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Buyers' Picks - March 2003

David Rondini, Miles Farmers Market, Solon, OH
I don’t view food seasonally anymore; everything is global now, you can get quality products year-round. Overall, business is snowballing in categories like Italian estate olive oil and premium Balsamic vinegars. Dried pasta and jarred pasta sauces as well as French and Italian hand-crafted cheeses are popular. We see growth in our olive bar all the time, with a spike around the holidays. My picks include:
• Francesco’s Hole in the Wall Pasta Sauces
• Benedetto Cavalieri Dried Pasta
• Vong Sesame Rice Crisps
• Acetum Balsamic Vinegar
• Sarabeth’s Spreadable Fruit

Debbie Leland, Kowalski Market, St. Paul, MN
People entertaining has an impact on specialty food sales in general. We see more movement in our cheese and meat categories. Some items, like Republic of Tea White Tea, have started to do well for us and we see that continuing into spring. We are looking to bring in the Lollipop Tree line of bread mixes, sauces and jellies that should take off this season. My picks include:
• B.T. McElrath seasonal chocolates
• Lehman Farms pickled vegetables
• Clearbrook Farms Fruit Tart line
• Organic meats
• Lollipop Tree Apple Chipotle Glazing Sauce
• Private Harvest Bread Dippers

Elena Voiron, Ratto’s, Oakland, CA
We see specialty food sales increase around any holiday because people are entertaining more. We sell more spices as well as olives and cheese for appetizer platters. We do a large business in products for Greek Orthodox Easter. The best seller is red Easter egg dye; hundreds of packets fly out of the store. My picks include:
• Feta cheese
• Caffarel Italian chocolate
• Filo dough
• Assorted olives

Dee Silva, Market Basket, Franklin Lakes, NJ
Anything we bring in seems to do well, particularly oils and vinegars. We’re in an upper-class community close to New York City, so we have a lot of corporate as well as some celebrity clients. We do a big business in off-premises catering. My picks include:
• Barry’s Bakery French Twists
• Earth & Vine Red Bell Pepper & Ancho Chile Jam
• Eli’s Bread Co. crisps
• Bella Cucina pesto line
• Baker’s Breakfast Cookies

Steven Rosenberg, Liberty Heights Fresh,
Salt Lake City, UT
We have a lot of products perfect for enjoying a great meal or for gift-giving at any spring holiday. Olive oils sell well because they dress spring vegetables deliciously. Chocolate is popular for dipping fruit. We sell a Nougat of Montelimar made with fragrant lavender honey and nuts; the floral flavors echo spring and are a great holiday treat. My picks include:
• Manicaretti’s 2002 Olio Verde Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Scharffen Berger 62% Cacao Chocolate
• K.L. Keller Imports Nougat of Montelimar
• Earth & Vine Key Lime Kiwi Tangerine Marinade/Dressing
• American Spoon Foods Strawberry-Rhubarb Preserve