ronnie_suburban

Hey folks, if this exchange takes place, I'd love to see a report and most definitely a few pics, if possible. I'm intrigued. =R=

This morning's brunch at Zingerman's Roadhouse was terrific. It's a pleasure to eat at a restaurant that not only turns out truly delicious and distinctive food but one that is also part of a larger philosophy which advocates eating well and doing so with the highest quality ingredients available. But beyond all that, the Roadhouse was fun. As it turned out, our 'coffee jockey' this morning was none other than Mr. Ari Weinzweig, who founded Zingerman's. As great as the foods at Zingerman's are, it's really Ari who's the story. A U of M grad who started in the food biz as a dishwasher, he's built an empire on his passion and the culture he's created is truly impressive. Every single Zingerman's employee with whom I interacted this weekend was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and helpful. What a pleasure it was shopping and eating at all their outlets this weekend. I wish we had something as wonderful as Zingerman's here in Chicago. As I posted waaay back upthread, the Saturday Farmers Market was terrific. Here are a few pics I took while I walked and shopped it . . . The market building around which the weekly market takes place. Saturday morning, 10:30 a.m. -- prime time at the market. A delicious looking assortment of greens . . . and purples. Ok, not edible, but beautiful nonetheless. It's been a particularly good season here in the Midwest for blueberries. I wish I had access to fresh, farm eggs like these at my home market. House-made Mozzerella from . . . you guessed it, Zingerman's. Gorgeous-looking (and smelling) basil. Sweet cherries have also been great this year in the Heartland. A squash for just about any need. These were just spectacular. It's the very front edge of tomato season here but these earlies look great. Some of the market's more discerning shoppers. =R=

'Twas a great time today with absolutely gorgeous weather . . . mid 80's, low humidity, abundant sunshine and a few white puffy clouds. I really enjoyed the market and I do have a few photos, which I'll try to post soon. Like most farmers markets I visit, this one was far better than my home market Anyway, there were some great offerings and the place was bustling with all sorts of activities, negotiations and deal-making. It was like a weird alt version of Araby. Some of our purchases were pre-planned and some were inspired by what we saw at the market and as the time passed the menu -- or at least the general plan for it -- took form. The lunch from Monahan's was absolutely amazing. I also split half a smoked turkey and pepper ham sandwich from Zingerman's with Steven. But, Monahan's was turning out some absolutely incredible treats, including some stellar calamari (with an intoxicating peanut sauce), near-perfect fish & chips -- the chips were fantastically crisp and, I'm told, tossed in herb butter. That did not hinder their crispiness one bit. Their chowder was also quite tasty. A fourth item was also served -- and it looked good -- but I was too full to try it and don't remember what it was. The wine tasting was very cool. Having a chance to taste 21 "really good" wines, and receive solid information about all of them was wonderful -- thanks also for the nicely-produced, pre-printed notes on the wines. It was fun and informative and a great way to spend part of our time together. Rick (last name unknown to me) was a great "guide." Prepping the meal was also a lot fun -- without a doubt my overall highlight of the weekend so far. It was great having Tammy, Steven and everyone else chart it all out for us. A lot of folks who don't normally cook (or shop) together combined to make a truly incredible and inspired meal and even managed to keep it pretty much on schedule -- and this was a long menu containing many dishes which required a multitude of steps. Someone else will have to confirm but I don't think we got to the last course more than 15 minutes later than scheduled. Considering again that we were new to each other, (mostly) working in an unfamiliar kitchen, and keeping it all going for 3+ hours, I'm truly impressed with what this group accomplished. Not that it mattered, really . . . because it would have been fun either way. But it was cool seeing it all come together so successfully. The meal itself was incredible and, more so than by the group's effort, I was impressed with the food that was turned out. I love eGS gatherings because a bunch of people who love food get to 'do their thing.' The result is that a ton of delicious dishes emerge and each course is one to look forward to. I'm sure there will be some pics of the food but it was all delicious. There wasn't one course I didn't enjoy. Some of my personal highlights were Edsel's Berkshire Pork and Wild Boar Andouille Sausage, Tammy and Steven's Zucchini Trio (especially the roulade with grilled zuke and goat cheese), torakris and Steven's Grilled Peach and Seared Foie Gras salad, moosnsqrl's Heirloom Tomato Soup with Avocado Sorbet, NancyH and Bob's Beef with Chiles and Cherries and I'm sure I'm leaving a few out. Dessert-wise, Kitchen Chick and jmsaul made a killer, from-scratch Trifle (blueberries, lemon curd) and an over-the-top Peanut Butter Ice Cream. CaliPoutine's Chocolate Cookies were amazing -- a great accompaniment to the aforementioned ice cream -- Palladion's Plum Dumpling's were terrific and sweintraub and Deborah did a terrific job selecting a top-notch group of cheeses. And tino27, your breads were absolutely out of this world. There was so much more -- the salads, the wines, the little touches, etc. -- and it was all just wonderful. What a great time it was. I wish we could wake up tomorrow and do it all over again. I'm so glad to have been a part of this and I look forward to hooking up with my fellow eGS members and doing this again soon -- hopefully, before next summer. Tammy -- and family, and co-housing mates -- thank you again for taking this on and so graciously hosting us. Your extraordinary effort is greatly appreciated. I hope that I can someday reciprocate. =R= Edit: Because Rick is Rick, not Tom . . . D'OH!

