New England Traditions Collide in Somerville Pizza Joint

“Hi there. My name’s John and I’ll be your server tonight.” John is in his late twenties, tall and lean with long hair pulled back into a loose knot at the back of his head, and a scraggly beard just a few centimeters longer that simple scruff. This description could be used for about three quarters of the guys around me. A few are standing next to two massive clay wood-fire ovens with bandanas keeping their long locks out of the stretched dough in their hands. “Think good thoughts, ” “drink local beer” and other sayings are written on the walls in a precise but free style. The Beatles’  Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da comes on over the sound system and John Lennon’s cooing harmonizes with the whoop and hollers coming across the room from the eight lanes of candlepin bowling. This is the Flatbread Company.

Raucous twenty- and thirty-year olds stand around munching pizza and slurping micro-brew beers next to parties of seated retirees with their grandchildren as the smells of burned dough and garden herbs wafts over them. The Flatbread Company began in 1998 with one location in Amesbury, Massachusetts. This company began with the goal to bring organic locally sourced food to its customers, and it relied heavily on the growth of local farms and producers to sustain its own expansion.

Between 1998 and 2016, the Flatbread Company has opened nine more locations in New England, including one at 45 Day Street Somerville, Massachusetts. Located in the building that from 1939 to 2010 was home to Sacco’s Bowl Haven bowling alley—a Boston institution to the hardcore candlepin bowlers—the Flatbread Company made sure to renovate around the candlepin lanes in order to preserve part of Boston’s history and a New England pastime.

Nothing quite yells old-time Yankee spirit like candlepin bowling. Red Sox in the summer, pond hockey in sub degree temperatures in winter, and candlepin bowling all year round. It’s a New England staple that is as much New England as Vermont Maple Syrup or clam chowder. The sport was invented in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1880. Since then New Englanders have been chucking grapefruit sized balls at small skinny sticks sixty feet away. Though at one point the Somerville Historical Preservation Commission says that you could take your pick from four different bowling alleys around Davis Square, Sacco’s was the lone survivor. 

Bowl Haven was a smoky pool hall with ten bowling alleys that had been in the Sacco family for four generations until 2010. At one time there were nineteen Sacco bowling alleys in the Boston area alone, but over time this number dwindled down to just the Davis Square location. This was a place where a shoe rental cost $1.50, and a lane was $3.00 ($2.75 on weekday mornings and afternoons). No food or alcohol was sold because this was bowling for Spartans with a thirst for hitting things with balls.

Sacco's Bowl Haven motto said it all, “we've got small balls, but we're big on fun.”

Nowadays there is a slightly different motto inscribed on the wall. The Flatbread company’s motto “renew their spirit” holds no reference to bowling, but to their organic and locally sourced pizzas and salads, Managing Partner Evan Fetras explains. Free-range chicken, nitrate-free meats and organic vegetables top the wood-fired pizzas offered in organic wheat or gluten-free crusts. New Hampshire’s Peace of Mind Baking Company supplies the gluten-free, vegan crusts, made with *Brown Rice Flour, *Garbanzo Bean Flour, Arrowroot Powder, *Tapioca Flour, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, *Flax seed Meal, *Pure Cane Sugar, *Xanthum Gum, *Active Yeast, * Sea Salt, *Cider Vinegar (*Indicates Organic).

But the spartan bowling continues in this hip establishment that still has eight bowling lanes, where score is kept by hand with pencil and scorecard. The ninth and tenth lanes are no more, but instead there is a full bar where New England distilled spirits are concocted into a variety of seasonal cocktails.

“If I may, I would say that a large is good for two hungry adults,” John said in response to my friend, Nathaniel, and I deciding to split one twelve inch gluten-free pizza. John was quite astute. Both Nathaniel and I were adults and we were quite hungry. John, obviously worried that Nathaniel and I would start eyeing each others less vital limbs in fits of hunger, convinced us to get another small pizza: the Punctuated Equilibrium. What is another $12.25 to “two hungry adults.”

As John moved off I shouted, “Oh hey, how long until a lane opens up?” John looked back with a smile and said, “Oh you can count on waiting another hour.”

