14850zine

Tag: tasting

  • Bon appétit!

    Bon appétit!

    By now, a few days post-Thanksgiving, you may be getting a tad tired of leftover turkey and gravy reincarnations (another turkey-cranberry sandwich, anyone?). No need to despair, put the rubbermaid back in the fridge and head out for a special prefix supper for Ithaca Restaurant Week.

    Long the preserve of larger metropolises, Restaurant Week has made it to Ithaca! From Nov. 30 – Dec. 8 a number of participating Ithaca restaurants are offering special plates, prefix dinners, and free appetizers, desserts, or drinks with an entree. This is a tasty opportunity to try a new restaurant or to enjoy a three-course dinner special at a favored spot. At some locations chefs will highlight their signature dish. There is a line-up of special events with tastings, music, and entertainment happening every night of the week at various restaurants. Around 25 Ithaca restaurants are participating this year. Specials are to be found for dinner, lunch, and brunch.

    You may have heard the often-repeated stat that Ithaca has more restaurants per capita than New York City. That’s exciting, but only if you take advantage of this fact. So get out and treat yourself to a dinner on the town. Bon appétit!

  • How'd You Like Them Apples

    How'd You Like Them Apples

    This time of year you can spend each weekend at a different u-pick apple orchard, but if you are serious about your apples then stop by the Cornell Apple Orchards for a tasting of unique Cornell-bred apples. Though the orchards are off limits for picking, their roadside store offers an abundance of fruits and cider as well as a selection of honey products, maple candies, Cornell Dairy treats, and locally-made cheeses. The Cornell Orchards is a collection of orchards, vineyards, and fruit farms managed by the Department of Horticulture. While the orchards are split into a variety of locations and their research facility is in Geneva, the Cornell Orchard shop site includes the storage and packing facilities, a cider press, and a research lab, and is surrounded by 37 acres of fruit plantings.

    Upon entering the shop you are overwhelmed by a deliciously sweet and crisp fragrance of apples. Baskets of apples are laid out inviting visitors to sample all the varieties. Don’t be shy – try one of each! Bags of apples and other fall produce – corn, plums, pears, gourds, and pumpkins – line the shop shelves. At the back of the store workers sort bins of apples that cascade from a conveyor belt emerging from the back storage area.

    The opening of the Cornell Apple Orchards is always a welcome fall treat, and I stopped in this past weekend. I was delighted to sample, among others, “Autumn Crisp,” a Cornell variety which is a cross between a Golden Delicious and a Monroe. Developed by Cornell (at the Geneva research station), it is the 63rd apple released from their breeding research station. It is juicy, crisp, and sweet, but not cloying. I loved it and bought a bag to take home.

    There is also cider to sample and sometimes pears to taste. Upon asking one of the store clerks/researchers I was treated to a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the back storage room. Crisp, cool, and fragrant with an even more intense sent of fresh apples, the store room was stacked floor to ceiling with giant crates of apple in all varieties.

    The Cornell Apple Orchards shop is open from mid-August through April. Hours change, so check the website. The shop (in Ithaca) is located at 709 Dryden Rd. (across from the Cornell Vet School).

  • A Foodie Delight

    A Foodie Delight

    Several years ago I wrote a review (for another outlet) about what I describe as ‘one food wonders,’ or ‘OFW’ for short. These are the food joints that sell only type of edible…only rice pudding, or only mac n’ cheese, or only cupcakes. Period. Like skinny jeans and fedoras, OFWs seem to cluster in the East Village of New York City or other such hip urban nuclei. They are popular, and yes, usually quite excellent at whatever delicacy they specialize in. So I am happy to report that little Ithaca too can now boast a speciality OFW shop or two. The latest one that has caught my attention is F. Oliver’s Oils and Vinegars, on the Commons.

    Okay, yes, they sell oil and vinegar, but a specialty shop to be sure. I stopped in the other day and was happy to discover a palette of delicious and unusual flavors of oils and vinegars, which can be generously sampled. Overwhelmed with the exotic choices, the woman behind the counter took me on a tour of the aisles lined with stainless steel casks filled with the infusions.

    From Tunisian Harissa infused olive oil to vanilla bean dark balsamic vinegar, I begin thinking about the creative recipes that might take advantage of such interesting flavors. To help one’s culinary adventures, the F. Oliver website even has some sample recipes to try with specific oils and vinegars. The shop offers both flavor-infused oils as well as single varietal extra virgin olive oils, which are each made from one type of olive by small-batch producers. When the woman explained the unique characters and subtle differences in taste between the single varietal olive oils I began to feel like I was in a high-end wine shop. The balsamic vinegars are flavor-infused and/or aged, and come in either dark or light varieties.

    I sampled two olive oils: Fresh Pressed Blood Orange and Heady Garlic, and three balsamic vinegars: F. Oliver’s 18-year-old Special Reserve (their most popular, I am told), Blushing Peach, and Farmstand Strawberry. All were delicious and rich in flavor, especially the balsamic vinegars. At some point I will have to treat myself to a bottle of the Blushing Peach light balsamic vinegar (my favorite that I sampled), as it would be delightful on a salad.

    The shop even hosts private tasting parties after hours. F. Oliver’s is located on the Commons and is open on weekdays from 11am to 7pm, Saturdays from 11am to 6pm, and Sundays from 12pm to 6pm.

  • Life's So Sweet

    Life's So Sweet

    While sadly, I cannot attend, I wanted to share what looks to be a very delicious event: Tomorrow, Life’s So Sweet, the chocolate shop downtown, will host an evening of chocolate tasting! The event, “Chocolate After Hours,” will feature unlimited samples, and chocolate and soda fountain demonstrations. My hope is that this turns out to be a tasty evening, and that it is well attended and this becomes an annual event (this is their first such event). As an experienced chocolate taster myself, I would recommend going not on a full stomach (strategy, strategy).
    I should mention that the truffles at Life’s So Sweet are not only DELICIOUS, but they have an assortment of unusually creative flavors…cardamom, root beer, Chai tea, honeypot milk, and dark balsamic vinegar, to name but a few. So even if you don’t make it this Saturday for the tasting, do stop by at some point later to satisfy your sweet tooth.

    “Chocolate After Hours” takes place on Saturday, Sept. 7th, 2013. There are two sessions: Session 1: 6:30-8:00 p.m., and Session 2: 8:30-10:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at LifesSoSweet.com or by calling 607-882-9842. They are $20 in advance, or $25 at the door. VIP tickets are $35, which include reserve seating and a take-home goodie bag. Life’s So Sweet is located at 116 W. Green Street, just off the Commons.