I did a 4-H County Fair a couple weeks back . . . =R=

From the article linked above by liamdc: =R=

LOL, yeah he's somewhat entertaining. Not quite as entertaining as he thinks he is but the boy sure ain't shy. =R=

Sorry, I have no pics -- I'm told others do -- but dinner tonight at Bella Ciao was a blast and everyone there was extraordinarily accomodating. It was great finally getting to meet so many folks who I only know on-line. Getting together in person is a great thing. Dinner: the heirloom tomato caprese salad was terrific. The prawn and greens was delicious and all 3 entrees I tried were very nice. I especially enjoyed the Black Sea Bass with purple Peruvian mashed potatoes and asparagus. Also the little puck of fudgey chocolate with caramel and nuts was a great dessert. After dinner, we hit Zingerman's with Tammy, which is kind of like going to Tiffany's with Audrey Hepburn . . . total VIP treatment. Everyone there was so accomodating and the place is just jammed full of incredible meats, cheeses, bread and other specialty products. We especially loved their gelato! I was thinking about heading over to Tammy's for some of those caramels but it's late and I need my beauty sleep I'll try to take some pics tomorrow -- starting with the Farmers Market. =R=

Thanks for the heads up. I had the misfortune of taking Eastbound I-80/94 about 2 weeks ago (because I was trying to avoid the Ryan) and it was a complete nightmare. At one point, it took us about an hour to travel 3 miles. I'm planning an alternate route for tomorrow but at some point, there aren't that many viable options. Just about every major route around the lake is effed up in 1 way or another. =R=

I was just in Louisville a few days ago, so here goes . . . Lynn's Paradise Cafe is a fun spot with very good food. Also, you should order a 'Hot Brown' at the place where they were invented, The Brown Hotel. I was only there for a day, otherwise I'd have more ideas for you. =R= Edit: A big thanks to eGS member zilla369 for initially giving me these great suggestions.

Last Sunday's anniversary event at Trotter's raised $55,000, ". . . a portion of which went toward the Charlie Trotter Culinary Education Foundation" reports Lisa Lenoir in the August 2nd edition of the Chicago Sun-Times. Ms. Lenoir also gives a nice shout-out to eGS member Judith Gebhart: In Society =R=

As long as we're talking about Adobo Grill, let me pass on this information, which I just received via Zagat: =R=

Ron's fantastic pastrami made me pull out the last small bit I had saved to have for lunch. Yes, you definitely want to steam it after smoking. I tried a small piece right out of the smoker and it was, well....chewy. After slowly steaming for quite some time it was incredibly tender. ← I also felt that a slight hint of initial over-saltiness was also remedied via the braise. I wanted to brine the brisket long enough so that it would be cured through in the thickest section. This resulted in the thinner sections being a wee bit salty after the smoking step. So, the braising step actually contributed positively to the quality of the final product in more than one way. =R=

It didn't win? hmm...who the heck won it then? ← Bones by Jennifer McLagan won the category. I read it from cover to cover, then left it in the bookstore. Not only was it not in the same league as Charcuterie, it was barely useful. I'm astounded that such a faux cookbook could win any award. =R=