I looked at my watch. It was already 9:30 PM on this Sunday and the Flatbread Company closed by 10:30 PM. Oh well, at least the pizza was tasty, but I still want to hurl some balls.

The Flatbread Company Sacco’s Bowl Haven, open Monday through Saturday, 9:00 AM. to12:00 AM, and Sunday, 9 AM to 10:30 PM, is at 45 Day St., Somerville, Massachusetts. Lane rental is $25 an hour; shoe rental is $2. Pizzas range $9.75-$19.75 with gluten-free crust available for an additional $4.50. By public transportation, take an outbound MBTA Red Line train toward Alewife, and get off at Davis Square. Sacco’s accepts lane reservations for groups of eight or more; smaller groups are accommodated on a first-come, first served basis in designated walk-in-only lanes. Make reservations at 617-776-0552.

by Kit Norton

For Real Food Safety, Support Local Food and Local Oversight

For those who care about local foods and small farms, please submit comments to the FDA by November 15th on the new Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Signed into law by President Obama in January of 2011, the FDA has taken more than two years to move FSMA through its rule-making procedure—a process still ongoing. The FDA hails FSMA as the most “sweeping reform of food safety laws in over 70 years.” An undeniably important objective given the attention-grabbing headlines announcing outbreaks of foodborne illness from hamburgers, chicken, fruits and vegetables, FSMA unfortunately undermines some of the safest producers of food in the nation—our local farmers.

The "sweeping" law risks sweeping the little guy right out of business. Designed to cover the disparate extremes of industrial farming and neighborhood farm stands, FSMA's one size fits all is a disaster in the making. The voluminous 548 page law is confusing. On the surface it appears that farms grossing less than $500,000 would be exempt from the law, but on closer examination, many farms would indeed have to comply with the expensive and cumbersome rules. How many? Neither the state agriculture department nor the FDA can answer that definitively, but based on USDA numbers and income criteria likely hundreds of Vermont farms will be affected.

At an FDA "listening session" held last month, farmers from Vermont and New Hampshire gave FDA representatives an almost universally unfavorable earful. Themes repeated throughout the morning were: the proposed law was overly cumbersome to struggling small farms; the majority of food borne illness outbreaks come from imported foods and large scale industrial food companies, not small, diversified farms in New England; criteria for the new law is not supposed to be in conflict with organic standards, but it is; and FSMA seems to duplicate laws that many farms already comply with like the USDA’s Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)program. Across the board, farmers felt the proposed law would put onerous requirements on them, consume their already tiny profit margins, hamper growth, and force many of them out of business. 

Over the course of the session, many farmers expressed their frustration at the inconsistencies and double standards in federal food safety policy. The FDA admits it is able to inspect only about 2% of imported food even though imported food has repeatedly been implicated in food borne illness outbreaks. While the government plans to impose increasingly cumbersome regulations on small produce farms, they are simultaneously relaxing and changing laws that will deleteriously affect food safety. Recently the USDA announced that it will allow U.S. grown chicken to be processed in China for resale in the United States, without any USDA inspectors on site. The processed chicken, used in canned soups, chicken nuggets and other products, will be sold

without any label informing the consumer it was processed in China.

Earlier in 2013, in an effort to save money for the government and the poultry industry, the USDAannounced plans to cut back the inspectors at slaughterhouse kill-lines by 75%, leaving only one inspector where there used to be four, while increasing the numbers of chickens killed to 175 per minute. USDA Secretary Vilsack believes that this will reduce thousands of foodborne illnesses, even though the Environmental Working Group’s report, Superbugs Invade American Supermarkets, exposes that antibiotic resistant bacteria is found in 81% of ground turkey; 69% of pork chops; 55% of ground beef; and 39% of chicken breasts, wings and thighs. No worries. Under thenew USDA rules, chicken carcasses will be doused in chlorinated water and “other antimicrobial substances” to deal with lingering fecal matter and other contaminants. 

