Eat First

Bailiwick Market & Cafe, Elbridge

If you're among the thousands of drivers who travel along Route 5 near Elbridge, you've no doubt been watching the big, red, contemporary barn-like structure taking shape across the road from Tessy Plastics.

That's Bailiwick Market & Cafe and it brings to Elbridge a combination of many things under one roof: a cafe serving breakfast, lunch and supper; ice cream parlor with soft serve and (eventually) homemade hard-pack ice cream; coffee bar and drive-through (coming soon) serving Cafe Kubal coffee; local goods marketplace featuring locally produced foods and locally made art; and, most important of all, a community gathering space.

The business is owned by Nancy Hourigan, of Hourigan's Dairy Farm, who has been supported in the project by an all-woman team, including assistant manager Meg Schader, co-owner of Wake Robin Farm, Jordan, general manager Nona Gormley and head barista Jo Ann Schneider.

I stopped at Bailiwick Market & Cafe for lunch last week, during its "soft opening." Head chef Susanne "Cookie" Wheeler, who for many years served as executive chef at Pumpkin Hill Bistro, in Aurora, has put together a  seasonal and local-inspired menu of soups, sandwiches, salads, entrees (like chicken pot pie and beef stew) and grab and go items.

 

Bailiwick is a destination worth checking out. Bring a cooler: A refrigerated case is stocked with local eggs, cheeses, cheese curds and yogurt from Wake Robin Farm, 4 Tin Fish Farm (goat dairy) and others.

 

THE VIBE: Casual country chic, with vaulted ceilings, lots of light and seating for about 50, including a comfy sofa and chairs in addition to tables. Seating is available outside in warmer weather. Place your order at the counter and grab a seat. You'll be given a number and your food will be delivered to you.

 

 

CHOWING DOWN: The Seymour Loft Spinach Salad ($8.49) features spinach, local apples, candied walnuts, dried cranberries and New York cheddar cheese, served with a bacon maple vinaigrette. The spinach was fresh as can be and the salad also contained bites of bacon. Had I realized that, I probably wouldn't have ordered it with chicken ($3 extra), which made the salad into a meal. 

 

WHAT'S A VEGETARIAN GOING TO FIND? Grilled cheese, harvest garden salad and the Vinegar Hill Veggie sandwich, which contains grilled vegetables, spinach and feta topped with balsamic glaze, on ciabatta bread. Look for more vegetarian options as the local growing season kicks into full gear.

 

SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT? Yes! Chef Wheeler clearly loves to bake and the bakery case is filled with giant cookies, cupcakes, lemon bars, cinnamon buns, muffins, scones and other treats. I skipped dessert and tried a maple latte, flavored with maple from Skaneateles Sugar Shack. Dessert in a cappuccino cup - maple and coffee go together just fine! 

 

WOULD WE GO BACK? Absolutely. It's a must stop when in the Elbridge, Auburn and Skaneateles areas.

 

NEXT TIME: Maybe the chicken pot pie. That sounds so comforting. Or the Hamilton Ham sandwich, with apple butter and gouda cheese. In summer, when local tomatoes are in season, we'll try the Bailiwick BLT with applewood smoked bacon.

 

Bailiwick Market and Cafe is at 441 Route 5 West, Elbridge, across the road from Tessy Plastics. From downtown Syracuse, plan on a 25 minute drive Soft open/interim hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Grand opening weekend is this Saturday and Sunday (May 14 and May 15). Hours both days are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Information: 277-5632, http://bailiwickmarket.com

 

 

In honor of The Honor System

Long before there was the express lane and self-checkout at the grocery store, there was the self-service farm stand.

You've no doubt stopped at a place like this: You pull off the road, seduced by a sign with an arrow that says ASPARAGUS -- or sweet corn, tomatoes, pumpkins, potatoes, eggs, honey... or all of the above. You look around for someone, then walk to the table or into a small shed or makeshift store, and find a notepad, pen, adding machine and cash box.

 

This is what is known as The Honor System, and it's a time-honored tradition: The farmer trusts us, the customers, to do the math, make change and deposit the money in the box, in exchange for the farm-fresh goods.

 

In this fast-paced, digital age, when people commonly pay for purchases by a swipe of their credit or debit card or by using their smartphone, The Honor System is a quaint reminder of days gone by.

 

In addition to being a charming slice of Americana, The Honor System allows farmers to work in the field or in the kitchen rather than mind the store, which is usually open all day, every day.

