Buyers' Picks: Nov/Dec 2003

Daniel Abdella, Fox & Obel, Chicago
We offer a caviar service with Iranian caviar, bellini, farmstead crème frˆaiché and all of the accompaniments. We’ve also done well with the Good Wives line of hors d’oeuvres. Prepared foods are very strong for New Year’s--everything from whole dinners to salads or shrimp cocktail.
My picks include:
• Good Wives Crab Puff Pastry and Blue Cheese Puffs
• Hancock Gourmet Pemaquid Point Lobster Pot Pies
• Philips frozen crab cakes
• Society Hill Snack Mixes
• Veuve Clicquot champagne

W. Arthur Garcia, Monterey Gourmet, Bernardsville, NJ
New Year’s Eve is a big night for prepared foods; no one wants to be cooking all day, but they want to serve something special. Many people serve hors d’oeuvres, but offer an entrée like Beef Wellington at midnight. Chocolate-dipped strawberries do very well. Popular items are caviar platters or our Brie fondue platter in hollowed-out bread, served with fruits and chunks of bread.
My picks include:
• Baked Brie Torte stuffed with Apricots and Pecans
• Marky’s Caviar
• Mini Crab Cakes in a Roumelade Sauce
• Tiramisu Cornucopia
• Godiva Chocolates
• Perona Farms Smoked Salmon

Michael O’Connor, Star Provisions, Atlanta
We’ve begun selling a wine sampler, which we call a “Six Pack; six bottles of wine sold together under a theme. For the holiday season, we plan to do a Champagne Tasting Pack, which should be popular. For New Year’s, we feature Champagnes and cheeses that pair beautifully. One is Langres, a rich cheese from the Champagne region of France.
My picks include:
• Langres artisinal cheese
• Brie de Meaux
• Champagne Tasting Sampler

Mary Dedrick, Dedrick’s Main Street Cheese, Placerville, CA
Blue Crab Bay’s Bloody Mary Mixer is a great party drink. We sample a lot of Humboldt Fog and also do well with Jean d’France dried sausages. We sell a sauce in Cranberry Horseradish flavor that is like a jam; it’s great over Brie with nuts.
My picks include:
• La Panzanella Croccantini Flat Bread Crackers
• Blue Crab Bay Co. Bloody Mary Mixer
• Mendon Creamery Maple Cream Butter
• The Wild Pear Company Cranberry Horseradish Sauce
• Peppadews served with mozzarella balls
• Hammonds Candies Mitchell Sweets

Peter Marczyk and Shannon Hardin, Marczyk Fine Foods, Denver
New Year’s Eve is a big seafood night for us. We’re also the only retailer in Colorado that sells Niman Ranch meats, which do very well. In grocery, we saw the biggest sales in products for New Year’s Day breakfasts last year. Shoppers were looking for cheeses to prepare fancy omelettes, baked goods and other products to make it a special occasion.
My picks include:
• Niman Ranch filets
• English Provender Company Jaffa Orange Curd
• Gavioli Italian sparkling fruit juices
• Shrimp and lobster
• Crumpets and French butter

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