The Fancy Food Show (held twice per year in New York and San Francisco) is a foodie heaven but I probably did not have to tell you that. There is no place else in the world where you can discover 1000s of new food products from around the globe and revisit old favorites. Some items are quite surprising and there are plenty of amusing promotions going on, including “brand ambassadors” in funny costumes and wheel of fortune opportunities. I won a Carmine’s logo oven mitt spinning their wheel and it’s now a kitchen treasure!
Dumpling Daughter is a Boston based company that has an amazing array of frozen dumplings and soy-based sauces that can be used on more than just dumplings! Their sauces kick ass on grilled chicken, pork and fish. I always a love this booth because not only can guests stuff their faces with delicious, freshly heated dumplings but because the staff is so enthusiastic about what they do! Notice the fun Hawaiian style shirts worn by the Dumpling Daughters boys. They were all matching and they gave out lot of fun DD merch, like keychains. Check them out some more at dumplingdaughter.com.
One of my favorite booth is always Bona Fortuna—this brand brings the best of Sicily to the US with amazing olive oil, panettone, spreads, taralli and pasta made from ancient grains. (The pasta was a Sofi Award winner in the past—that’s the official and highly coveted award given out by the Fancy Food Show staff). I strongly recommend the Bona Furtuna Everyday Olive Oil which is great bang for the buck at only about $25 for a big 500 ml bottle. It tastes so fresh and peppery to me—and is the ultimate way to jazz up a salad. They recently made it in Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf’s, which is proof that they have become the darlings of the foodie set. Find out more here: bonafurtuna.com.
Speaking of olive oil, I discovered one that blew my mind called Laudemio Frescobaldi. This cold-pressed, high-quality olive oil is known for its bold, spicy flavor and fresh, aromatic notes of artichoke and mown grass. Its vibrant green color and robust, well-balanced taste add incredible depth to a wide range of dishes, or simply as a dip for your favorite artisanal bread. Let me say that this oil tastes so fresh because the olives are harvested before they are fully ripe in Tuscan hills—I dipped both fennel and bread in it and I was blown away. Their very strict quality controls and all the rules have paid off. You can get an 8.45 ounce bottle for about $25 on Amazon and you’ll find that it will be one of the best kitchen basics that you have ever purchased. Order here: Laudemio Frescobaldi.
Melissa’s Produce is in a league of its own and I always love to go check out their colorful booth full of both common and exotic produce. They have items that no one else has including the exclusive Dole Rubyglow pineapple that retails for $329 because only 75 of them make it to the marketplace each year. They have the Dole Pinkglow pineapple which is beyond sweet and addicting as heck (at least it’s a healthy addiction. Melissa’s also has incredible snack item like fruit filled crepes to go. To see the whole line of amazing Melissa’s products which include incredible veggie and fruit gift baskets, nuts, dried fruit, heat and eat vegetable based entrees and sides, and healthy sweets, go to melissas.com.
I love Whipnotic so I was thrilled to find out that they had a booth at the Fancy Food Show. These fun flavored whipped creams come in colorful cans and two of my flavors are Brownie Batter and Strawberries And Cream. Whipnotic works as great on coffee and cocktails as it does on desserts. Their motto is “Enjoy The Swirl” and the rubber push button on each can makes the cream come out extra evenly. The colorful cans are just so fun to use and the look of the sunny designs just automatically lift your mood. I am happy that I can easily find it in NYC at all Gristedes stores. Learn more at whipnotic.com.
I love being able to get high end brioche bread and St. Pierre is a new discovery for me. I fell in love with their orange and brown packaging with the Hermes vibe and their booth was laid out like an old school French bakery. They have pretzel bread that blew me away as much as the brioche…and let’s not forget the waffles or croissants, either. St. Pierre’s top seller is apparently their extra large hamburger rolls followed by their hot dog rolls. I personally love their thick sliced brioche loaf. I can go through any full size bag of St. Pierre product in about ten minutes. Just bring out the butter and I am ready to go. This is some of the most buttery and fresh tasting brioche that your will ever have and that’s because old school French recipes are used. Learn more here: St. Pierre Bakery.
Leonessa Chocolatier, from Galil Brands, debuted its line of Dubai Chocolate Bars and Dubai Chocolate Cones at the Summer Fancy Food Show, and U was thrilled to head over to their colorful booth for a “lookie loo” and tasting, too! Inspired by the world-famous Dubai Chocolate, Leonessa’s line features real Belgian chocolate, creamy pistachio filling, and crispy kataifi, creating an indulgent taste experience that balances luxury with accessibility. Leonessa’s Dubai lineup features a 3.5 oz Belgian milk chocolate bar filled with creamy pistachio kataifi that is the perfect portion for one (but I think that I could probably eat four or five in a row, LOL)! All Leonessa products are crafted with real Belgian chocolate, real pistachios, and crispy kataifi, offering a luxurious harmony of flavor and texture in every bite. Learn more here: Leonessa Dubai Chocolate.
One of my regular stops every year is the Gerrit J. Verburg Company who own many classic candy and gum brands. This Michigan-based company has a lot of hard-to-get items as well including my beloved wine gums, a UK mainstay (as a matter of fact, I show up to get a bag every year of their Gumbilee wine gums and pretty much eat the whole thing on the way home)! At the FFS, they introduced their latest product, the Gerrit’s MiniMini™ Chicle Gum which is very much like Mini Chiclets but even more colorful. (There is also a mint version of this product in shades of blue and white that is delicious and sugar free.) You can order Gerrit J. Verburg products in bulk should you find yourself in need of ten or 20 pounds of something that brings back great memories of when you were a kid. Baby boomers, if you ever wondered what happened to the sweets of your youth including Black Jack and Teaberry Chewing Gums, Fort Knox Gold Candy Coins, Licorice All-Sorts and Strawberry Laces, the Gerrit J. Verburg has got them! Every bag of candy is oh-so-fresh, which is another thing that I love about this company. Learn more here: gerritjverburg.com.
.
