By Nicole Potenza

During the 1960s, Boston’s South End played host to tough crowds with its numerous betting parlors and watering holes. Today, the gentrified area south of Faneuil Hall, particularly Washington Street and Shawmut Avenue, has shaken off its stigma of roughness and has mellowed into a neighborhood of eclectic specialty shops owned and run by people fueled by their passions. Specialty Food Magazine recently visited a selection of these markets.

South End of Formaggio
In the middle of the historic Victorian brick rowhouses that line Shawmut Avenue sits South End of Formaggio, an outpost of Cambridge’s well-known Formaggio Kitchen. Almost three years old, the 1,000-square-foot specialty store is run by Valerie Gurdal. Although younger and three times smaller than its Cambridge counterpart, it is stocked with unique finds from around the world. Says Gurdal, who owns both stores with her husband Ihsan, “The store evolved with our customers, as their food knowledge expanded.” Knowing what people want and catering to their needs, South End of Formaggio has grown into a market where one can purchase a variety of products that range from specialty cheeses, wines and salts, to a roast chicken to take home for dinner to homemade chicken stock to cook with. And it doesn’t stop there. “People are now using the store more as a grocer, which was always my intent,” says Gurdal, who reports the market averages 200 customers a day. Customers are beginning to shop for the complete package, adding a bottle of wine to their basket filled with artisan cheeses or specialty meats. “Our best feature is that you can buy raw ingredients to make your own meal or grab a bottle of wine and some cheese or a homemade prepared dish to complete your day,” says Gurdal. The specialty Cuban sandwich sold from the deli counter is a tremendous hit. The small cheese counter is packed with cheeses from New England as well as novelty cheeses from Europe. Most popular cheeses: Cheddar, Brie, and whatever is featured on the tasting table in the center of the store. On Tuesday evenings, South End of Formaggio hosts tastings that pair specialty items, such as wine and cheese, or specialty salts with vegetables. Cheese accounts for 25% of sales, with wine close behind, fluctuating from 17-20%. Making up the bulk of the sales is the grocery section. Items such as Wild Fennel pollen, a variety of salts from Hawaii, Portugal, France and Norway—including smoked Viking Sea Salt from the ash of burnt seaweed in Norway ($10.95 per ounce)—and White Truffle Flour from Italy ($11.95 per ounce) line the shelves. You can’t overlook the variety of jams, honeys, olive oils, Balsamic vinegars from Modena and Fleur de Caramel from Paris ($13.95/250 grams) either. And, if you don’t know what a caperberry flower tastes like, just ask. Gurdal and her staff will always open up any product to taste. “Running this store is a constant education” she says. “It is also a two-way street. As much as I like introducing new products to people, my customers educate me too.”
Store hours: Mon.- Fri.: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sat.: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m., Sun.: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; 268 Shawmut Ave.; 617.350.6996; www.formaggiokitchen.com

Syrian Grocery Importing Company
When you leave South End of Formaggio, you can walk next door for some Middle Eastern delights. The Syrian Grocery Importing Company, a fixture in the neighborhood for 63 years, opened its doors in 1940 to service the vibrant Syrian and Lebanese community in the South End. Owned by the Mansour family since the late 1960s, it is now the only store of its kind left in the neighborhood. “Years ago, there were a variety of Mediterranean people in the area—from Lebanese, to Syrian to Greek—who had social clubs, coffee houses and churches here,” recalls Owner Ramon Mansour. As the neighborhood changed and the Syrian population spread to the suburbs, the stores’ inventory adapted, growing to meet the needs of today’s worldly shoppers. With the original blue wooden shelves lined with a product mix that includes rare Argan oil from Morocco, pomegranate syrup, chutneys, vindallos, Iranian pistachios, Turkish dried figs and specialty olive oils and pastas, the 1,000-square-foot store now draws customers from all over New England. “Ethnic people who grew up in the neighborhood still come back to shop,” says Mansour. And that is not all. The clientele also includes locals and chefs interested in Mediterranean cooking and those who want to find rare imported products, such as pomegranate molasses. Big-ticket items include Moroccan and Greek olives sold by the pound along with phillo dough and spices in bulk such as turmeric, fenugreek, curry powder and Mansour’s own blend of Arabic allspice, which sells for $1.00 per ounce. Lebanese olive oil from the Koura region is also popular along with Moroccan preserved lemons. “It is challenging sometimes,” Mansour says, “but I am always willing to get what people need and to assist them in their cooking ideas and techniques. I enjoy new ideas from my customers too.”
Store hours: Tues.-Sat.: 11:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.; 270 Shawmut Ave.; 617.426.1458.