The numbers of food borne illnesses used to justify FSMA are high. While quoted in the press as hard numbers they are, in fact, only estimates. These numbers were announced by the CDC a month before Obama signed FSMA into law and are almost 2000 times the rate of illness and 150 times the rate of death that were documented between 1998 and 2008. In Vermont, cases of food borne illnesses are low—about 250 statewide in 2012—although relative to population they hover around what the Vermont Department of Health cites as the national averages for reported cases in 2011 of 14.3 to 16.5 per 100,000. Over the past almost twenty years, the number of cases in Vermont have stayed relatively consistent. The Department’s most recent report on foodborne illness, dated May 2013, explains that Vermont’s cases are mostly “sporadic”—i.e. they are not connected.

While the Vermont Department of Health (DOH) agrees with the CDC that underreporting is a problem, State epidemiologist and foodborne illness expert, Erica Berl is quick to say that the DOH does not want every single person who is experiencing diarrhea or vomiting to report to the state. Berl says there are many reasons for these common symptoms of foodborne illness but, “most cases of GI illnesses are from viruses passed from human to human.”

When asked if she thought foodborne illness in Vermont could be traced to small local farms she replied, “Causation is very difficult to prove and often near impossible with the small numbers in Vermont. It is impossible to state that food borne illness does or does not ever come from small farms. What we know, capital K, is that there are certain high-risk foods linked to certain pathogens.” 

In short, there is no way to prove that any small farms in Vermont have caused any foodborne illness in the state. But, there is also no way to prove they haven’t.

While the state may not be able to say unequivocally that small farms are not the cause of foodborne illness, the farmers made it very clear at the FDA session that they do not believe they are to blame for outbreaks in the state. Repeatedly farmers said, “My family and I eat the food we are growing and selling. We would be the first to get sick if there were a problem.” Others commented that since they know their customers, they would be aware if someone got sick.

Some farmers expressed their fear that as small farms are forced out of business that foodborne illness will increase not decrease. The question begs, does trying to reduce the 200 some odd annual cases of foodborne illness which can not be definitively linked to Vermont’s small farms justify the enormous health and economic impact of FSMA throughout the state? If society’s goal is to keep reducing or trying to reduce the percentages of people who are sick then maybe the small farms of Vermont should be viewed as part of the healthy solution and goal, not as the culprits. It raises the need for an examination of health and what is considered relevant to food safety. Acute illness is dramatic and headline grabbing, but debilitating chronic illness is often far more damaging in the long run. Is diabetes a food safety issue? Are allergies a food safety issue? Chronic digestive diseases?

There is a reason Vermont has, per capita, the most farmer’s markets, certified organic farms, certified organic farm land, CSAs, local dollars spent on local foods, artisan cheese-makers, micro-breweries, and maple producers in the entire country. We love our local food producers, we care about our health and we are proud of Vermont’s agricultural heritage. 

Champion real food safety and security. Let FSMA fulfill its mandate by regulating those producing contaminated food, not those providing healthy food. Let the FDA know that you support Vermont local farms and local oversight. Tell the FDA that farms grossing less than $1 million should be regulated locally, by the Vermont Department of Agriculture, not the federal government. Keep Vermont’s farmers in business and keep our food healthy. Send your comments to the FDA by November 15th 2013.

Surprising—Gluten-Free in Wells/Ogunquit Maine

For reasons defying explanation, the Wells/Ogunquit area of Maine with its long, wide flat beaches, is onto the gluten-free scene. A number of eateries offer gluten-free options including, thankfully, our favorite lobster-roll haunt, Jake’s Seafood on the corner of Route 1 and Bourne Road—the road to Moody Beach. At Jake’s you can get a lobster roll with or without mayonnaise—my preference with butter or even naked on a wheat or gluten-free bun. This transformed our trip as two out of three of us need to eat gluten-free, so we could all happily enjoy our generously portioned lobster rolls.

Wild Blueberry conjures waffles and pancakes, but The Wild Blueberry Restaurant in Ogunquit is a fine dining establishment with a casual air serving fresh, local fish and other foods. The local Lemon Sole was delicious as was the Maine-caught Haddock, but the Lobster and Avocado starter was sublime.

Roost Cafe and Bistro offers a wide range of gluten-free dishes including local fish and chips made with non-gluten-breading.