 

Most of the time, The Honor System is a system that works well for all parties. But, as with anything else, there can be bad apples that threaten to topple the cart.

 

A farmer in Madison County told me she has had an occasional problem with marauding youth squeezing tomatoes and doing minor damage to her merchandise and displays.

 

She is quick to add that she has never had a problem with money -- or, more specifically, with money being stolen. In fact, she says, it often happens that people over-pay -- and leave a note with instructions to keep the extra or to consider it a pre-payment for their next visit.

 

Some farmers, as you can see, have installed cameras so The Honor System isn't dishonored.

 

Another farm whose stand I frequent installed a camera system for a short time last year after both produce and money in the cash box was stolen more than once.

 

"To our most valued customers,'' a sign read. "Due to a few people who don't understand what we're trying to do here... We're sorry to have to record you... Thank you for your honesty.''

 

The cameras have not been in use this year. The Honor System tradition carries on, even when trust has been breached.

 

Said a friend who visits that stand regularly: "Folks who are farm stand thieves should be sentenced to community service and work on a farm.''

 

 

Good eats in Bouckville: Ray Brothers Barbeque

Antique hunters by the thousands will be drawn to Madison County this weekend for the annual Madison-Bouckville Antique Fest. We'll be among them, hunting for our favorite old and vintage things -- and lining up for a table at Ray Brothers Barbecue.

We visited the new barbecue restaurant -- or "RBQ,'' as they call it --  in June, shortly after it opened, and enjoyed some of the best pulled pork and barbecued chicken we've had in Central New York. It's sure to be crowded during Antique Fest weekend, but there's a small bar, about 50 seats inside and a huge deck with seating outside. There's even a horseshoe pit if you have time to play a few rounds.

 

The menu is limited to one page -- a nice change from multi-page menus that sometimes make decisions difficult.

 

Over cold beers, we shared a plate of hush puppies (fried cornmeal balls) -- deep brown and delicious. "Loud puppies,'' made with jalapeno peppers, are also available.

 

I'm not sure who "The Judge'' is, but "The Judge's Half Chicken'' was fall-off-the-bone tender, with a nice smoky flavor. It reminded me a little of the chicken at Brooks House of BBQ, in Oneonta.

 

The hot link "sandie" featured housemade Italian sausage, topped with sauteed peppers and onions, on a soft roll. Our friend Mike loved the combination of moist, smoky-sweet Carolina pulled pork served with crispy slaw on top.

 

Platters like the The Judge's chicken come with two sides and cornbread, though the cornbread was missing on my plate (not that I really needed it, along with sweet potato fries). "Sandies'' like the hot links and pulled pork are served with pickles and one side.

 

The vegetarian in our party enjoyed a sampler of sides (above left; photo by Maureen Nolan): coleslaw, barbecue baked beans and dirty potato salad. She described the beans as full of BBQ flavor and slightly sweet (they turned out to contain some meat), the slaw as lightly dressed and a nice change from the usual mayonnaise dressed slaw, and the potato salad as also packing some barbecue punch.

 

The menu lists just two desserts, apple crisp and maple bacon cheesecake. We had some qualms about the cheesecake, but the combination of sweet, salty and creamy -- with crunch on top from crispy-crumbled bacon and maple in the accomanying sauce -- is delicious and memorable. It's a dessert I would never make at home, but one I think about from time to time.

 

If we get back to Ray Brothers this weekend, we might give the jumbo smoked wings or "RBQd'' meatloaf a try. That sounds interesting and comforting.

 

Ray Brothers Barbecue is at 6474 Route 20, just west of Bouckville. Follow your nose! Information: 315-893-7200. 

 

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No wonder Oneonta crows about Brooks' chicken

No wonder Oneonta crows about Brooks’ chicken

Why would you drive 85 miles for a chicken dinner? You might ask yourself that question on a misty Sunday afternoon, meandering along Route 20 east and in the countryside between Cooperstown and Oneonta, stomach growling.

But then you see the smoke billowing across state Route 7, catch your first whiff of barbecue chicken in the air, glimpse the retro, blinking neon sign and note the parking lot packed with cars – and the question becomes a moot point.

Welcome to Brooks' House of BBQ. The Brooks name is a household one in Oneonta, in the Southern Tier, where generations of Oneontans have grown up on Brooks’ signature chicken and crave that hometown flavor when they move away.

