The Best Margarita Ever from Rio Grande Restaurant

Contributor: Julie

Find: The margarita that you will judge all margaritas on for the rest of your margarita drinking life. No sweet and sour in these beautys, but quite frankly, no one knows what is in these as the proprietors if the Rio Grand restaurants (Colorado based) isn't about to share it with anyone. And, believe me, we have tried for years to get the recipe.

The folks at Rio will count your margaritas for you, and you will not get more than three. Believe me, you won' want more than three. As a matter of fact, after three, you will have all of the problems of the world solved.

Added Bonus: You will get little, or no hangover from Rio margaritas, but don't dont have three if you are heading up!

Chicken Chile Verde from Trader Joes

Contributor: Julie

Find: While I am on my Trader Joes roll, I have to tell you about my next big find. I sat down this morning (I know, Chile in the morning?) to a big bowl of Chicken Chile Verde. Man, oh man, you would have thought I was in the middle of Santa Fe. If you like authentic southwestern food, this is an easy ticket. Freezer to bowl in three minutes. I had mine over eggs.

Added Bonus: Low calories and reasonable carbs.

Distirbution: Trader Joes. My apologies to my friends and family that do not live amongst these food palaces.

Thai Style Lime Pilaf from Trader Joes

Contributor: Julie

Find: First of all, can someone give the boys at Trader Joes the Nobel Peace Prize? Where do they find all of this great stuff? Never, ever did I think I would write about rice, but after my trip to the local TJ's today, and then consuming half of the bag over dinner with my man, I have to tell you, this stuff is not only good, but makes me look like Chef Ming Tsai. All of this in two minutes as promised on the label!

Added Bonus: No dirty dishes required. Out of the bag, on to the plate. Gotta love that.

Distribution: Your favorite Trader Joes location. Go ahead, get a balloon even if you don't have kids.

The "Hero" at Crozet Pizza

Contributor: Mike

Find: Nestled in the Virginia foothills of the Blue Ridge between Charlottesville and Afton Mountain is the village of Crozet (crow-ZAY), home of Crozet Pizza. For 31 years, this small family-run pizza parlor has been serving up primo pies to all strata of life, including students from nearby UVA, old-moneyed gentry from mountaintop estates and (it is said) the occasional celeb (Sissy Spacek, Robert Duvall and Dave Matthews maintain Albemarle County spreads). The menu is simple: pizza (choose from 34 toppings), salad and drinks--period. Among the house specialties is the "Hero" which sublimely counterbalances the heat of cherry peppers with sweet Italian sausage. The surroundings are even simpler: weathered wooden tables within a one-story red frame storefront that would be easily missed save the large white letters proclaiming its name. There's no resting on laurels here; this stuff was as good at a recent visit as I recalled it from my maiden voyage a quarter century ago.

Added Bonus: Among the liquid libations are several Starr Hill beers, the brewery having recently moved from Charlottesville to a location just down the road. Saturday tours and tastings are offered for those who didn't get enough with their pizza.

Distribution: Alas, one must go to the source, though they do offer carry-out. However, the website includes mouth-watering pics of the product and a brief history of the business.

Honey Yogurt from Saint Benoit

Contributor: Julie

Find: Time to announce my lastest addiction (wine being my standard one), Honey Yogurt from Saint Benoit in Bodega, California. This stuff will make you cry to your mother. It is a french style, artisanal yogurt that is packaged and sold in a small crock that when you are done, you return and get you deposit back. All of the ingredients are organic, and this stuff is as smooth as a babies butt. One try, and guaranteed you will be hooked.

Added Bonus: Less than 250 calories per crock!

Distribution: Gourmet grocery stores in Northern California.

Dogfish Head 60-Minute I.P.A.

Contributor: Mike




Find: Owner/entrepreneur/author (Brewing Up a Business) Sam Calagione's Dogfish Head brewery has become a nationally-known mecca for beer geeks. Their 60-Minute Continuously Hopped I.P.A. (India Pale Ale) (see photo; beer wench sold separately) is their designated flagship brew and justifiably so, given the full-bodied citrusy and hoppy punch it delivers. 90- and 120-Minute (served only in their brewpubs) alternatives are also available or, when visiting one of their brewpubs, ask for a "75"--a half-and-half of 60- and 90-Minute versions (my personal favorite). The mothership brewpub is on the main drag in Rehobeth Beach, DE, and there are branch offices in Gaithersburg, MD, and Falls Church, VA, providing road trip/pilgrimage options to beer aficionados up and down the DC-Baltimore-Philly corridor. All offer excellent food and Dogfish's outstanding lineup of regular brews. For your non-beer loving buds (if you must bring them along), they also brew one-of-a-kind seasonal offerings (e.g. a Belgian ale--Black 'n' Blue--that could easily pass for a quality wine) and distill a variety of rums and vodkas. Warning to guzzlers: These are not Bud Lites; the 60-Minute is 6% abv and the 90-Minute weighs in at 9%. Drink leisurely or designate a driver. As the folks at Dogfish proudly proclaim: "Off-centered ales for off-centered people"...

