of the month clubs

Here is that perennial favorite: a magazine writer asks for your suggestions for unusual/unusually good foods, mailed to your door, once a month.

For my magazine, Men's Journal, I have been asked to evaluate the holiday's current harvest of food-oriented "of the month clubs."

Usual characters I have found: bacon, jerky, smoked fish, potato chips, potatoes.

Does anyone have any suggestions our readers should know about?

Or something you've wanted to try but didn't want to pay for yourself? Consider me your guinea pig, and I shall report here on my findings.

Specifically, I'd love to offer an interesting alternative to the standard fruit-of-month offering: heirloom apples, for example, if someone knows of such a service.

Thank you for your help

That is all.

[Perilagu Khan]

Pork Rind o' the Month Klubb

www.redneckviands.com

[junescook]

Lobel's Meat of the Month club:

http://www.lobels.com/Store/main/item.asp?item=517

Barbecue sauce of the month club:

http://www.bbqsauceofthemonth.com/cart2/home.php

Sticky Fingers Barbecue of the month Club

http://www.stickyfingers.com/Sticky-Fingers-Launches-First-Barbecue-Of-The-Month-Club-W46.aspx

Sourdough bread of the month club

http://store.boudinbakery.com/sourdough-bread-clubs-c10.aspx

Bagel of the month club

http://www.nybagelbox.com/NY-Bagel-Bo...

[acecil]

Capogiro Gelato - not a monthly delivery, but 4 times a year ('seasonal"). I have bought this as a gift for others, but would LOVE to try it myself.

wow - just realized how old the original post is!!

[nosey]

I am looking for a good, no great pasta of the month club. Any suggestions?

[KiltedCook]

Safeway?

[nosey]

I think my punctuation was in the wrong spot. I need a great pasta of the month club.

Danish Kringle of the Month!

OK, I'm done now. :-)

Link: http://www.wisconsinmade.com/wiscmade...

Remembered a few more:

Snack of the Month

http://www.beyondgifts.com/snack-club-of-the-month.html

Cake of the Month

http://www.beyondgifts.com/cakeofmonth2.html

Dessert of the Month:

http://www.beyondgifts.com/birthdayclub.html

Pasta of the Month:

http://www.flyingnoodle.com/club.tmpl?category=Club&cart=findgift10664246501505939

Cheese of the Month:

http://www.cheesemonthclub.com/

another one at http://www.wisconsinmade.com/wiscmade/product.asp?dept%5Fid=901&pf%5Fid=732

Pie of the Month:

http://www.gourmetmeals.com/eoneCommerce/Shop?Dsp=20000&PCR=1:60000:60200&R=6552

Tea of the Month:

http://www.gourmetmeals.com/eoneCommerce/Shop?Dsp=20000&PCR=1:60000:60400&R=3870

Salsa of the Month:

http://www.planethot.com/salsa2u/

Nut of the Month

http://www.nutofthemonthclub.com/prod...

There used to be an International Junk Food of the Month club that I almost got for my dad, whose first stop in any new country is always a grocery store to see what neat different snacks he can pick up. But no current info found via Googling.

John, when your article publishes, could you come back here and post a link if it's available online? As you may have guessed, I'm a real sucker for these clubs.

I just ran across a Chocolate of the Month club yesterday. Now THAT'S my kinda club. More of chick thing than a guy thing, though.

I've gotten chocolates from Nirvana Chocolates before and they were very good quality.

Link: http://www.nirvanachocolates.com/ours...

Pefect thing for Men's Journal readers to give their ladies. Hey Hodgman, are you going to let us know when this story hits the newstand? And you are going to give Chowhound props, yes?

Many thanks for all your great suggestions. They are much appreciated.

Jh

Dean & Deluca has coffee by the month:

http://www.deandeluca.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/store/framescat.d2w/report

Then, there's fruit. Just plug "fruit+every+month" into Yahoo.

Here are even more:
http://www.findgift.com/Categories/Gi...

Note I have never utilized such programs.

cabrales, given your 'nom' I expected you'd have a full list of cheese-of-the-month clubs!! ;-)

I hear that Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor has some great o-t-m clubs. I've not ever subscribed, but I used to go to Zingerman's all the time. I know that they have coffeecake and bread clubs, and I think they also have cheese and olive oil clubs. The one that interests me the most is the Zingerman's "Z-club" where they just send you a bunch of cool stuff. How fun to get a big box of mystery comestibles (say -that- 10 times fast) every month and try and figure out what to do with them.

I recently joined the Wood Prairie Farm (Maine) potato of the month club, but have only received one shipment so far. I'm expecting another box any day.

Each month you get three varieties. They were freshly dug, well packed, with some dry dirt still on them. For Sept I got Caribe (blue), Rose Gold, and Onaway. We loved the Caribe best, especially boiled and then sauteed in olive oil. They came with recipes that didn't look that good. We eat lots of spuds, and the quantity was okay, but I did have to supplement with the usual store-bought varieties.

This month I'm looking forward to getting Butte potatoes, with two others. Buttes are nearly extinct because McDonald's prefers Russetts and that put Buttes off the farm.

Wood Prairie only does organically grown potatoes and only ships for 9 months, starting in Sept. You can also order according to single variety. They have a website.

Grateful Palate has bacon (mmmmm) but sounds like you already know that. they also have a wine-o-t-m and a coffee-o-t-m. never tried the clubs, but i've heard from reliable sources that the coffee is splendiferous.

There was a thread on this a couple of months ago, but I can't find it for you. I like "Rent Mother Nature". You get a share of some farm commodity (eg cow = cheese, tree = maple syrup, bees = honey). At the end of the season, you get a share of the haul. Fun and the products have been first rate as long as we've been doing it.

Link: http://rentmothernature.com/

Renting nature sounds really fascinating. Thank you again to all--bacon is on the way, I'm glad to report.