Brooks’ opened in 1961, on a much smaller scale, and now boasts the largest enclosed barbecue pit east of the Mississippi. The place can seat several hundred and has grown into a roadside attraction. There’s a gift shop selling ice cream, souvenirs and many flavors of Brooks products, including sauces, seasonings, rubs and marinades, all made and packaged on site.

But back to the chicken: That’s what brought us to Brooks’, after all.

The chicken served at Brooks’ is basted with a simple sauce made with oil, vinegar, egg, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. It’s grilled low and slow, and turned frequently, yielding chicken that’s slightly dark on the outside, moist and tender inside, and slightly smoky in flavor.

It’s a close relative of the “Cornell chicken’’ developed by the late Dr. Robert C. Baker, professor of poultry science and food science at Cornell University, who came up with an egg wash/baste recipe to help sell more chickens. It’s ubiquitous in Upstate New York: If you’ve been to a roadside or church barbecue around here, you’ve had this style of chicken.

We sampled the chicken in a half-chicken dinner and a chicken and rib combo dinner, and found it to be delicious. A half-chicken dinner sounds enormous, but when the chicken is that good, the temptation is to keep on picking at it, even after you’ve become full.

The ribs, meanwhile, were fall-off-the bone tender and glistening with a thick, somewhat sweet glaze. Meals come with your choice of potato and a trip to the salad bar – big bowls of iceberg lettuce and the usual toppings and dressings.

Supper left no room to spare for dessert, but we did tuck a slice of house-made coconut pie in the cooler, along with chicken dinner leftovers.

Had it been a nicer day, we would have eaten outside at a picnic table. A line of diners waiting to be seated snaked through the restaurant, but we eliminated wait time by requesting seats at the S-shaped counter.

Brooks is a well-run operation – no frills, no alcohol, the type of place that Jane and Michael Stern, of “Roadfood’’ fame, might seek out in their travels – and the type of place worth going out of your way for.

Why would you drive 85 miles for a chicken dinner? Because it tastes really good. 

Brooks House of Bar-B-Q is at 5560 State Route 7, Oneonta, about 85 miles from Syracuse. The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday. On Monday holidays (like Memorial Day and Labor Day) the restaurant is open, then closed on Tuesday. Information: (607) 432-1782. 

In a New York (food map) State of mind

Where do we live?

North of Spiedies. South of Thousand Island Dressing and Croghan Bologna. East of  Beef on Weck, Chicken Wings, Garbage Plate and White Hots. West of  Peppermint Pig, Chicken Riggies, Tomato Pie and Utica Greens.

We live in the land of Salt Potatoes and Dinosaur BBQ. We are firmly planted in soda country, well east of the Empire State’s Soda vs. Pop line.

If you love food and love to discover local and regional favorites, none of this is breaking news. But New York’s diverse food terrain is officially noted on an appetizing and entertaining map, “New York State by Food Regions,’’ created by Shannon Glazer, a Geographic Information Services specialist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

“Inspired by my visits to all corners of New York State, I recently decided to map different food regions in the state,’’ Glazer notes on the New York State Food Map Facebook page. The map has been “shared” more than 2,500 times. 

“After the first version of my map spread like wildfire, I decided to edit the map based on some of the comments I received. … 

“I'm starting this page to continue the conversation! Post your thoughts on local food here...Check out the "likes" on the page for more info about some of the restaurants and foods on the map!’’

My editor at Central New York: The Good Life Magazine turned me on to Glazer’s accomplishment. The May/June issue features a story on the treasure-filled foodie map, as well stories on Upstate travel destinations in all directions of Syracuse.

I can live without Michigans (a Plattsburgh specialty; hotdogs piled with onions and smothered in mustard and meat sauce) but I am bound and determined (translation: hellbent!) to get to Brooks Chicken BBQ country (Oneonta), possibly on the way to Mozzarella Sticks with Raspberry Sauce (Albany/Capital Region).

Thanks, Shannon. Happy food trails!

Still savoring delicious memories of Cape Cod

We have so many excellent food memories from our trip to Cape Cod in October:

The Portuguese soup from the famous Lobster Pot restaurant in Provincetown. Tomatoes, linguica, potatoes, kale, spices. Mmmm, mmmm good!

The trutas (delicate pastries with sweet potato filling) and other beautiful baked goods from the Portuguese Bakery down the street. Unlike any we’ve ever had before.

