How about Union Market? With locations in Brooklyn and one recently opened location on Avenue A and Houston in Manhattan, this upmarket neighborhoody grocery shop celebrates local small purveyors and fresh seasonal produce. Walking into the location on Houston street, one is greeted with a colorful and sumptuous display of vegetables and fruits, continuing through the market, one encounters the cheese counter -- full of local greats from East Coast creameries and well curated European superstars. And past the cheese, which I might have dawdled at for quite a while, is your prepared foods, meats, fish, pastas, rice and baked goods and more.
So what to get at the cheese counter?
How about a block of Plymouth Artisan Cheese Company's Hunter hailing from Plymouth, Vermont. Crafted in one of the oldest creameries in Vermont in a factory built by none other than Calvin Coolidge's father. Hunter is a two year aged cow's milk granular curd cheese that is round and crumbly, nutty and buttery, honest and rustic and the perfect companion to a nice glass of medium bodied red wine!
What else to get?
How about one of Vermont Creamery's Bijou?
This miniature roundelle of pasteurized goat cheese is modeled on the classic Loire Valley goat's milk cheese, Crottin, but is quintessentially Vermont in flavor and infused with the local terroir. Tangy, chalky, citrusy, and bright with a milky, grassy round yet light finish. Fun and fanciful, this is approachable yet dynamic with a fabulous depth.
These are just two of the wonderful selections available, there are plenty more for all of us to discover. But in the meantime, stop into Union Market for your neighborhood local grocer -- I guarantee you'll discover fantastic new cheeses, produce, and products. Whether you stop into the Houston Street location or one of the markets in Brooklyn, its worth a trip.
Union Market
240 East Houston Street
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