Happy gluten-free eating on the southern Maine coast!

Health Food Stores on the Cape

For those wanting to do their own food prep and needing supplies beyond the farmer's markets now held regularly around the Cape, there are a few health food stores dotted from upper to lower Cape.

Orleans Whole Food Store—no relation to the Whole Foods chain—has been around for almost forty years. Packed tight with products leaving narrow one-lane aisles. the store has most of what you need with the exception that its produce selection is slim and not particularly local (this is one of the stores where the Mexican blueberries were sold).

Conveniently located next door to Orleans Whole Food, Main Street Wine and Gourmet is an airy light store offering a large selection of wines including a varied and unusual organic selection, as well as gourmet foods from around the world. 42 Main Street, Orleans, 508-255-1112

In Provincetown, 141 Bradford Naturals has two locations. It offers not only natural and organic groceries, but also vegetarian and vegan take-out dishes, a range of wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free foods. JJ Gonson, chef and owner of Cuisine Locale in Cambridge says of 141 Bradford's guacamole, “Dude, I don't care HOW good your guac is. This is better.”

All the stores are open seven days a week—check the Web sites for seasonal hours.

Local and Natural Restaurants on the Cape

Looking for groovy eats on the Cape? Like farmstands and health food stores, there are great places to eat sprinkled throughout Cape Cod.

The Juice in Wellfleet offers up sandwiches, salads, pizzas, real-fruit smoothies and fresh juices. The bestselling piña-colada-like Maui Wowie was the favorite in my group, but we sampled all the options and gave thumbs-up to all of them. The Juice is in downtown Wellfleet, 6 Commercial Street, Wellfleet, MA 508-349-0535. From May to September it is open daily for eating in or take-out lunch 11:30 am to 3:00 pm; Dinner 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm.

Other local food restaurants featuring, local, organic and natural menus include Local 186, Harvest Gallery Wine Bar, Pizza Barbone, and FarmMaid Foods Cafe. You can find out about others through the beautiful print and online magazine Edible Cape Cod. Other sources of good eats: www.BuyFreshBuyLocalCapeCod.org for lists of  restaurants offering and supporting locally grown food.

Most restaurants worth eating at serve locally caught fish and of course oysters and clams! Always ask where the fish is from—you will be surprised by some of the places it comes from like Iceland and South America.

Bon appetit!

Blueberry Hunting on Cape Cod

While Vacationing on the Cape I was on the hunt for local blueberries since at home in Vermont it was blueberry season. I purposefully had not brought any with me assuming they would be plentiful on the Cape. I was mistaken—what was readily available were organic berries from Mexico (!) or conventionally grown from New Jersey.

I was almost brought to fist-a-cuffs over my muttering at a produce stand about conventional agriculture in New Jersey. A woman who could have been an extra on the Sopranos said, “Are you saying something against New Jersey?” in response to my private frustrated grumblings to my friend. “You better not be saying anything about New Jersey while I’m here.” Wow. I held my New Yorker tongue like a good Vermonter.

After a failed farmer’s market and no luck at the local stores I got a tip that the Wellfleet Farmer’s Market, held from 8 am to 12 noon on Wednesdays, is where I would find my berries. I was properly advised to arrive no later than 8 on said morning because the berries sell out within the first thirty minutes. Really? I smell a business opportunity in berries. Not wanting to take any chances I arrived about ten minutes before the opening bell to find a small line waiting for the berry booth. Redberry Farm did not disappoint. A solar powered, sustainable farm on five acres in Eastham, Redberry sells at the Orleans and Wellfleet Farmer's Markets. I bought a few containers to tide me over for the week and felt sorry for the folks not in-the-know who would show up midway trough the market only to find no berries.The Wellfleet Farmer’s Market, held behind Preservation Hall at 335 Main Street, also has beautiful vegetables, cheeses, wine, crafts and more.

Enjoy Raw, Fresh, Organic on the Coast of Connecticut

If you find yourself east of New Haven—on the coast of Connecticut for vacation or driving past on I-95 in need of a healthy break—look for the delightful Foodworks Natural Foods Markets.

