First Day review of Fancy Food Show

[FoodMuse]

All right Everyone,

I'm here to report after my first day(also first time)at the Fancy Food Show in my new hometown, New York.

First off: this convention center is sensory overload for folks with a greedy belly. It’s like a food court of the Gods. Every inch of the Javits Center is filled with food, also lots of really hot European men, half cheering for France and half cheering for Italy. They had lots of plasma screens playing the World Cup Italy/France match. Every now and then you’d hear a deafening roar of the crowd.

Yes, Tracey :> I heard your recommendations of pacing and all that, but when you (and by you, I mean I) are faced with lots and lots of samples of chocolates, olives, pickled everything, olive oil, chips, BBQ sauces, and hot sauces I was overwhelmed by the need to TASTE!!!!

I was quickly brought to my senses by tasting, within 15 minutes, a very good hot sauce, then a Walkers brand shortbread, then an overly sweet pasta sauce, then a few olives with great parmesan and then a chocolate. Bellies are not meant to be assaulted like this, and mine posed a minor rebellion reminding me once again who is in charge of my life.

Even with all the tasting I came home hungry and with sore feet, so I had a nice cocktail and threw a cheese soufflé in the oven.

I’ll let you know how today goes. Oh, and did you know there is a company producing ice cube trays filled with some fancy spring water, then sealed with a plastic wrap? Cool looking, but odd......until I think that only a few years ago it seemed ridiculous to buy water.

Grace

[moosnsqrl]

I’ll let you know how today goes. Oh, and did you know there is a company producing ice cube trays filled with some fancy spring water, then sealed with a plastic wrap?  Cool looking, but odd......until I think that only a few years ago it seemed ridiculous to buy water.

Grace

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Or to pay an outrageous premium to Oscar Mayer for tiny portions of their bologna paired with dull cheese and a few crackers.

Until I became adult enough to have a freezer with an ice maker, I seemed to be the only roommate/housemate I ever had (and there were many) who knew how to work ice cube trays, so I can see a huge market for those, especially in college towns. This would surely make Mama Fresser happy as well.

[chickenlady]

Boo-hoo! This is the first show I've missed in several years.

One thing I learned about pacing: don't eat the bread/crackers. We always just ate the actual sample (jam/spread/cheese/etc.) off and threw away the base. Once we learned that, we were a lot happier. But I know what you mean about going home hungry. There's something vaguely unsatisfying about nibbling on bits of this and that with no rhyme or reason.

So what new and interesting products or trends are you seeing this year? Any "wows"? Every year we waded through aisle upon aisle to make a few really spectacular discoveries.

[rich]

......until I think that only a few years ago it seemed ridiculous to buy water.

Grace

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Isn't it still???????????

[Brad K.]

Just returned from a 5 hour marathon on the floor. Ho-hum is really the best I can say though. I've been the last few years and this was the least interesting. Lots of new bottled water, energy drinks and teas (isn't that all so 5 years ago??). I did not really see any new trends emerging or have anything new that blew me out of the water. Sure, it was still a great time and I managed to eat about 10,000 calories and have probably ingested more nitrates than I care to admit. The best place is the giant cheese booth around the 3000 isle (across from Italy). If you can manage to get the guy dispensing Italian cheese off his cell phone they have some fabulous cheese- very aged parmasean (24-36 months), a few kinds of robiola - excellent. I might have to go back tomorrow to do it again though...

[alacarte]

This was my first year at the FFS as well. My first impression is that there's a surprising amount of ordinary chocolate out there, and lots of surprisingly wonderful olives and cheeses.

Did anyone attend any of the educational seminars? I'm curious how the "reaching the 20-something demographic" seminar went, though I was unable to attend.

[BarbaraY]

If anyone were to taste the water in our county seat they would understand the reason for buying bottled water. It tastes vile.

Fortunately, I'm on a good well so I don't have to do that.

[rooftop1000]

So, what was the one best thing you popped in your mouth at the show?

I have to say it was Tom Douglas' Salmon

New product that Will make it?

Budweiser BBQ sauce

my feet hurt

tracey

Nicest saleperson?

Mayhaw Man

Edited July 10, 2006 by rooftop1000 (log)

[FoodMuse]

Hey Guys,

Another day walking the floor has drawn to a close.

I had one WOW! HOLY SH!% I can’t believe what is in my mouth moment and that came from a bite of Truffle Butter from Crane’s Creamery. If anyone is going tomorrow I recommend…..no I command you to go and try this stuff. It is so much better than any truffle oil, cream cheese or any other food made to transport the truffle flavor into the mouth I’ve ever had. They were dishing it up on crackers, but I can imagine stuffing a pounded chicken breast with this and being transported to heaven. Also the rep I talked to was very nice.

