort of a culture shock between my work-life and home-life. Out here, things are quiet and we worry about whether or not the tractor is going to start more than about whether the country will go bankrupt taking care of an unhealthy population. That's not completely true, but you get the idea.
Anyway, I had a 2-hour (each way) commute on the train, so I just started writing, kind of as therapy. I used to be an engineer, so I'm a natural problem solver, and my brain just started applying all of these incredible new discoveries and technologies to solving our public health problems. Once I had the idea for the NArc, the cultural tension between the modern city and the old-fashioned country helped me find the plot. And once I had some momentum, I kept going because writing this book was really a lot of fun.
How did you come up with the title?
I'm embarrassed to say that I got the title straight out of Wikipedia. I had this idea to have speakeasies play a role in the book, so one day I just looked them up to start learning more about them. When I saw that a 'Blind Pig' was another name for a speakeasy, it just clicked. It worked on so many levels but didn't hit you over the head.
At the time, I also was in the middle of an obsession with lard. I was baking with it -- biscuits, pie crusts -- and rendering it myself. I was visiting pig farms and small slaughterhouses to learn more about pigs. The whole story in the book about the tubs of lard the USDA researchers tipped over that Herb tells Angela is actually true. And in a completely non-scientific taste test I did with friends, the lard-based pie crusts were voted flakiest and tastiest. Did you know that the pig is considered to be 'nature's refrigerator'? People used to use pigs as 'larders' -- they'd stuff them with food to fatten them, then eat them over the winter.
But maybe that's just too much information!
What was the most surprising/disturbing thing you discovered when doing research for the book?
I think I'm most disturbed and surprised at how often people have forwarded me news articles about things happening right now that foreshadow some of the futuristic things in the book. People are growing artificial meats, they are linking engineered organs together to make working bodily systems, they are growing gardens on the sides of skyscrapers, and they are making health-monitoring systems that people carry with them everywhere and that report back to doctors. People are even developing expert systems to help doctors interpret personal genomes for patients. It's eerie. Of course, we have no idea what the future may hold, but if we aren't paying attention, we might not like where we end up.
Have you changed the way you eat since writing the book?
Yes! During and since writing this, I've spent a lot of time growing food myself. I enjoy it and it tastes good. I have also developed an appreciation for just how hard it is. I cannot imagine being completely self-sustaining. I also sometimes buy meat from local farmers. It's a challenge because cooking this food is more work than cooking convenient cuts of meat from the grocery store.
At the same time, I've been thinking a lot about how food affects me -- especially since I'm a runner -- so I've sort of NArc'd myself. I did an elimination diet and now I actually have a pretty strict diet because certain foods -- especially sugar and wheat -- just get me down. This is a drag, since I love making pastry, but I allow myself to cheat sometimes. Luckily the only fine I pay is in feeling bad! So mostly I eat pretty simple food. Meat. Rice. Quinoa. Vegetables. Fruit. I really should move to a place where almonds, apricots and olives grow because they make up a huge part of my diet. South of France, here I come!
And since you're a runner... what's your favorite way to fuel for a long run?
Geez, you had to ask that, didn't you? Ok. I'll admit it. For a long run, I eat engineered food. Specifically, Clif Bars. Peanut toffee buzz is my favorite. I actually think they're pretty yucky, but they are filling enough to keep me going. I sometimes make oatmeal, but I don't like to do anything that gets me feeling too cozy before a long run. There's a risk I'll just curl up on the couch with a book instead, especially if it's snowing. And during any run that's longer than 90 minutes, I eat Clif Blocks and bring water along in my CamelBack. The blocks are also pretty gross, but they are, in my opinion, thousands of times better than goo.
Wow, so articulate. I guess I should expect that from an author ;) Thanks Beth!!
To enter to win a copy of The Blind Pig, all you have to do comment and tell me your favorite book of the summer! Contest will run until 10am Sunday August 15th.
Do you know what you're eating?
Foumami - Asian Sandwich Bar
When I heard that Foumami, a new Asian sandwich bar, was opening up in the Financial District, I was really excited to check it out. Although I often bring in leftovers for lunch, I am always searching for great lunch spots near my workplace. On Wednesday, I finally got a chance to check it out with my friend Alicia while we caught up during a long overdue lunch date.
