The Write Ingredients

I never thought I'd say (write) this...

But who needs Dean & Deluca in town when we've got the Golden Fig!

The Golden Fig, a small shop on Grand Avenue in St. Paul is full of wonderful treasures. I first heard about this store last fall, and made a mental note to stop by. The mental note apparently got lost, and not until this past weekend did I finally get there. We were just down the block at Cooks of Crocus Hill (another gem of a store) and I dragged the Husband over to the Fig.

It's tiny, but was I ever impressed. There were loads of chocolates, and spices and a whole cooler full of fun cheeses in the back. The day we were there they were offering samples of Mama's Salsa and Golden Figs own Margarita Mix. Needless to say, both ended up in our basket. We picked up two kinds of cheese, an Applewood Smoked Cheddar and a Cocoa Cardona rubbed with cocoa and black pepper (both from La Valle, WI). The first one we thought would be nice with our much-ignored bottle of truffle oil. The second because cheese and chocolate? Um, yeah, no-brainer. A bag of Garlic and Basil Fettuccini from the Sunrise Deli in Hibbing, MN also found its way into our bag, and the lovely proprieter recommended serving it with homemade pesto (there's one bag left in the basement) and fresh tomatoes (from last Saturday's excursion to the Minneapolis Farmers Market.) And because we couldn't completely ignore him, we brought a bag of Sister Joan's All Natural dog treats home for Dog. No sugar, no salt, no preservatives. Sounds boring to me, but he loves him. (Take note that a couple of our guests on Saturday night tried them as well. Fewer margaritas next time, eh?)

Now that we found this heavenly storefront I'll be stopping by there more often. There is a rumor going around that they might be expanding which would be fabulous. Sorry there are no photos, maybe on the next visit. I didn't want to overwhelm everyone on my first visit.

Up next, a visit to the Minneapolis Farmers Market, lunch at the new restaurant Saffron, and a trip through the world of Dulce de Leche.