-By Sherry Hoffman

Members of our Retailer Advisory Board had a mission this summer -- to discover what they believe to be the best in show at the Summer Fancy Food Show this past June. They reported those choices back to us for your perusal. Their choices ran the gamut from a "quicker picker-upper" to a sweet and salty sauce. We're excited to share those picks with you and hope next year you'll stop by and tell us some of your favorites.




Classy Delites Pistachio & Roasted Pepper Dip is a fabulous condiment. I just love, love, love pistachios, and this has loads of flavor, great texture and a perfect balance of piquant (acid). I couldn't get enough of it. MSRP: $7/12 oz.
Classy Delites
4919 Hazy Hills Drive
Spicewood, TX 78669
Phone: 800-400-2648; 512-266-7157
Fax: 512-266-7198
www.classydelites.com






Veetee's cooked packaged Basmati Rice has beautiful packaging, wonderful taste and it makes an innovative one-dish meal. I liked its simple and elegant visual appeal. Its merchandising potential is limitless. MSRP: $2.99/280g.
Invicta House
Sir Thomas Longley Road
Rochester, Kent, ME2 4DU, UK
www.veetee.com

-- Gretchen Morfogen, Director of Culinary Operations, Straub's Markets, St. Louis, Mo.




I liked everything about Quality Candy/Buddy Squirrel's Butter Almond Toffee and Peppermint Bark. The candy, which is under the Joseph Lottie Confections label, tastes terrific; the packaging of the Holiday Awning Boxes is beautiful and makes a great POP and counter display. MSRP: $3.99-$4.99/2.25 oz.
Quality Candy Shoppes/Buddy Squirrel of Wisconsin
P.O. Box 070581
Milwaukee, WI 53207
Phone: 800-972-2658; 414-483-4500
www.qcbs.com





The Alexian Forest Mushroom Traditional Country Style Pate has no artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or fillers, and that lets all the taste shine through. The clear wrapping gives it great visibility so it makes a nice presentation on a display rack. The portion size is just right. MSRP: $6.99/7 oz.
Alexian Pate and Terrines
1200 Seventh Avenue
Neptune, NJ 07753
Phone: 800-927-9473; 732-775-3220
Fax: 732-775-3223
www.alexianpate.com

-- Dave West, Chef/Owner, Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium, Brandon, Fla.




I think Bissinger's Chocolate Cinnamon Bark will be great for the holidays. Its all-natural rich dark chocolate flavor is enhanced by a wonderful crunch. And to top it all off, it's delicious. Bissinger's is one of the last handcrafted chocolatiers in the world.
Bissinger's Chocolates
3983 Gratiot Street
St. Louis, MO 63110
Phone: 800-325-8881; 314-615-2424
www.bissingers.com




DiLusso's Be-Bop Biscotti has a wonderfully unique flavor that fits perfectly with its great packaging. It's made with fresh roasted Oregon hazelnuts and dipped in a solid white chocolate, then finished with a dark chocolate zebra design. It doesn't get any better. MSRP: $18/dozen.
DiLusso
744 N.W. Bond Street
Bend, OR 97701
Phone: 888-545-7487; 866-DILUSSO
www.dilusso.com

-- Evelyn Ignatow, Owner, Hyde Park Gourmet Food and Wine, Cincinnati, Ohio




The owner's care and passion in Appledore Cove's Seaside Barbecue Sauce, as well as in the entire line of products, can be tasted in each of the small-batch prepared salsas and sauces. The quality and taste of the product are amazing. Also, the unique, attractive packaging seals the deal! MSRP: $5.95-$7.95/10.5 oz.
Appledore Cove
19 Buffum Road
North Berwick, ME 03906
Phone: 888-849-1787
Fax: 207-636-8100
www.appledorecove.com

-- Jon Pruden, Owner, Taste Unlimited LLC, Virginia Beach, Va.




The Fine Cheese Company's Quenby Hall Stilton is a classic Blue Cheese from Britain and I mean classic in the best sense of the word. It's the best Stilton I've ever tasted: rich, creamy blue cheese without a hint of bitterness. It deserves a place at every table. MSRP: $30-$33/lb.
The Fine Cheese Company
29 & 31 Walcot Street
Bath BA1 5BN
England
www.finecheese.co.uk





Ortiz Conserves Boquerones Marinated White Anchovies are neither salty nor boney. These marinated anchovies from Spain have an absolutely fabulous consistency and flavor. They are fished from the Bay of Biscay then layered with salt and pressed for at least six months. They'll make the ultimate Caesar salad! MSRP: $10-$12/3.53 oz.
The Cheese Works Inc.
247 Margaret King Avenue
Ringwood, NJ 07456
Phone: 800-962-1220; 973-962-6886
www.thecheeseworks.com

-- Janet Ostrow, President, Premier Gourmet, Kenmore, N.Y.




The two-sided Twist Loofah Sponge (the loofah for scrubbing, the cellulose for wiping) combines the best of both worlds. Its environmentally conscious manufacturer has created a useful and practical product that helps the planet while you clean up your kitchen. MSRP: $4.99
Twist
P.O. Box 1159
Boulder, CO 80306
Phone: 303-443-9953
Fax: 303-317-8211
www.twistclean.com




Shootflying Hill Salty Butterscotch Dessert Sauce is perfect. These products are designed for people who enjoy cooking but don't have time to make what they make. This sauce is rich and sweet with a crunch of salt. Salt. Butterscotch. Need I say more? MSRP: $9.25-$9.99/10.5 oz.
Shootflying Hill Sauce Company
96 Naples Road #1
Brookline, MA 02446
Phone: 617-784-6732
www.dessertsauce.com

-- Jennifer Baron, Owner, A Cook's Companion, Brooklyn, N.Y.


Comments? shoffman@gourmetretailer.com