When we arrived at Foumami (pronounced "Foo-mah-mee") a little after noon, the line was out the door. This was fine thought because it gave us a chance to catch up and we happily accepted a piece of scallion pancake offered to us while we waited in line. Despite the long line, service moved fast and soon enough we were at the counter ordering our lunch. Even though their sandwiches were severely tempting, I decided to go with one of their salads along with an iced cinnamon tea.
The food was prepared very quickly and was served on an adorable square cafeteria tray. I don't know why but this really charmed me.
Although there was outdoor seating, it was all filled up so we sat inside in one of the corner tables, which gave Alicia and I a great view of the place. The restaurant had a nice modern vibe that reminded me of Pinkberry with white tables and white chairs contrasted with dark wood benches along the windows. There's a tall community table with stools in the middle and some funky dome-like lighting fixtures. I wish I had taken some photos of the interior but it felt a little intrusive during the busy lunch hour.
My iced cinnamon tea was intensely cinnamon flavored with fresh cinnamon bark, ginger root, brown sugar and Chinese red dates. The flavor combination reminded me of Christmas and I think this will be a fantastic hot tea during the winter months. As an iced tea though, it is still incredibly refreshing!
For my lunch, I ended up choosing their glass noodle salad. I loved that my glass noodle salad was topped with a traditional Korean glass noodle dish called japchae. The glass noodles are sauteed with spinach, carrots, sliced egg omelet, wood ears, sesame seeds and soy sesame dressing. While japchae is not my favorite on its own, it worked really well with the fresh greens and seared chicken breast. The portions are huge and I had a lot of greens remaining at the end of lunch.
Alicia had the sprouts and tofu salad and she absolutely loved it. She, however, couldn't finish hers either and took about half of it as leftovers. All of the salads also come with a piece of the house scallion pancake, which is seriously addictive!
I really liked Foumami a lot because it really offers a unique twist to the typical salads and sandwiches available for lunch. In fact, Foumami is a word that the owners of this take-out restaurant created that loosely translates to "what Buddha finds to be most delicious." Interesting, right? I can't wait to head back there soon to try one of their sandwiches out. Plus, they also have red bean shaved ice, which is a street food favorite of mine!
Foumami is located at the back side of the building at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA (at the corner of High and Oliver Street). Foumami offers breakfast and lunch and also tweets their daily specials at @Foumami.
When we arrived at Foumami (pronounced "Foo-mah-mee") a little after noon, the line was out the door. This was fine thought because it gave us a chance to catch up and we happily accepted a piece of scallion pancake offered to us while we waited in line. Despite the long line, service moved fast and soon enough we were at the counter ordering our lunch. Even though their sandwiches were severely tempting, I decided to go with one of their salads along with an iced cinnamon tea.
The food was prepared very quickly and was served on an adorable square cafeteria tray. I don't know why but this really charmed me.
Although there was outdoor seating, it was all filled up so we sat inside in one of the corner tables, which gave Alicia and I a great view of the place. The restaurant had a nice modern vibe that reminded me of Pinkberry with white tables and white chairs contrasted with dark wood benches along the windows. There's a tall community table with stools in the middle and some funky dome-like lighting fixtures. I wish I had taken some photos of the interior but it felt a little intrusive during the busy lunch hour.
My iced cinnamon tea was intensely cinnamon flavored with fresh cinnamon bark, ginger root, brown sugar and Chinese red dates. The flavor combination reminded me of Christmas and I think this will be a fantastic hot tea during the winter months. As an iced tea though, it is still incredibly refreshing!
For my lunch, I ended up choosing their glass noodle salad. I loved that my glass noodle salad was topped with a traditional Korean glass noodle dish called japchae. The glass noodles are sauteed with spinach, carrots, sliced egg omelet, wood ears, sesame seeds and soy sesame dressing. While japchae is not my favorite on its own, it worked really well with the fresh greens and seared chicken breast. The portions are huge and I had a lot of greens remaining at the end of lunch.
Alicia had the sprouts and tofu salad and she absolutely loved it. She, however, couldn't finish hers either and took about half of it as leftovers. All of the salads also come with a piece of the house scallion pancake, which is seriously addictive!
I really liked Foumami a lot because it really offers a unique twist to the typical salads and sandwiches available for lunch. In fact, Foumami is a word that the owners of this take-out restaurant created that loosely translates to "what Buddha finds to be most delicious." Interesting, right? I can't wait to head back there soon to try one of their sandwiches out. Plus, they also have red bean shaved ice, which is a street food favorite of mine!