The store in Guilford, conveniently off of I-95 exit 59 on Route 1 aka Boston Post Road, has a full selection of frozen, fresh, and packaged foods as well as health and beauty products. Its gem, hidden in the back of the store, is the juice bar and deli. From 9:30 to 3 Monday to Friday you can get fresh made juices (my favorite is the Green Lemonade with lemons, kale, celery, ginger and apple), smoothies (options include fruit-only and vegan), wraps, sandwiches, salads and daily muffins in wheat and gluten-free varieties. I usually avoid gluten-free muffins since I can't eat eggs, but Foodworks makes their gluten-free muffins vegan-friendly with no eggs! The wraps and sandwiches, available pre-made in a cooler or made-to-order, are on gluten bread, but a variety of salads and sandwich stuffings are available for gluten-free shoppers like chickpea or quinoa salads.

The Foodworks in Old Saybrook is on Main Street near the corner of Route 1, a few blocks from the train station. No juice bar here, but a store chock-a-block with good food. Raw foodies take note that the Old Saybrook store sells Organic Nectars raw nut ice creams for those hankering for an indulgence.

Both stores sell not just one, but two brands of raw milk—thankfully legal in the state of Connecticut—both delicious, according to the dairy-drinkers in my family. Deliveries are Wednesdays and Fridays. For pet owners—both stores carry a good assortment of extremely healthy animal foods and snacks for your beloved critters.

While the Guilford juice bar and deli are only open until 3 (deli until 2 pm, juice and smoothies until 3) on weekdays, both stores are open seven days a week.

Foodworks Guilford, 450 Boston Post Road, Guilford, CT 06437, 203-458-9778
Open: Monday to Friday from 9:30 am to 7 pm, Saturday 10 am to 7 pm, Sunday 11 am to 6 pm
Foodworks Old Saybrook, 17 Main Street, Old Saybrook, CT 06475, 860-395-0770
Open: Monday to Saturday 9:30 am to 6 pm, Sunday 10 am to 5 pm
Web: food-works.org

Pigs Prohibited? Sample Vermont Eats

Here is a sample listing from Vermont Eats—this is a sneak preview of a new listing that will be in the next update

Prohibition Pig is known for its large selection of beers (about 24 on tap and over 100 bottles including local and international varieties and three gluten-free) and pub-style fare. You can check out the daily listing of draft beers here. Fans missing the Hurricane Irene-damaged Alchemist Pub will be heartened to learn that the Alchemist's brews are served and most of its staff now work at the Pig.

The Pig loves sweet potatoes—you will find sweet potato fries, sweet potato muffins,  sweet potato bread pudding, sweet potato buns and sweet potato bbq sauce in addition to plenty of non-sweet potato choices from vegie, tempeh and meat burgers to salads, sandwiches, plates and desserts.

Locally made kim chi, root beer, cheeses, and tempeh as well as Vermont-grown fruit and vegetables are used to create the menu options. In addition to its local beers, The Pig's alcohol offerings include Vermont-made Barr Hill Gin, Whistle Pig Rye, and Dunc's Mill Rums.

Located on Waterbury's Main Street right where The Alchemist used to be: 23 South Main Street, Waterbury, VT 05676, 802-244-4120

Open 7 days a week. Monday to Thursday the bar is open 4 pm to 12 midnight & dining until 10 pm; Friday & Saturday the bar is open 3 pm to 1 am, dining from 4 pm to 11pm; Sunday the bar is open 3 pm to 12 midnight, dining 4 pm to 9 pm
$ Starters $4-10; Salads & Sandwiches $7-9; Plates $14-19

Vermont Eats...Again

I am thrilled to announce the launch of the Vermont Eats app.... again. Due to some technical difficulties the app got off to a rough start last fall, but it is now available as an individual app on both the iTunes® store and the Android Market.

Vermont Eats is a tour de force of the great, green, groovy food scene in Vermont.

Vermont Eats has over 1500 photos and 470 entries, all searchable by price, region and type of business including farmer's markets, artisan cheeses, farm-to-table restaurants, micro-breweries, pizzas, gluten-free foods, vegetarian options, organic farms, health food stores and about thirty more categories

—all easy-to-find with built-in Google maps.