Epicurean Meat Market
If you are looking for a butcher, Epicurean Meat Market is a cut above. In the austere 1,000-square-foot space, porterhouse, sirloin, rib eye and sausages dominate the cases. But don’t expect to see any men behind the counter taking your order. Owners Michele Jacaruso and Nikki Christo run the show. After 15 years in the restaurant business, Jacaruso and Christo decided it was time for a change—something to get them away from the “craziness” of the restaurant world, but keep them in touch with their culinary passions. With only a supermarket in the South End for people to purchase meat, the opportunity became obvious: A store with superior customer service and a primary focus on meat. Within 30 days, a space was rented, and Epicurean Meat was born. “Two years ago, Washington Street was not even part of South End,” says Jacaruso. “Now with the gentrification of the area and new businesses opening, this is an unbelievable area for growth.” The meat market’s clientele consists of citizens from the immediate neighborhood with a draw from other areas of Boston on weekends. Meat is purchased from John Dewar and Co., a top Boston supplier. Epicurean Meat sells specialty Black Angus cuts such as skirt steaks ($8.99 per pound), porterhouse, and its most popular, rib eye ($10.99 per pound), selling more than 30 pounds daily. Sweet and Hot Italian Sausage is also available at $3.99 per pound. Jacaruso and Christo pledge to not lose sight of the quality products they sell and the high customer service they maintain. “We want things to get back to the way they are supposed to be—knowing your customers by name and educating them on new products and uses,” they say. “We are passionate about what we do and will never go substandard.”
Store hours: Mon.-Fri.: 12 p.m. - 7 p.m.; Sat.: 10:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.; 1704 Washington St.; 617.247.2117.

Flour Bakery + Café
The folks at Flour Bakery want their customers to “eat desserts first.” Just ask Owner Joanne Chang, who is making life sweeter for her neighbors. One of the merchants redefining the South End’s culinary boundaries, Chang has achieved her goal of becoming a neighborhood bakery. Her mission: To make customers happy with great food and welcoming service. “Part of what makes this place work is everyone’s dedication and focus on quality service and top ingredients,” says Chang, whose pastry experience includes overseeing the cake department in New York City’s acclaimed Payard Patisserie. Although there are more than 500 transactions through- out the day, the lunch hour absorbs the bulk of Flour’s business. One can find made-to-order sandwiches on homemade bread such as Oven Roasted Vege ($6.50), Fresh Mozzarella Tomato and Basil ($6.25) or homemade soup in a bowl, pint or quart ($2.95, $3.95, $7.95). Not far behind is breakfast, when customers can purchase Currant or Oatmeal Maple scones ($1.50), Blueberry Coffee Cake ($1.95), or Banana Bread ($1.95 and a best seller.) Flour’s dessert menu consists of a selection of cakes and tarts, individual or whole, and nine distinctly flavored cookies, biscotti and brownies. Cookie flavors include Oatmeal Raisin, and Scharffen Berger Chocolate Chip. According to Chang, one of her keys to success is weeding out items that do not sell, such as muffins, which are no longer on the menu. Giving back to the community is important to Chang; she teaches hands-on cooking classes once a week with proceeds going to a community organization. In the future, she would like to add outside seating, in addition to her current 22 indoor seats.
Store hours: Mon.-Fri.: 7 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sat.: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sun.: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.; 1595 Washington St.; 617.267.4300; www.flourbakery.com

Morse Fish Company
In business for more than 60 years, this 2,500-square-foot store is a community staple. Offering Vietnamese tuna to North Atlantic halibut, Maine lobster to Florida red snapper, the company prides itself on being a “neighborhood store, where everyone knows everyone’s name.” Once a wholesaler, Morse now splits its retail business evenly between fresh fish, and lunch and dinner service. Inventory is purchased daily and salmon, tuna and scrod is all cut in-house, according to Owner John Blacker. A small seating area with eight tables offers a nautical atmosphere and no-frill, aquatic delights served in Styrofoam containers with plastic utensils. Selections include Lobster Salad Sandwich with Fries ($7.95), Crab Cakes ($1.75 each or $8.50/half dozen), Clam Strip Roll with Fries ($6.95), and of course, Clam Chowder ($3.75). Dinner entrées, offered fried or broiled, are served with coleslaw and a choice of French fries or rice and include Sea Scallops ($12.95), Catfish ($8.95) and Red Perch ($7.95). A small grocery area stocked with seafood cooking tools, Cajun spice mix and lemon juice lines the counters. Store hours: Mon.-Sat.: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m., Fri. 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sun. 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.; 1401 Washington St.; 617.262.9375

Nicole Potenza is associate editor of Specialty Food Magazine.