Foumami is located at the back side of the building at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA (at the corner of High and Oliver Street). Foumami offers breakfast and lunch and also tweets their daily specials at @Foumami.
Lemon-Caper Swordfish With Lemon-Pepper Pappardelle
This dish was supposed to have mahi mahi... but my Whole Foods curse struck again. I should just stop trying to pick a type of fish before I get there. No matter what I decide to make -- cod, halibut, haddock, mahi mahi -- the night I go to pick up the particular fish I'm looking for, Whole Foods has just about everything but.
I had to make a game-time substitution and went with swordfish because it, like mahi mahi, is about an inch or more thick, and I thought the flavors I was planning to use would still work.
Lemon-Caper Swordfish With Lemon-Pepper Pappardelle (adapted from Gourmet, April 2006)
Ingredients
1 package lemon-pepper pappardelle (Trader Joe's)
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
3 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons capers (in brine), rinsed, drained, and coarsely chopped
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
About 1 pound swordfish (1 1/2 to 2 inches thick)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Preparation
Prepare pasta according to package instructions. After draining pasta, place in bowl, toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and cover to keep warm. While pasta is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over moderately high heat. Add onion and sauté, stirring frequently, until golden, about 6 minutes.
Stir in water and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook for about about 1 minute, and then stir in butter until melted. Add in capers and lemon juice. Remove from heat and keep warm, covered.
Preheat broiler. Pat fish dry, then brush all over with remaining tablespoon oil, and sprinkle with salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place swordfish on rack of a broiler pan, and broil about 5 inches from heat until just cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes.
Set some of the pappardelle on each plate, and top the pasta with a piece of swordfish. Garnish the swordfish with the lemon-caper onion mixture, sprinkle with parsley, and serve the dish with extra lemon wedges on the side.
We had the swordfish dinner with some new sodas we found at Whole Foods. We actually sampled them a few weeks ago, and I loved the blueberry soda, so I knew I'd be back to get it eventually. And Jeff really liked the root beer. They're kind of pricey though ($6.99 for a 4-pack), so they're a special treat!
And we also had some corn from Allandale Farm. I love all the bright yellow on this plate -- it's so summery!
If you're looking for another lemony, summery recipe, try this one from Meghan at Travel, Wine, and Dine.
And I have a confession to make: I am not a Trader Joe's girl. I used to go ocassionally to the one in Darien when I still lived in Connecticut, but I haven't been to a Trader Joe's since I moved to Boston more than four years ago. Jeff and I finally decided to go check out the new one that opened near Fresh Pond, which is how I ended up with the pappardelle for this dinner. (The pappardelle is good but a bit strong on the lemon flavor so it's best eaten with the other components of this meal.)
We bought a few other things to try but ended up going across the street to Whole Foods to finish our shopping. I know I loved the frozen potato pancakes Trader Joe's used to carry and their pumpkin bread mix, but I really didn't see anything I had to have when I stopped in this time. Usually, I can't leave Whole Foods without filling my cart. I'm definitely a Whole Foods girl.
Do you prefer Whole Foods or Trader Joe's... and why? If neither is in your area, what's your favorite grocery store?
Don't forget to enter my Olivia's Organics giveaway!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Wednesday Night Sunset
Last night I took in the sunset from Granite Links Golf Club at Quarry Hills. 
This is the view from the "clubhouse" where I ate dinner with Adam, his family and miscelaneous groomsmen after the tux fitting for Kirsten & Phil's wedding. 
I also love a good sunset!
Tomorrow is Flex Friday! Where should I go for Summer Lunch Series?!
This is the view from the "clubhouse" where I ate dinner with Adam, his family and miscelaneous groomsmen after the tux fitting for Kirsten & Phil's wedding. To the left is an unbelievable view of the city. It was pretty foggy, so I probably wouldn't have gotten a good shot if I tried. Plus, it's right on the 19th hole, so I didn't want to interrupt anyones game.
I stuck to taking photos of the sunset. And stuffing my face with a delicious Chicken Ceasar flatbread pizza. Not to be confused with Chicken Ceasar Salad flatbread pizza, 'cause then they would have had to put lettuce on top. I love lettuce on pizza. 