Vermont Eats is a must-have for both residents and travelers—you won't want to leave home without this App! Eat well and enjoy!

Android Vermont Eats App is Here

Android users rejoice! The Vermont Eats app is now available in Android format—and as an individual app (yay!) not within "Sutro World" like on the iTunes store.

So it is easy to get your copy of Vermont Eats and start enjoying the over 400 sources of great local food and places to eat.

Apple® device users—an updated Vermont Eats will be available soon—stay tuned.

Foodie Heaven In Vermont

LIVE today on iTunes, the free Sutro World App contains Vermont Eats.

Vermont Eats: The Essential Green Travel Guide App is a tour de force of the great, green, groovy food scene in Vermont.

Vermont Eats is a localvores delight, with over 400 entries, 1500 photos, all searchable by price, region and type of business including farmer's markets, artisan cheeses, farm- to-table restaurants, micro-breweries, pizzas, gluten-free foods, vegetarian options, organic farms, health food stores and thirty more categories—all easy-to-find with built-in Google maps and regular updates.

Vermont leads the country with the highest number of farmer's markets, artisan cheesemakers and breweries per capita. It also has the most certified organic farms, maple trees and more local dollars are spent on local food in Vermont than anywhere else in the country.

Whether a visitor to the state or a resident, Vermont Eats will change the way you travel in the Green Mountains—you can eat your way through the state supporting local foods and farms leaving a small footprint as you go. Vermont Eats lets you locate hard-to-find farmer's markets; search for vegetarian, gluten-free, raw and vegan eateries; discover sources for locally grown meats and eggs; pick-your-own organic berries; drink fair-trade coffees and eat fresh-baked breads.

Vermont Eats—a must-have for both residents and travelers—your mobile device won't want to leave home without it!

To purchase go to the FREE Sutro World app on iTunes®. Download it and within the App find Vermont Eats listed alphabetically under North America, click on it, buy it, ENJOY it!

$2.99—Available immediately on iTunes®—available on Android soon

Tour de France Vermont-Style

The Tour de Farms is an annual fund-raising event for three non-profits—ACORN, Rural Vermont and the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition—all working in their own ways to make Vermont more sustainable and healthy.

Held this year on Sunday September 18th, the bicycle event begins and ends in Shoreham on the western side of Vermont. There are three route choices varying in length—10, 24 and 30 miles long. All routes go by various family farms which will be offering food tastings from seventeen Vermont producers and NOFA-VT will be cooking pizzas on the Orwell Green.

Sample the Tour here.

The Tour ends on the Shoreham Green for AppleFest, a harvest festival with food, music and crafts.

The Tour costs $25 for advance registration, $50 on the day.

The Tour is sponsored by American Flatbread, Earl's Cyclery & Fitness, Wolaver's Organic Beer and Vermont Fresh Network.


Excerpted from the upcoming App Vermont Eats: The Essential Green Travel Guide—available soon on iTunes.



Photo courtesy http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=938&picture=bicycle-marathon, Bicycle Marathon by Vojko Kalan

A Table of Slow, Local Food in Cambridge

Green travelers (or residents) visiting the Boston-Cambridge area looking for excellent food can indulge at Henrietta's Table. Chef Peter Davis has been on to the virtues of local, seasonal ingredients and slow-food for over fifteen years, well before the current trend.

Situated in The Charles Hotel, in the southwestern part of the Harvard Square area,  adjacent to the John F. Kennedy Park, Henrietta's has indoor tables and seasonal outdoor seating. Its full bar serves organic and specialty liquors, with house-special cocktails made without mixes, but rather with real ingredients. The strawberry-basil Mojito has chunks of fresh strawberries and chopped basil complementing the traditional mint and lime juice.

Henrietta's serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and is busy at all three meals, so it is advised to make reservations. Henrietta's is especially known as the go-to place for business breakfast meetings, so be forewarned that breakfast can be the hardest time to find a seat.