I am surprised I haven’t had more of these moments.

Other things I really liked:

D’artagnan Venison: moist, juicy, simply grilled, yummy yum yum

I had a black truffle oil that I liked, didn’t get the name though.

Ina Garten had a brownie mix that even though I admire her, I didn’t want to like since I heard it sells for $10 a box. I am here to report it was delicious; *really* dense, moist and super chocolaty with bits of chocolate floating around in there. I even did my own taste test leading up to it having bites of 4 or 5 other brownies none of which were very good. Truly awesome brownie, but still ten bucks for a box of brownie mix?

I really like the marketing action of Lesser Evil. Love the name and the packaging and they had nice kettle corn. As I left the convention center I was handed a cute citation of being involved in a Snackident attached to a little bag of the kettle corn.

I had a bite of corned duck breast from Bella Bella that was really good, very meaty and nicely corned

Tried a wine from Basque country that was great.

I had polenta corn chips from Solea that were really good and very much like Bugel Corn Chips and I mean that in a good salty crunchy kind of way.

Chocolate covered fortune cookies from Emily’s that look totally adorable packaged in a cute pink Chinese takeout container. I got a freebie container of them and will save them to serve as dessert at an Asian theme dinner party.

Things that surprised me:

Iron Chef has a line of products???! Based on the offerings I have just this gut feeling that the Iron Chefs themselves wouldn’t be using this stuff. Mr. Morimoto would you use the line of sauce in you restaurant? Kind of doubt it. They were also selling Crisps and soup mix…. Seemed like a strange assortment of products to me.

OK, I shouldn’t be surprised, but Rachel Ray is selling Olive Oil. It was good, nice flavor and light. Is there anything she doesn’t do?

Things I didn’t like:

I am surprised that there were soooo many dry, tasteless or fairly inedible crackers and chips.

Mint flavored water = Mouth wash I had to swallow the first mouthful since doing a spit take at the rep seemed really rude, but that is just so wrong.

Oh yeah, the Italian cheese booth and I have become very good friends.

I totally concur with Alacart on the “ordinary chocolate” comment. I did have some very fine dark chocolate though. I didn’t attend any sessions either. Any one out there go to one?

Can’t say that I noticed any trends, aside from an inordinate amount of teas made to improve health, happiness, well being, your colon, your love life, your eyesight, your marriage, your relationship with you mother…..

Tom Douglas' Salmon: didn’t try it I’ll have to go have a taste tomorrow.

Budweiser BBQ sauce: I took one look at it and walked in the opposite direction. I’m a bit of a beer snob, but I’ll try it since it’s being reccomended.

Moosnsgrl: Freezer cubes marketed to college kids. Hee hee, so true. I was also the ONLY one among my roommates with the special knowledge of how to refill an ice cube tray.

That’s all for now,

Goodnight,

Grace

[chickenlady]

Thanks for the recap. When I was attending, I, too, found that most of the products were completely ho-hum--tasteless, tacky, or just boring. But, boy, that 1% or so was truly breathtaking. Searching for the treasures is the fun!

The first year I went it seemed like olives were the big thing. By the end, I didn't think I'd ever be able to eat another olive. Two years ago, lots of high-end chocolate. Last year, it seemed like everyone was doing teas. By the way, the stupidest promo I received was a really delicious, unusual tea. We probably would have ordered it for our store, but there wasn't a single identifying mark on the package!!!

Are they allowing people to take samples out this year? They've always posted that samples can't be removed, but it seems like they haven't been enforcing it. The first year I went everyone had to turn out their bags and pockets.

Last year, late on the final day we were placing an order with Haram-Christianson, I think. I was picking up items off the display to read labels, and one of the reps ran over, snatched a box from my hands and admonished, "These are not free samples, you know." After getting over my shock and explaining who I was, we laughed about it. It seems that people had been completely looting the booth all afternoon and they were supposed to be heading to another show immediately following.

[rooftop1000]

""Budweiser BBQ sauce: I took one look at it and walked in the opposite direction. I’m a bit of a beer snob, but I’ll try it since it’s being reccomended.""

I just think it will be a success...actually it tasted fine too

t

[Vadouvan]

Best thing I ate at the show was the chicken stew and guacamole personally handed to me and everyone else in line by none other than Rick Bayless.

Good stuff....

[murkcury]

How could I miss Rick Bayless?! Damn World Cup. France didn't even have the decency to win...