Yes, because of the water bath cooking method, it doesn't brown at all but it is cooked (plus I'd smoked it to 150 F before I sliced it up). The little buddy is a bit salty because of the thick-sliced bacon and the smaller amout of filling. My hope is that the full-sized terrine, which I lined with very thinly-sliced bacon, should mitigate that. I have been receiving great feedback on the pastrami from the folks with whom I have shared it. Again, I can't believe how well it turned out and frankly, I still do not understand how this book did not win the James Beard Award for single-subject cookbook. When you can turn out food like this on first attempts, it says more about the cookbook than anything else. They was robbed! =R=

Elie, without taking this thread too far OT, I cannot recommend the Tapas book highly enough. It's a great cookbook and Casas definitely knows her stuff. The recipes -- I've made about a dozen of them -- are fantastic. There are times when I wish for a bit more detail about the methodology but that's the book's only shortcoming, if any. And even then, for a semi-experienced hack cook like myself, there has always been enough info to get the recipes completed successfully. It's just that I tend to benefit from the additional hand-holding that single-subject cookbooks like Charcuterie provide. =R=

August 2, 2006... From today's Chicago Tribune - Good Eating section: Move over, Napa...Bill Daley reports on how Michigan winemakers hope to compete with California producers. Whisked away...in this week's Prep School installment, James P. DeWan instructs on how to successfully create emulsions and apply them in your everyday cooking. The scoop on gelato...Renee Enna visits with "ice cream consultant" Malcolm Stogo, and gets some tips for home ice cream makers. Bigger and better...Robin Mather Jenkins reviews The Big Book of Outdoor Cooking & Entertaining by Cheryl & Bill Jamison. Off the shelf...in this week's installment, Renee Enna gives a shout out to local ice cream maker, Lezza, which is based in Bellwood. Crash course...Robin Mather Jenkins chats with Alton Brown who is promoting his newest Food Network series, Feasting on Asphalt, which debuted last week. Watermelon...Donna Pierce with a useful guide. Baking for the future...in this special to the Tribune, JoAnn Milivojevic explores how Serbian baking traditions are passed between generations at the St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Hobart, IN. ===== From today's Chicago Sun Times - Food section: In the kitchen with Charlie...hours before their 19th Anniversary celebration dinner, Janet Rausa Fuller trails in the kitchen at Charlie Trotter's, where some heavy-hitting chefs were helping out. Family affair...Maureen Jenkins visits with entertainment "expert" B. Smith. Tastings around town...Celeste Busk previews upcoming events at Vinci, Adobo Grill, The Chopping Block and Di Pescara. Food news...Denise I. O'Neal with the week's industry news, programs and roll-outs. From the July 31st edition: Turning your table into the chef's table...Janet Rausa Fuller reports on what various restaurants around town are doing to increase the drama factor in their dining rooms. ===== From today's Daily Herald - Food section: He has a taste for 'clean and fresh' cuisine...in this week's Chef du Jour installment, Leah A. Zeldes profiles chef Randy Waidner who, after spending 15 years working for the Weber Grill restaurants, is now the executive chef at Entourage on American Lane in Schaumburg. Chipotles dish out the heat in new barbecue sauce...food editor Deborah Pankey sings the praises of the chipotle pepper, which is becoming a mainstream grocery item. Food and wine classes...a comprehensive listing of upcoming area food events, tastings and classes; broken out by day. ===== From the July 28 edition of the Chicago Reader's Restaurants section: Mexican Tapas...David Hammond takes a look at Chicago's newest hot spot, Sol de Mexico, which is run by Carlos Tello, the soon-to-be brother in law of former Rick Bayless protege Geno Bahena (now closed Ixcapuzalco, Chilpancingo). Also profiled are 24 other family-run places in the city. Note: .pdf pages at the Reader's web site occasionally load slowly but they do eventually load. ===== In this week's installment of Chicago Magazine's Dish, Penny Pollack and Jeff Ruby chat with chef Takashi Yagihashi (Ambria, Tribute, Okada), who will be returning to Chicago with a 'small plates' restaurant sometime next summer. ===== =R= <><><><><> Media Digest Notes... Updates from some Chicago media outlets, which do not 'go to press' on Wednesday mornings, will be edited into each week's post as they become available. Please do not reply on this thread. For discussion of any stories which are linked here, please feel free to start a new thread or contact the forum host or digester who will be happy to do it for you. <><><><><>