Added Bonus: Work off that beer gut and sign up for next fall's Cape Henlopen 5K/10K sponsored by Dogfish and benefiting Nature Conservancy.

Distribution: Brewery in Lewes, DE; brewpubs in DE, MD and VA; see website for locations where Dogfish products can be found.

Masala Chai Loose Tea at Rainbow Grocery

Contributor: Tim

Find

Next time you're in need of some quality tea, just stop by the Rainbow Grocery in San Francisco, where you can choose from over thirty varieties of loose teas, including Masala Chai, Yogi, Green and even "Monkey-Picked" Oolong. A friend and I found the Masala Chai, with it's spicy, cinnamon goodness, to be just the thing warming warming up a cool, rainy day. The worked-owned co-op, also offers a number of tea accessories for new initiates, including mesh tea infusers and various sized bottles for easy storage of your favorite concoctions. You'll never go back to bag tea again.

Red Hawk Cheese From Cowgirl Creamery

Contributor: Julie

Find: When visiting our home, you are almost guaranteed to be treated to a tray of wonderful cheeses, fruit, honey's, nuts, and more. If possible, when we are fortunate enough to find it, there will be a Red Hawk cheese from Cowgirl Creamery. It is a triple cream cheese made from organic cow's milk from the Straus Family Dairy (another one of our favorite food finds). This stuff melts in your mouth, but then again, so do all of the other Cowgirl Creamery cheeses.

Added Bonus: If you are in San Francisco, visit the Ferry Building where Cowgirl Creamery has set up a store. Oooooo La La.

Distribution: Web, gourmet food stores

Chocolate Brownies from Dancing Deer

Contributor: Julie

Find: Every so often us "non-chocolate lovers" find a bit of heaven. I found mine at a business meeting where we were offered brownies during our afternoon breatk. Lordy be, Dancing Deer brownies renewed my faith in the cocoa bean. I have since picked up the tasty morsels at my local Whole Foods many times and continue to turn my friends and family on to one of my favorite food finds. All of this coming from someone that you could put a bowl of chocolate kisses in front of and a year later not a one would be touched..

Added Bonus: Dancing Deer does a great job of supporting homeless families with their Sweet Home program.

Polidori's Hot Italian Sausage

Contributor: Mike

Denver's Polidori family has been proudly making sausage for more than 80 years. Their products have been repeatedly awarded "Best of" by locals and are served in many of the city's top pizza parlors and breakfast spots. Particularly outstanding is their hot Italian variety. This link is surprisingly lean, befitting the all-natural pure pork, salt and spices within. The taste is anything but lean, delivering just the right balance of bite and meat flavor. Though Polidori makes a breakfast sausage as well, try this as an eye-opening alternative--or sample their chorizo, sweet Italian or brats. Though not your usual grocery store fare, lucky Denverites can find Polidori products at King Sooper in addition to several independent stores within or nearby the city. The rest of us will have to rely on the web (http://www.polidorimeats.com/) to get our fix.

Tellicherry Pepper from Penzey's Spices

Contributor: Julie

Find: Our family loves pepper and like everything else, we go for the bold stuff! I was fortunate to receive a great holiday gift from a friend of mine, Juliana Miller who sent me an assortment of spices from Penzey's Spices. My favorite was the Tellicherry pepper. Tellicherries are the some of the boldest peppercorns you can find, and are exported from the town of Tellicherry on the Malabar Coast of India. So if you are looking for some pepper with some 'umf", this is it.

Added Bonus: All of the spices in my gift were awesome.

Distribution: Website

Imperial Rolls from The Slanted Door

Contributor: Tim

Find:

In San Francisco and seeking an upscale afternoon Vietnamese snack? Behold the Crispy Vegetarian Imperial Roll at The Slanted Door, a chic restaurant and bar located in the historic Ferry Building. These lovely treats come packed with taro root, cabbage, glass noodles and peanuts, and slide down the hatch like a submariner. While your at it, order a glass of Gruner Veltliner and take in an excellent view of the East Bay. You're stomach will thank you.

Artichoke Bread From Norms Market

Contributor: Julie

Find

Just north of Half Moon Bay, California lies the small coastal community of Pescadero. There isn't a whole lot going on in this sleepy town but there is a group of foodies who take advantage of local farms. One great example is Norms Market or the Arcangeli Grocery Company, that takes advantage of the local artichoke crop. What they do with these artichokes is a miracle - Artichoke Garlic Herb bread. It is made with whole roasted and seasoned artichokes rolled into garlic herb French dough. Man oh man, is it ever good!

Added Bonus

They have much more than just artichoke bread!

Distribution

You have to go to Norms Market which is always an adventure, or you can buy from their website.