Food Adventures 2: Life's Essentials
Tag along as we explore new culinary worlds to add to the discoveries made during last fall's inaugural food adventures mission.
A Taste Odyssey | One of a Kind | Around the World | Eat your Veggies | Life's Essentials | Sweet Dreams | Road Trip | Adventures Past | Spotlights
Bread
Backhaus, Ivanhoe Village, Orlando. A hunger for kuemmelbrot Jewish rye, a loaf of coffee-scented pumpernickel or hearty, flaky croissants can be assuaged on the shores of Lake Ivanhoe. the-backhaus.com
Also: Toufayan Bakeries
Cedar's Pita Bread Bakery
and La Chiquita Tortilla are all based in Orlando.
Salt
Florida Pure Sea Salt, St. Petersburg. Salt harvester Maureen Cacioppo hand-gathers salt from Tampa, St. Pete, Gulfport and Pass-a-Grille; available at Swine & Sons in Winter Park. floridapureseasalt.com Also: Sea Salt Florida, Bradenton Beach. Ex-architect Tim Norwood harvests from the waters around Anna Maria Island, Longboat Key, Lido Key, Siesta Key and Casey Key. seasaltflorida.com
Cheese
Agostini Factory, Orlando. Fresh-made mozzarella, burrata, boccacini and ricotta from members of the Agostini family from Corsica. facebook.com/AgostiniFactory Also: La Femme du Fromage, East End Market. Artisan cheeses from the world. lafemmedufromage.com
Spices
Patel Brothers, The Florida Mall. From its start as a Chicago grocery store in 1974, the Indian-centric chain now has 52 locations, the massive Orlando site carrying chutneys, ghee, a rainbow of lentils and a universe of spices, from ajwain seeds to tukmaria basil. patelbros.com Also: Spice and Tea Exchange, Winter Park. Penzey’s came and went, but the cozy, tony S&T remains, where whole cardamom seeds as green as lacewings and heady Burgundy wine powder share space with salt(s) and pepper(s). spiceandtea.com
Meats
Hinckley’s Fancy Meats, Lake Helen. A veteran of Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Jiko restaurant and the Michelin-starred Public in NYC, Chef Matt Hinckley believes in local sourcing and zero-waste butchery. He trades to local restaurants and the public, selling venison and bacon, grass-fed beef roasts and Florida ham, and compilations like the Italian Box (sausages, wild boar, chicken porchetta, beef, veal and pork meatballs). hinckleymeats.com Also: Paramount Butcher Shop, Waterford Lakes. paramountbutchershopusa.com