I think "mine" (I hesitate to call it "mine" because all I did was follow Michael and Brian's recipe) was better. Of course, it had just come out of the oven, had perfumed my entire house with pastrami essence and had my mouth watering for hours before I finally got to sample it. And, I was much more familiar with the crabby person who served me (that being me), than I was with the crabby person who served me at Shapiro's! BTW, happy birthday, Susan! I'm sorry I can't overnight you any pastrami (this time around) but I am planning on bringing a good portion of it here, so at least a few other eGS members will get to sample it. =R=

I have to say that the pastrami is absolutely phenomenal. I cannot believe I made this from scratch. It's just sensational. Michael and Brian, this is, without a doubt, my favorite recipe in the book. Anyway, for all those requesting brisket . . . After about 4 hours braising at 250 F, the pastrami is, at last, ready. You can see the melted fat and the soft connective tissue in the flesh of the meat. I'm guessing that this brisket's 'Wagyu-ness' had some part in that. It's very soft, essentially fork-tender but because of its beautiful elasticity, it holds together very well upon slicing. Again, I'm just stunned by how well this turned out. And really, it's a very, very simple thing to do, culinarily-speaking. As long as you have the time, the rest of the process is very clearly set forth in the book. Considering this was my first attempt, I'm blown away. And, I cannot wait to try it again. =R=

I'm glad my shots could bring some pleasure or fond memories to some of you guys. Having grown up in the suburbs of Chicago, I never experienced fairs like the one above when I was growing up. In this instance, I'm happy to be able to latch onto my wife's memories and enjoy the fair I never experienced as a kid -- the one she grew up with. I can easily see where the emotional attachment comes from. She was remembering stories from fairs-gone-by all weekend, and most of them in great detail. Food is a powerful emotional gateway, especially to our own personal histories. I'd heard about Jungle Jim's International Market in Cincinnati so many times, it was, without a doubt, my #1 destination in the Cincinnati area. In fact, the moment after we checked into our hotel, off we went to Fairfield, OH, the actual home of Jungle Jim's. I don't have any pictures to share of JJ's. Honestly, its 275,000 square feet were so staggeringly chock full of goods, that pictures would have been irrelevant -- and decent coverage would have been nearly impossible to obtain. After we entered the store, we passed by case after case of meats and cheeses, subdivided by type and then again by their origins. I spotted at least 6 brands of prosciutto de parma in one case alone. It was unbelievable and that was just the beginning. I think there were more deli cases in that first section of JJ's than there are in my entire hometown. JJ's has a massive wine department, a produce section that seemed the size of a football field and a 'live' section that offered rainbow trout, dungeoness crab and lobster to name just a few items. There were aisles upon aisles of 'International' sections, a mini theatre/stage where cooking lessons are given, an interesting reasonably-priced kitchenware section and really, just about every brand of everything you've ever heard of. The saturation of goods and redundancy of brands was amazing. My son particularly enjoyed the shrink-wrapped, fresh goat head and multi-pack of fresh duck heads (I think it was an 8-pack). It was frustrating being a no-kitchen, no fridge, out-of-town visitor to JJ's. While browsing the store -- we killed about 2 hours just wandering around the place -- I kept seeing all sorts of things I wanted to cook with. I did my best to scratch the itch by buying a few non-perishables . . . a huge bottle of Louisiana Brand Hot Sauce (a co-worker's favorite brand), some oddball beverages, some trail mix for the rest of the road trip and some Bison Sausage sticks and a fine, personally-selected assortment of Jelly Bellies. As luck would have it, very near JJ's -- and on the way back to our hotel -- was an outpost of one of Cincinnati's most well-known institutions: Skyline Chili. This was another Cincinnati "must-try" on my list and it was great to have it "appear" in front of us, without having to search for it. We stopped in to sample a few items. Coney Mett, which I believe is short for Mettwurst. This was a 'limited time only' item. Chili 3 Ways . . . noodles, chili and cheese. First of all, I apologize for all the pics of already-bitten-into food. All the pre-bite shots were terribly out of focus. My Cincinnati friends tell me that Skyline is an acquired taste and after experiencing it for the first time, I have to agree. I didn't really care for it. I dig the concept and think the idea of chili and noodles topped with cheese is a fine one, but Skyline chili is just too sweet for me. In my mind, it wasn't chili, it was more like a sweet spaghetti sauce. It reminded me a lot of the meat element in the Greek dish, Pasticcio. In any case, I'm not bashing. It just didn't scratch chili itch for me. Again, my Cincinnati friends assure me that after you have it 3 times, you start craving it about once a week. Next stop . . . The Suburbans, with an over-tired 9-year-old in tow, dare to fine-dine in Cincinnati at Nicola's Ristorante Italiano. =R=

