Most trade shows are the stuff of, if not nightmares, then at least a sleepwalk from one charmless kiosk to the next. Not so at the 54th Summer Fancy Food Show, where 20,000+ gourmet retailers, restaurateurs, chefs, media folks and plain ol' food fans spend three days chomping their way through a fever dream of some 180,000 specialty foods. The throwback "Fancy" is a bit of a misnomer by now, as there's a very wide slice of products on offer, ranging from swankity wines, oils, cheeses and caviar to humble chewing gums, ketchups, chili seasonings and snack mixes.
Here are my first day favorites from the more wallet-friendly end of the spectrum. More thorough reviews will follow, but I've gotta recover from hauling around a 21lb* shoulder bag of collected samples and press releases first.
Find of the Day
Whitson's Moist Chili Seasoning and Terlingua Sweet Hot Pickles: Whitson Chile Products
Deli & Dairy
Peppadew Hummus: Sabra Hummus
(Note - the photo above is 100lbs of Sabra hummus sculpted into likenesses of the presidential candidates.)
Truffle Tremor Ripened Goat's Milk Cheese: Cypress Grove Chevre
Sweets
Fat Witch Brownie Mixes: Fat Witch Bakery
Sauces & Condiments
Texas Sassy Pickle Sauce: Texas Sassy
Hurtin' Habanero Mustard: Dave's Gourmet
Key Lime Jalapeno Mustard: Delicae Gourmet
Mojito Criollo Margó Sauce: Mojito Criollo Margó
Beverages
Raspberry Fruit Shrub: Tait Farms
Hawaiian Iced Tea: Noh Food of Hawaii
Cherry Limeade: Sweet Leaf Iced Teas
*Seriously - 21lbs. I weighed it when I got home.
10 More Dirty Restaurant Tricks
5 Things You Didn't Know About Turducken
10 Catchiest Food Jingles We Love to Hate