The fully loaded cioppino at the Chatham Squire. And the lobsters from Dennisport Lobster Co. that Robert rolled up his sleeves and prepared in our borrowed kitchen.

But the most delicious take-away from this trip is the memory of our delightful weekday brunch at Hangar B Eatery, at the teeny-tiny Chatham Airport. If every airport had food this good, air travel would be much more enjoyable!

On a sunny and breezy autumn morning, we climbed on our bicycles in Harwich Port and rode five miles east on the Cape Cod Rail Trail to the popular breakfast and lunch destination, which occupies a small spot upstairs at the airport.

There, Chef Brian Erskine, a graduate of Johnson and Wales University, holds forth – solo – in a small kitchen with all the tools of his trade in easy reach. In peak season, he prepares and plates 300 meals a day, without benefit of a sous chef.

As for his food, it’s fresh, local and creative. The coffee is from Chatham Coffee Roasters, the juice is fresh squeezed, the jams, jellies and granola are homemade, as are the baked goods, like muffins and donuts. Made fresh each morning.

Robert ordered the omelet of the day, which was stuffed with roasted tomatoes, arugula and Vermont cheddar cheese and served with well-done home fries.

I feasted on Huevos Rancheros, a Mexican breakfast I am highly unlikely to make at home. It paired fried eggs, black beans, roasted tomatoes and avocado with toasted tortillas on the side for sopping things up – or slathering with jam.

Huevos Rancheros, Hangar B style

You’ll also find pancakes and waffles on the menu, as well as healthy fare like smoothies and oatmeal. Brunch for two, with juices, coffee, tax and tip, cost about $40.

We were so impressed with this place and its talented owner and so glad we visited in the off-season, when Chef Brian gets a breather and inquisitive diners like us get a chance to bend his ear.

From Hangar B, we pedaled to downtown Chatham, strolled its streets and park and browsed its shops, before hitting the rail trail again for the ride home – and to burn off some of that brunch.

Hangar B Eatery is at the Chatham Airport, 240 George Ryder Road, Chatham, MA. The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch year-round, and has outdoor seating in season. In the off-season, Hangar B is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Information: 508-593-3655.

 

 

 

Full of Greens: Utica Greens!

Greens Morelle, Dominique's Chesterfield Restaurant, Utica

Many local foods have a place in the hearts -- and stomachs -- of Utica residents: Chicken riggies, tomato pie, Half Moon cookies, pusties (better known as pasticiotti here in Syracuse). 

And let's not forget Utica greens. 

This staple of restaurant chefs and home cooks owes its existence to Utica's Italian-American community and takes escarole, a common salad green, in a whole other direction. It's chopped, blanched, sauteed in olive oil, then tossed with prosciutto (usually), cherry peppers, Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs and piled on a plate. 

Voila! That's how escarole becomes Utica Greens, an appetizer to share or a complete meal, depending on how you want to eat it -- and how much you want to eat. 

Our travels took us to Rome and Utica recently, and we weren't about to leave the Mohawk Valley until we were full of greens.

First stop was Dominque's Chesterfield Restaurant, on Bleecker Street on Utica's east side. The restaurant is well-known for its Greens Morelle, named for chef Joe Morelle, who added the dish to the menu at Dominque's many years back, according to our bartender/waiter. 

The generous portion of greens ($8.99) was savory and well-seasoned, rich and filling thanks to prosciutto, Romano cheese and breadcrumbs and slightly zippy, courtesy of the thinly sliced cherry peppers that dotted the dish. The greens were served with crusty Italian bread and dipping oil, and a single serving was plenty for two of us.

Greens Giorgio, Giorgio's Village Cafe, New Hartford

Second stop was Giorgio's Village Cafe in New Hartford. The menu offers several takes on greens, including Greens Giorgio ($8.50), which combines escarole with Romano cheese, salami, hot cherry peppers, roasted potatoes and seasoned bread crumbs.

They were tasty, to be sure, but the presence of the potatoes in the greens made us think of fretta (a popular breakfast scramble here in Central New York) and made the dish seem heavy.

If we were to go back to Utica for greens, and it seems inevitable we will, we'll go back to Dominque's Chesterfield.

Apple Pusties, a seasonal treat at Florentine Pastry Shop, Utica

Besides the lure of its greens, the restaurant is conveniently located within walking distance of several of Utica's Italian bakeries, including the Florentine Pastry Shop, also on Bleecker Street, where we picked up a couple pusties (single-serving pastries filled with chocolate, vanilla or lemon custard) and some Italian cookies for the road. 

