The Cheese Wheel Vintage Market is a paradise for foodies of any palate, offering a diverse range of over 200 cheeses and 25 gourmet charcuterie options. Popular cheeses include Testun Foglie di Castagno, an Italian cheese wrapped in chestnut leaves with sharp, sweet, nutty flavors, and Carpenedo Blu, “a stunningly beautiful sweet and tangy blue cheese that’s soaked in wine and topped with cranberries,” says The Cheese Wheel’s Emily Brayton. “I would say it’s our most decadent and luscious cheese.”
“Around the holidays we also sell a lot of high-quality balsamic vinegars and olive oils, things that are a little on the expensive side that people might not buy for themselves but are happy to purchase as gifts,” says Brayton. Another
customer favorite, Jamon Iberico de Bellota is a Spanish ham made from Iberico pigs who roam freely feeding on acorns on a million-acre oak forest in Spain. The store carries products from local producers, too, including the Ocean State Pepper Company, Newport Sea Salt, Navad Bakers, and high-quality candies from Jaffal Chocolates. Tiverton, TheCheeseWheelRI.com
Move over Sriracha, Yagi Noodles’s own Chili Crisp has fast become a local favorite. Made with chilies, gochugaru (Korean chili powder), sesame, ginger, garlic, shallot, shiitake mushrooms, and a unique combo of herbs and spices, the spicy condiment made in-house at the ramen shop proved to be so popular they decided to offer it as a packaged good. It’s now available by the jar at statewide locations, including Simple Merchant in Newport. “It’s rich, flavorful, crunchy, sesame-forward, and has the perfect kick that elevates just about anything else you can think of,” says Yagi’s co-owner Kodi Keith. “I’ve been drizzling it on everything!”
Yagi Noodles is especially busy around the holidays. “You can look forward to our Feast of the Fishes menu around Christmas and our Chinese New Year menu in February,” says Keith. Be sure to take a peek into the noodle room when visiting, where diners can view chef Basil Yu making fresh ramen noodles made from locally milled wheat daily. Newport, YagiNoodles.com
The Bakeshop, a popular Water Street eatery and sister property to Bywater restaurant, serves hearty sourdough bread, European-style pastries, artisanal roasted coffees, espresso, mocktails, and iced teas. The bakery recently expanded to the second floor of the historic Carriage Shop, where it sells curated housewares, books, and grocery goods perfect for the home chefs in your life. “We love to keep the shelves stocked with items we use in our own homes and kitchens that complement or enhance our baked goods,” says owner Katie Dickson. “We use all locally grown and milled grain, and our baker Alicia loves the book Mother Grains, a great jumping-off point for experimenting with different flours. It’s a treasure for the home baker.”
Dickson believes good cutlery is an important component of the bread-making experience. “No gift of sourdough bread would be complete without a good inexpensive bread knife,” she says. “You want a great hard crispy crust on your loaves, and you don’t want to take a finger off or wind up with a ragged mess.” Warren, BakeshopWarren.Square.Site
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