I stuck to taking photos of the sunset. And stuffing my face with a delicious Chicken Ceasar flatbread pizza. Not to be confused with Chicken Ceasar Salad flatbread pizza, 'cause then they would have had to put lettuce on top. I love lettuce on pizza. Tomorrow is Flex Friday! Where should I go for Summer Lunch Series?!
Local Food: Grace Under Fire Chocolate
If you read my blog, you know that I am passionate about supporting local businesses, especially those that involve producing or selling local food. When my friends at PMG Public Relations asked me if I'd like to sample some chocolate from Lake Champlain Chocolates, I was excited to learn that it was a local business from Vermont. Plus, the fact that I was being asked to try out some chocolate didn't hurt either.
Before I received my chocolate sample, I did some research about Lake Champlain Chocolates. I found that like most businesses, Lake Champlain started out as a small company that slowly grew over the past twenty-six years. While they originally produced truffles, soon the company began producing hot chocolate, clusters, caramels, barks and other yummy chocolate treats. Although the company began offering a variety of different types of chocolate, Lake Champlain stayed committed to using local ingredients and to handcrafting their chocolate products.
But enough about the research, what about the chocolate? I got the chance to sample Lake Champlain's newest chocolate bar - Grace Under Fire.
As you can tell by the box, Grace Under Fire is no ordinary chocolate bar. It was a collaboration with a Vermont band, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Grace Potter has been eating Lake Champlain chocolate since she was kid and was super excited to be involved with the chocolate making process. They wanted the chocolate to really exemplify the personality of the band and it resulted in a 54% dark chocolate bar with roasted pistachios, red pepper, vanilla and cinnamon.
At first glance, the chocolate bar looks like any other dark chocolate bar.
But once you turned it over, you could see that it was chock full of great ingredients.
At first bite, you got the rich dark chocolate flavor. Then you felt the slow heat creeping in from the red pepper. Just when you thought it would be too spicy, the vanilla and cinnamon flavors came through. This was the perfect harmony of sweet, spicy, and crunchy - perfect for a rock and roll band.
If this limited edition chocolate bar is any indication of what Lake Champlain has to offer, then I'm definitely impressed. I was happy to find that Lake Champlain chocolates are sold at some of my favorite stores, including Whole Foods and Cardullo's. Even though I can find their products in Boston, I know that I will definitely be visiting their factory the next time I'm up in Burlington, Vermont. But if you can't make the trip to Burlington or can't find Lake Champlain chocolates sold near you, you can still order Lake Champlain chocolates online.
Lake Champlain Chocolates is located at 750 Pine Street, Burlington, Vermont.
Before I received my chocolate sample, I did some research about Lake Champlain Chocolates. I found that like most businesses, Lake Champlain started out as a small company that slowly grew over the past twenty-six years. While they originally produced truffles, soon the company began producing hot chocolate, clusters, caramels, barks and other yummy chocolate treats. Although the company began offering a variety of different types of chocolate, Lake Champlain stayed committed to using local ingredients and to handcrafting their chocolate products.
But enough about the research, what about the chocolate? I got the chance to sample Lake Champlain's newest chocolate bar - Grace Under Fire.
As you can tell by the box, Grace Under Fire is no ordinary chocolate bar. It was a collaboration with a Vermont band, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Grace Potter has been eating Lake Champlain chocolate since she was kid and was super excited to be involved with the chocolate making process. They wanted the chocolate to really exemplify the personality of the band and it resulted in a 54% dark chocolate bar with roasted pistachios, red pepper, vanilla and cinnamon.
At first glance, the chocolate bar looks like any other dark chocolate bar.
But once you turned it over, you could see that it was chock full of great ingredients.
At first bite, you got the rich dark chocolate flavor. Then you felt the slow heat creeping in from the red pepper. Just when you thought it would be too spicy, the vanilla and cinnamon flavors came through. This was the perfect harmony of sweet, spicy, and crunchy - perfect for a rock and roll band.
If this limited edition chocolate bar is any indication of what Lake Champlain has to offer, then I'm definitely impressed. I was happy to find that Lake Champlain chocolates are sold at some of my favorite stores, including Whole Foods and Cardullo's. Even though I can find their products in Boston, I know that I will definitely be visiting their factory the next time I'm up in Burlington, Vermont. But if you can't make the trip to Burlington or can't find Lake Champlain chocolates sold near you, you can still order Lake Champlain chocolates online.
Lake Champlain Chocolates is located at 750 Pine Street, Burlington, Vermont.
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