Do you have a favorite place in Utica or Syracuse or anywhere in between you like to go for greens? Let's get a dialogue going -- leave a comment below! 

 Photo courtesy of Stef Noble

Want to try your hand at Utica Greens at home? The following recipe is from an old newspaper ad for Chanatry's Market in Utica. 

Utica Greens

1 large escarole (or 2 small heads)

4 slices prosciutto, thin slices, chopped

1 to 2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 long Italian hot peppers, seeded and julienned

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated

1 cup chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Clean and rinse escarole twice; chop in large pieces.

Boil down for 5 or 6 minutes so it’s tender and wilted.

Place olive oil in a saute pan and heat.

Add chopped garlic and prosciutto and render for 2 or 3 minutes. Do not burn garlic.

Add seeded peppers and cook another minute or so.

Add the escarole and all the other ingredients in the pan.

Gradually add the breadcrumbs and grated cheese, tossing gently until blended.

Taste for final salt and pepper seasoning.

Place in a casserole; sprinkle a little of the breadcrumbs and place under a broiler for 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot.

 

Savor the foliage -- and Bob's Barbecue

It's last-chance season here in Central New York. Last chance for drinks and dinner on the veranda (it's getting dark sooooo early!), last chance for bicycle outings, last chance to wear capris and sandals.

Autumn has arrived and the leaves are changing color. It's a good time to take a drive in the country -- and enjoy a last-chance country barbecue at Bob's Barbecue, in Homer, before it closes for the season.

Bob's, on State Route 281, is well known to barbecue fans and bikers. If you've attended a church barbecue or firemen's field days in these parts, you might have enjoyed Bob's Barbecue without even knowing it.

  

I don't know this for an absolute fact, but it seems the presence of the New York Jets training camp at SUNY Cortland has been good to Bob's, sending new and repeat business its way. The owners added a grand new pavilion this year, which doubles as space for private parties. 

Bob's claim to fame is meat -- chicken, ribs, brisket, pork -- cooked "low and slow" over wood and charcoal. It's not your sticky, sweet red sauce kind of barbecue. The chicken, for example, looks to be dry-rubbed and basted with a Cornell-style (oil and vinegar) sauce. Bob's homemade sauces (mild to hot) are served on the side.

The menu includes a la carte items like pulled pork, pulled chicken and brisket sandwiches and a selection of dinners (quarter-chicken, half-chicken and others, most under $10) that come with your choice of two sides (cornbread, coleslaw, macaroni salad, salt potatoes and the like).

I've had the half-chicken dinner on several occasions and always come home with leftovers. The last time we were down Bob's way, we got a pile of ribs to go ($9 a pound) and reheated them at home. They survived the 35-minute trip, no problem, and tasted great a couple hours later.

Bob's is owned and operated by George Haskell and his wife, Phyllis. George's mother gets credit for the long list of homemade pies available for dessert, like Key lime, apple, peach and coconut cream ($3.50).

It's strictly a seasonal place, with picnic tables on the lawn and no indoor seating, so dress warmly if there's an autumn chill in the air. The restaurant does not serve alcohol, and alcohol is not permitted on the grounds. 

Bob's Barbecue is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday to Sunday through mid-October, and will reopen in May. Look for a cloud of smoke billowing across Route 281 and you're there.

Leave the BBQing to Limp Lizard Roadside Cantina

Spice rubbed meat, slowly smoked and roasted outside: We're smelling it wafting through the air all over Central New York this Memorial Day weekend, as we work in our yards, walk our dogs, ride our bikes and take in parades. We're doing the barbecue thing ourselves today, and the thought of leaving the work to someone else is what lured us to the Limp Lizard Roadside Cantina and Catering Depot on Main Street (Route 11) in North Syracuse last night. The small restaurant is a suburban outpost of the popular Limp Lizard Lounge on Onondaga Boulevard, on the west side of Syracuse.
THE VIBE: Barbecue and bikers go together like leather and denim, and we wondered if we'd be the only diners not to arrive on a Harley and accessorize ourselves with tattoos. We found a mixed crowd: Twenty- and thirtysomethings, families, bikers and senior citizens, some dining inside and others sharing space and talking 'cue at picnic tables under umbrellas outside.
LIQUID ASSETS: You'll find about 10 beers on tap and wines by the glass. The locavore in us was drawn to the Limp Lizard Ale, brewed by Middle Ages Brewing Company in Syracuse. Refreshing! THE MENU: Besides stuff from the smoker and food with Tex-Mex (quesadillas) and Louisiana flavor (jambalaya), you'll find soups, salads, appetizers, burgers, sandwiches and wraps. There's also a selection of family takeout dinners with your choice of sides, designed to serve four people.
CHOWIN' DOWN: Robert settled on the "kick butt" Carolina pulled pork with coleslaw on the side. The meat was moist, tender and somewhat smoky in flavor and piled high on a soft white roll. He was happy with his choice of sides, collard greens (you don't see those on menus every day) and nicely browned and crisped French fries.

