Spring was in the air this past Saturday, with snow and clouds finally giving way to sunshine and warm breezes, and we wanted to get out there and enjoy the weather. But, as usual, we were also hungry.
We decided to check out Main Street Market, that emporium of all things gourmet, located on, you guessed it, Main Street. For those of you who usually just drive past, Main Street Market offers a number of gourmet food and cookware stores all clustered around a common open space. In this gustatory mecca, you can find anything from hard-to-find French wines to the freshest seafood in town to the kitchen gadgets that even Martha Stewart would drool over.
After perusing the shops, we decided to sample the lunch offerings from each of the two cafes, Café Feast (inside Feast!, the gourmet food store) and Ciboulette, a French deli and bistro.
Considering that they work in a tiny nook of a kitchen, the Café Feast staff puts out an impressive variety of dishes: soups, salads, sandwiches and antipasto platters. Ann went for the salad of the day -- Australian ribeye steak with diced mango, carrots, onions, pumpkin seeds, and arugula with a lime-cilantro dressing, while James chose the French board -- a formidable spread of wild mushroom pâté, cornichons, apples, Dijon mustard and Tomme de Savoie cheese. Both were outstanding. The salad was light yet filling, with the bright flavors of the mango and lime perfectly complementing the earthy ribeye. We were also wowed by the antipasto: The pâté was flavorful and filling without being too heavy, and the Tomme, a creamy, slightly nutty cow's milk cheese, was the perfect companion to the sliced Granny Smith apples.
Our appetites whetted, we ventured over to Ciboulette. Their menu consisted of "plats du jour" -- ranging from a French hamburger to duck confit salad -- as well as French takes on classic sandwiches. Tempted by this Continental twist, we sampled the truffled chicken salad and the proscuitto and mozzarella sandwiches. The prosciutto sandwich was served on a generous portion of crusty baguette, layered with ample slices of the salty cured ham, milky fresh mozzarella, juicy tomatoes and a drizzle of olive oil. Each bite was a delight. The truffled chicken salad was the star, though: We have had few sandwiches as utterly delicious as this combination of juicy rotisserie chicken, buttery croissant, tart apple slices and the heavenly, earthy aroma of truffles. It made the slightly expensive $7.50 price seem like a steal.
The meal was only complemented by the atmosphere: Although Ciboulette had its own lovely bistro area, we chose to sit in the common market area, surrounded by fellow food lovers. This airy, convivial space was the perfect fit with the casually delicious food.
Considering that we essentially dined on sandwiches, the prices at the Main Street Market establishments are on the high side, ranging from $6 to $10.50 at Ciboulette and $5 to $7 at Café Feast. Our salad was $7.50, and the antipasto board (a generous portion for one person) was $12. Yet, when you take into account the friendly service and outstanding quality of ingredients and presentation, you definitely get what you pay for and more.
We decided to end our afternoon with some gelato from Milano, right next door to the Market. The fresh red raspberry flavor exploded with the flavors of spring, the perfect end to a wonderful afternoon.
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