AJ's Fine Foods

Gourmet News' September retailer of the month was AJ's Fine Foods, right here in Arizona. Most of the AJ's stores are in the Phoenix metropolitan area, and there's only one AJ's store in Tucson. It is, however, not in my neighborhood, so I'd never been there.
The chain was recommended as the retailer of the month by a public relations agent who represents a few brands well known to Gourmet News, including a couple that advertise. She said that she loves her neighborhood AJ's so much that she goes there sometimes on the weekends just to sit and watch people, and she could stay for hours.
Since I did the story, I've visited the AJ's in Tucson a few times, and although I can't say that I'd spend hours just sitting there, it's nice to have a place that carries some of the products that I've grown to enjoy after sampling them at the Fancy Food Shows.

Helping the Women Who Grow Coffee

For the September issue of Gourmet News, I wrote about organizations that are helping the women who produce coffee for the world market, and through those women, entire communities in very poor parts of the world. I learned that in many parts of the world, women do most of the work to produce coffee that we drink obliviously in the United States under horrifying conditions. Some of them are doing it all because they live in African communities whose male populations have been decimated through genocide. Others are doing all the work of growing, harvesting and selling coffee because their men are off working in cities, leaving the women and children alone in the rural farming areas. Others are simply abused into doing the work and then surrendering the rewards.
The organizations about which I wrote are working to make sure that more of the women who do the work actually get a say in how the economic rewards of that work are used. It was a rewarding story to write.

Specialty Foods Producers Wow Restaurateurs

Here's the story about many of the specialty foods producers who exhibited at this year's Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo. These vendors, which offer products packaged for both foodservice and retail sale, had a lot to say about products that add gourmet panache to a meal without breaking the budget or help meet the needs of dinner guests who are increasingly likely to arrive with nonnegotiable dietary restrictions.

Special Events Make Market Street a Destination Supermarket

Market Street is a chain of gourmet supermarkets in north and west Texas, mostly in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, that puts on month-long events to draw in the community for celebrations of Texas products, food and fitness, and an Entertaining Made Easy expo held in November to capture the interest of customers who are planning their holidays. Read more about it here on Gourmet News.

A Cook's Tour of the WFHE Show

I visited the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Expo last week and returned with a couple of reports: this one, which just takes a walk around the exhibit hall, and another one, not written yet, that demonstrates that upscale restaurateurs are taking some cues from the producers of specialty foods. The specialty foods manufacturers generally make their products in small batches, so they face comparatively less risk as they experiment with innovative flavors. They're more likely to spend some time thinking, thinking and thinking about a new flavor profile and then just go ahead and do some experiments. Then they'll taste-test those experiments with family and friends and maybe even customers, and when they have a product that everyone likes, there's still a chance that it's just not going to go over with American consumers. But since they're making product in small batches, that's probably not going to take the whole company down with it. It makes for a lot of excitement at the Specialty Food Association's annual sofi awards presentation, which honors innovation in the specialty foods industry.

Back from the Las Vegas Market

I've just returned from the Las Vegas Market, where I visited with Vietri, saw what Charles Viancin is up to this year, and looked at the new items in Jessie Steele's collection. I also talked to tag's national sales director about the company's direction following the death of founder Norman Glassberg. It's too soon to reveal what I learned about that, though -- you'll have to wait for the news in the September issue of Kitchenware News & Housewares Review. For now, suffice it to say that there's definitely a plan, and the company is moving forward under the leadership of Norman's daughter Jessica Glassberg.

Nibblins Celebrates a Decade of Helping its Community Make Great Culinary Experiences at Home

I had the pleasure of interviewing Susan Dolinar and Elise Stine of Nibblins, a kitchenware and gourmet food store in Winchester, Va. for the retailer profile that appeared in September issues of Kitchenware News & Housewares Review and Gourmet News. Read it here.