The menus include vegetarian as well as meat and seafood dishes using local and organic vegetables, organic beef from Maine, New England seafood and antibiotic-free chicken. Entrees start at $13.00 for lunch and $15 for dinner. It is very easy to eat gluten-free at Henrietta's as long as you pass on the basket of delicious breads. The staff is friendly and helpful and the tables are full of happy eaters—enjoy.

Henrietta's Table, One Bennett St, Cambridge, MA 02138; Tel: 617-661 5005; open for breakfast Monday to Friday from 6:30 am to 11:00 am, Saturday 7:00 am to 11:00 and Sunday 7:00 am to 10:30 am; for lunch Monday to Friday from 12 noon to 3:00 pm, on Saturday and Sunday brunch is served from 12 noon to 3 pm; for dinner Sunday to Saturday from 5:30 pm to 10:00 pm.

Raw Food in Unlikely Places

Cigars and raw foods do not seem a likely combination, but un•dun' breaks the mold. Tucked back in the corner of a small shopping plaza in downtown West Lebanon, NH, un•dun' advertises low prices on cigarettes and cigars, while selling some of the healthiest products available—organic and "live", or raw, oils, beverages, snacks, and superfoods.

un•dun's  healthy food department has recently outgrown its original jam-packed location, and has now expanded into the adjacent storefront offering a much wider variety of foods and supplements. Here you will find made-in-Vermont, fresh kombucha tea on tap, refrigerated sprouted flours, beverages and special "live" treats. "Live" or raw food products as well as high-quality nutritional supplements cover the rest of the store, which also offers an oxygen bar.

The new store, called undoo', is open the same hours as un•dun'. Raw foodies will be thrilled at undoo's selection, which differs almost completely from the other stores in the Upper Valley selling health foods and supplements, making its specialty that of organic, raw/live foods. undoo' also sells gift items—jewelry and body-care products.

For aspiring beer masters and wine makers, undun' has added home-brewing equipment and supplies to their offerings.

For more information about raw, or "live" foods see Traveling Naturally's Traveling Raw post

un-doo', Seminary Hill Plaza, 1 Main St, West Lebanon, NH 03784; Tel: 603-790-8129; open Monday to Wednesday and Saturday 10am to 6pm; Thursday to Friday from 10am to 7pm; Facebook pages:  undunnh and Un Doo

Organic Chai for the Caffeine Sensitive.....in Vermont

Always on the search for divine, but caffeine-free beverages (as opposed to decaffeinated which usually have a tiny amount of caffeine—enough, sadly, to set me off), I have happily found my replacement for chai tea, a particular favorite of mine.

As I have been working on my new Green Travel App for Vermont foods and eateries I have found some wonderful products, including much to my delight, Chai Wallah. Tucked away in southern Vermont, Neil Harley uses his experiences as a chef and world traveler to create authentic chai teas and spices. Chai Wallah is certified as an organic processor, since they use only certified organic and fair-trade spices and teas grown by indigenous farmers around the world. Without Neil and his expert blending, my chai would not be the same.

The recipe is simple—brew up a pot of Rooibos tea (pronounced roy-bus), a South African legume tea. My favorite brands are Equal Exchange and Chai-Wallah, both organic and fair-trade.

To the Rooibos tea add 1 teaspoon of Chai-Wallah's Chai Spice-Only (sans organic teas).

I let it steep and then,  hmmm…. enjoy with no ill-effects. Thank you Neil for making a tremendous chai-spice blend for those of us who need to (regrettably) abstain from caffeine. For a milky version add your favorite organic milk (cow, goat, soy, rice or other).*

If you are on the road and want to enjoy some of Chai-Wallah's offerings you can find their products at the Brattleboro Food Co-op in Brattleboro, Vermont, where they sell the dry mixes in the bulk department and serve freshly made Chai-Wallah at the deli, available with soy or cow's milk.


*The soy milk I recommend is Vermont Soy Plain soy milk which is prepared from Vermont-grown, organic and GMO-free soy beans. The Unsweetened "flavor" has no sweeteners or flavors and has the highest protein content so also the highest isoflavone content—phytonutrients which some women find helpful with their menopausal symptoms.