I'm working on a couple of projects which I'm planning to serve this weekend. The first is a Duck and Cured Ham Pate from Tapas by Penelope Casas, which I've made a few times in the past. However, this time I decided to apply the method conveyed in Charcuterie to it and I'm thrilled with the results. The assembly and cooking are described in much greater detail in Charcuterie and because of that, I was able to take a lot of guesswork out of the process and, I think, improve the final product (keeping in mind that what is shown below is actually the 'little buddy' terrine I made with the extra pate filling I had and some bacon I'd made a few weeks ago, which I had sliced pretty thick). . . Casas' Duck and Cured Ham Pate a la Ruhlman and Polcyn. Instead of cooking at 350 F for 2 hours, I cooked it for 90 minutes at 300 F. The results are noticeably superior. You can see the chunks of prosciutto in the pate and some pistachios which I added because, well, I had them on hand. The bacon here is a little thick but again, I was using a vacuum-sealed package I already had on-hand. I think the proportions on the actual terrine will be just about perfect. Since it is deeper, the prosciutto chunk-size will make more sense and I sliced the bacon for its exterior 'to order' on my slicer, so it'll be a bit thinner. I'm also in the final stages of making my first Pastrami. For this I used an 11-pound Wagyu brisket, which my butcher ordered for me . . . Cured whole Wagyu brisket which was smoked to an internal temp of 150 F over hickory wood (took about 6 hours at 215 F). A few pieces 'fell off' during the smoking and they tasted fantastic. The brisket is now steaming/braising gently in the oven. I hope to post some internal pics by later tonight or tomorrow at the latest. =R=

Congrats, Dave! I can't wait to read about how it goes. What a thrilling prospect. =R=

I believe Michael posted somewhere upthread that doing so keeps the belly from curling while it smokes. =R=

Yeah, the offerings at the fair -- and in this part of Indiana, for that matter -- are a bit one-dimensional. I'll also admit that I didn't actually eat all the items pictured above either. Luckily, many fair-going folks were quite happy to let us snap their purchases. Still, the items we did sample were very tasty. Luckily, we were just passin' thru. More on Shapiro's below. Still Doc, I'd hold off on the culinary sojourn to IN . . . for now. Hehe . . . I knew I could be a bad influence if I tried hard enough. I've been to Shapiro's Deli in Indianapolis many times and I really am a fan. In fact, I often jokingly describe it as the 'best deli in Chicago." I'm not sure why, but this trip to Shapiro's just didn't do it for me like my previous ones have. I started with the matzoh ball soup which was not as tasty as it has been on past trips to Shapiro's. The soup itself was pretty devoid of flavor and appeared much lighter in color than last time. Still, the matzoh ball was really nice and had just the right density for me . . . not too light, not too heavy. Cup of matzoh ball soup with noodles. Soup aside, the biggest issue I had on this trip to Shapiro's was the latke which was a major disappointment. Previous latkes at Shapiro's have been, in my opinion, the best I've ever had at a restaurant; savory, crispy and dense. This was not the case this time around. In fact, the latkes had changed so much, it was alarming . . . Upon first inspection this latke looks pretty good but it is a bit 'puffier' than I remember. The interior is not very latke-like, in my opinion. It's cake-like, not dense. It looks like maybe even flour has been used. Previous latkes I've enjoyed at Shapiro's were made from a batter that seemed much more potato-meal-like than this. Most disturbingly, the latkes almost had a sweet flavor and lacked the garlic and onion notes that made previous ones so delectable. A big disappointment. Luckily, the sandwich I ordered came through in typical Shapiro's style . . . Pastrami and Corned Beef combo on rye bread. As we were leaving, a customer told me that Shapiro's may be coming down -- in favor of condos -- and relocating. I didn't get the whole story but apparently, the space it currently occupies is being sought for residential development at a very attractive price. Again, I'm not sure how accurate this information was but it seemed like the guy knew what he was talking about. As I was snapping away, he ominously told me "take those pictures while you can . . ." Next stop . . . Jungle Jim's International Market in Cincinnati, OH. =R=