I had the southwestern chicken salad, which has a tortilla bowl as a base. It was filled with romaine, iceberg and spring greens, layered with pulled/shredded chicken, shredded cheese, diced tomatoes, red onion and sliced olives and topped with southwest ranch dressing, served on the side. The salad was dense and filling with all its layers and textures, and two people could easily share one, along with a shared appetizer or plate of cornbread. WHAT'S A VEGETARIAN GOING TO FIND?: Baked black bean soup served in a bread bowl; a house salad; bean tacos; fried mushrooms (an appetizer) and sides like slaw, roasted corn, macaroni salad and cornbread. You might be in carnivore heaven, but you'll find plenty to make a meal of. DESSERT: A selection of pies, cakes and other sugary things changes daily. The Big Dip, a popular spot for soft-serve ice cream is two doors down and was enjoying a steady stream of traffic on a nice night. We headed to Geddes Bakery, also on Main Street, and lined up for an Italian-style frozen treat: gelato. Dozens of flavors of it. THE DAMAGES: $26 for two meals and two beers (and $8 more for two small dishes of gelato). WOULD WE GO BACK? If we're in the neighborhood and in the mood for barbecue, you bet. DETAILS: The Limp Lizard Roadside Cantina and Catering Depot is at 224 N. Main St., North Syracuse. Phone: 315-299-5747.

 

Blue Danube: C'est (or Say) Cheese in Skaneateles

  I know my travels won't be taking me to Spain any time soon. So I hope they at least take me to Skaneateles. I've eaten the last delicious morsel of Valdeon blue cheese, imported from Spain, that I picked up last month at Blue Danube Gourmet to Go.

Erica Derrick, who owns and operates the cheese shop/gourmet food store with her partner, Lorand Ernyey, introduced me to Valdeon (vahl-day-own) when I asked her to recommend a blue cheese.

Now I'm addicted and suffering withdrawal. It's sharp, but not overly strong, with beautiful blue veins, more like pockmarks, running through it. I love it in salads, but you could slice it thin and eat it on its own. It's that good.

Erica and Lorand opened Blue Danube in the fall. She lived and worked in New York City for many years and missed her neighborhood cheese shop. He was born in Hungary, which might explain the big bags of paprika the shop carries.

Blue Danube is on Jordan Street, in the heart of the village. It's a sweet little store full of great stuff: a refrigerator case stocked with big wheels of cheeses from around the world, like manchego from Spain and aged gouda from Holland; salami and other meats; breads baked at Mirbeau Inn and Spa, a couple miles down the road; baked goods and baking mixes from Organically Hip; spices; coffee, tea and related products; honey, jams, chutneys, spreads and sauces; authentic (and beautiful) Bolga baskets from Ghana, purchased directly from the artists and sold by Bluetree Studios of Syracuse.

Bolga baskets, for your marketing -- and picnic -- needs.

They have dynamite New York cheesecake (or so I'm told!) and make their own cream cheese spreads to enhance your enjoyment of bagels. Their cheeses are served on a cheese plate appetizer at the nearby Sherwood Inn. And they plan to hold more events at the shop in the future, like cheese tastings and wine pairings.
Drunken Goat, on the right, from Spain, is a cheese soaked in red wine, hence its name.

Just add coffee.

Meanwhile, imagine the possibilities when it's summer in Central New York:

You and your "other.'' A picnic basket. A bottle of wine. A stop at Blue Danube. Provisions! A stroll to the lake. A blanket on the lawn. A lazy summer afternoon.

It's 20-something degrees and a heap of heavy, wet snow is falling. A girl can dream, right? Blue Danube is at 33 Jordan St., in Skaneateles. Call 315-685-3774.