Yeah, they stirred up a few memories for me as well. Formica and vinyl remind me of my childhood. But no Christy Brinkley in this version Perspective is everything. For my wife and son, the annual Madison County 4-H Fair is about family and friends gathering together, renewing old acquaintances, catching up on another year-gone-by and the thrill of strapping oneself into rickety, road-worn carnival rides operated by folks who looked like they escaped from a Dickens novel. For me it was solely an eating opportunity. I started out under a covered tent for a well-organized steam table-type "church" lunch . . . Plate of Chicken and Noodles with mashed potatoes and green beans. Unfortunately, this wasn't even as good as it looked. These tomatoes were probably the best part of the church lunch but still, it isn't quite time for tomatoes and these weren't great. I'm sorry I don't have a picture of the Taco in a Bag being offered here but once I learned it was basically a ladle full of canned chili dumped into a bag of Fritos, I decided to skip it. Sausage sounds good . . . . . . but when I look inside, I'm not crazy about what I see. Moving on, with my appetite growing, I spot a promising trailer. These BBQ pork skewers were terrific. The teriyaki marinade was delicious and the pork was tender and juicy. Nice caramelization, great flavor and texture. Sorry for the poor focus/ I don't know what it was before it was changed to Walleye, but this could be good . . . A delicious sandwich! What's not to like about freshly-deep-fried fish on a soft bun with generous slathering of Indiana tartar sauce? As you can see, the lettuce was a little on the brown side but otherwise, this was terrific. You can't go to a County fair and not have a corndog, right? Each of this purveyor's dogs were hand-skewered. . . . . . and hand-dipped. The batter was from a mix but also had some personal tweaks applied to it. This one booth said they went through about 40 pounds of batter per day. These dogs were 'gently' fried in vegetable oil. The finished product. Sweet, hot, crispy and corny on the outside and a very non-Chicago kind of dog on the inside. A squirt of yellow mustard helped make this just-about-perfect Fair food. Speaking of corn, what do I see here? Yummmy . . . After being grilled, in-husk, on a gas grill, shucked and removed of silk, the ears go through the all-imporant butter immersion phase. Totally delicious, although corn here will be much better in a few weeks. Aside from sweet corn, the best culinary offering from Central Indiana (which may have, in fact, actually originated in Iowa) is the Breaded Pork Tenderloin sandwich . . . Do not adjust your monitors! The tenderloin patty on this sandwich is supposed to greatly exceed the size of the bun. This patty on this sandwich is actually on the small side, relatively speaking This is one of the better renditions I've ever had. It was a bit thicker than most and the meat was moist and easily identifiable as pork. This might be blasphemy, but I actually enjoyed the smaller-diametered patty. Sometimes the patties can be as much as 9" and that's just too much overhang for me. After all that savory stuff, even a non-dessert-lover like myself is going to need a few sweets to balance things out . . . I spot a line at this booth and take it as a positive sign. Elephant ear, partially-eaten. The quintessential County fair confection: Funnel Cake. Those were both tasty, but I think I might need something else . . . Hmm . . . what's this Apple Dumpling you speak of? Even with the ice cream being softserve, still a tasty treat. Money shot. All in all a relatively deep-fried experience but a tasty one. My faves were the tenderloin sandwich and the pork skewers. For its food, the fair pretty much met my expectations. Next stop . . . . . . Shapiro's Deli, Indianapolis, IN =R=

I just safely returned from our first ever Suburban-family road trip. We loaded up the family truckster and made a decent-sized loop around the midwest. Our first stop was my wife's hometown, Alexandria, Indiana. Once there, we headed over to the premiere local eatery in town The Alexandria Bakery, which, after sitting idle for the past couple of years, was recently purchased, remodelled and re-opened by one of my wife's high school friends, Barney. A quaint setting to be sure. Newly-refurbished dining room. Grilled cheese on white with bacon. The Bakery's signature item: Caramel Rolls . . . they're basically cinnamon rolls with caramel-flavored icing. Yum!! Alexandria is just a few miles from Orrestes, IN, which is home to Red Gold, so you won't find much Heinz product 'round these parts. The Red Gold ketchup stacked up fairly well. Next stop . . . the Madison County 4-H Fair. =R=