325817 Thu Sep 14 05:59:49 -0700 2006 62 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1875649 Call me a late bloomer, but at 43 years I just got my first credit card. Never really needed one before, but I had to get this one for professional reasons. Anyway, now that I have access to the wonderful world of internet mail order, I was hoping some of you hounds who've been at it a while could direct me to your favourite food mail-order sites. (I live in Toronto, so skip companies that have stores here.) I'm game for just about any kind of food. Quality is most important, and I'd love to hear about places that ship the unexpected. Thu Sep 14 05:59:49 -0700 2006 38218 ognir 1 1876090 For a huge range of excellent tea, try... www.uptontea.com www.specialteas.com www.harney.com I have ordered from all three many many times & always been very pleased. Plus...their websites are well organized & very interesting whether you're new to teas or an experienced tea drinker.... Thu Sep 14 14:34:10 -0700 2006 1875649 11069 fauchon 1 1876243 Living in Berkeley we can get most things locally, but we get these things mail-order: spices from Penzey's http://www.penzeys.com Steen's cane syrup http://shop.chefpaul.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=26 Pernigotti cocoa in bulk http://chefshop.com/Itemdesc.asp?CameFrom=Search&CartId=13063118FRX-EVEREST-SP85&ic=0001&tpc=&SR= White Lily self-rising flour http://www.chefscatalog.com/catalog/product.aspx?item=21108&sourcecode=7w1pfd101 Anson Mills red Trentino flint polenta http://ansonmills.com/page22/page34/page34.html Thu Sep 14 15:33:19 -0700 2006 1875649 11369 Robert Lauriston 2 1876745 If Penzey's doesn't have it, The Spice House in Chicago will. Related companies, by the way. Spice House also has stuff not listed on their site, so take the time to ask them if you need something hard to find (like organic white peppercorns, hurrah!) or otherwise unusual. Very nice folks. www.thespicehouse.com Thu Sep 14 18:01:31 -0700 2006 1876243 39904 Bananna A. 3 1876860 How are Penzey's and the Spice House related? Thu Sep 14 18:34:51 -0700 2006 1876745 11369 Robert Lauriston 4 1878004 If I have the story right, Mom & Dad (Bill and Ruth) Penzey started the business in WI, then their daughter & her spouse (Patty & Tom Erd) created/expanded The Spice House in IL. Seems that they have very similar offerings for spice rubs, etc. Fri Sep 15 02:15:59 -0700 2006 1876860 39904 Bananna A. 1 1883590 Dean And Deluca.. Mon Sep 18 11:28:50 -0700 2006 1875649 22274 TheDexter 1 1884736 I have a standing order for Bazzini mixed nuts without peanuts from NYC. They are very good. Very old company. You can get their nuts in a wonderful big vintage tin with an elephant holding a peanut in his trunk on it. Once you get the tin just buy the nuts bagged to refill it. There's a scene in the Sopranos where the guys are playing poker with a Bazzini tin on the table. I think it's about $30 for 5 pounds. Very fair price. Would make a great gift. Bazzininuts.com 800 228 0172 Mon Sep 18 20:11:05 -0700 2006 1875649 23824 niki rothman 1 1885066 Has anyone ordered from omahasteaks.com? I'm intrigued, but haven't tried it myself. Mon Sep 18 21:54:35 -0700 2006 1875649 14412 wontonton 2 1885860 We've received gifts of Omaha Steaks (a variety of cuts and burgers). I didn't care for them at all (flavor or texture). You may be able to do better locally (especially for the price). Tue Sep 19 03:17:18 -0700 2006 1885066 10664 Saccade 3 1887832 Consumer Reports reviewed them, and gave their Filet Mignon a "very good" and their strip "good" ratings. Lobel's got an "excellent" rating for their filet mignon. Tue Sep 19 22:22:47 -0700 2006 1885860 11738 writergirl 2 1892387 Pass on Omaha Steaks; texture is mushy and flavor isn't anywhere near beefy enough (I can get better at my local Wild Oats). Definitely go for Lobel's - prime dry-aged cuts vs. Omaha's regular old choice cuts (which is what is sold in supermarkets). Thu Sep 21 16:53:04 -0700 2006 1885066 10532 LindaWhit 2 3049057 Very overrated. You'll do yourself a favor by trying to find good aged beef at a local butcher. Fri Oct 19 06:45:25 -0700 2007 1885066 135452 pollymerase 1 1886201 I haven't actually ordered anything yet, but I'm interested in Mackenzie - has anyone ordered anything from them?What's the verdict? Tue Sep 19 12:40:06 -0700 2006 1875649 40018 andlulu 2 3776353 Overpriced, you canfind most of their stuff for less elsewhere Thu Jun 12 20:57:06 -0700 2008 1886201 10911 LisaN 1 1887198 The lobster pot pies from Hancock Lobster are simply wonderful (and expensive, but they're packed with big chunks of lobster). This is a favorite birthday entree at our house. Tue Sep 19 19:02:02 -0700 2006 1875649 11995 pikawicca 1 1888243 Wild mushrooms from Aux Delices, game from D'Artagnon. Wed Sep 20 01:12:15 -0700 2006 1875649 18264 steinpilz 2 2169194 Aux Delices also has fiddleheads in season! I never have any luck finding them locally even though I'm in a metropolitan area. Tue Jan 09 16:08:27 -0800 2007 1888243 19937 Kater 1 1889968 Wolferman's - super-thick English muffins in amazing flavors. They taste a bit cakey, like soda bread. The fruit spreads are great too. http://www.wolfermans.com/store/catalog?Args= Wed Sep 20 18:47:22 -0700 2006 1875649 27312 lvecch 2 2172495 Hey, cool. I think I'm going to order some of those English muffins to try in my new Egg McToaster! http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/350699#2093856 ~TDQ Wed Jan 10 12:35:21 -0800 2007 1889968 12005 The Dairy Queen 3 2172885 Wow, that toaster's really something. Should be perfect for the muffins. Wed Jan 10 15:21:17 -0800 2007 2172495 27312 lvecch 4 2172915 Yes, I've been experimenting with different cheeses and flavored spreads, meats, and steamed veggies, but I've not experimented with the muffins yet. The toaster is a great little machine for what it does, although the construction is really cheap. Oh well. As long as it does what it's supposed to, I guess that's ok. I hope it lasts! Have you never had an issue with the freshness of the muffins they ship? That's the one thing I worry about about buying them mail-order. ~TDQ Wed Jan 10 15:28:00 -0800 2007 2172885 12005 The Dairy Queen 5 2177189 No, they've always been fresh. Twice now during the spring sale I've ordered the Signature Muffin twelve-pack. I usually leave one or two packages out and throw the rest in the freezer. They keep well. Thu Jan 11 15:55:26 -0800 2007 2172915 27312 lvecch 2 2395803 Second wolfermans. Their english muffins are so good! Sat Mar 17 17:45:57 -0700 2007 1889968 69497 VTtoMAtoCAfoodie 2 2460995 Those are the absolute BEST!!! Sun Apr 08 09:34:32 -0700 2007 1889968 62812 chickstein 3 2461052 They are. Thank you for reminding me, I must order before the spring sale is over! Sun Apr 08 09:59:26 -0700 2007 2460995 27312 lvecch 2 3768018 Wasn't impressed with Wolferman's. Just okay, wouldn't order them again. Tue Jun 10 15:03:27 -0700 2008 1889968 63634 rizzo0904 3 3865411 That's too bad - sorry you didn't like them. I do think they're special, but they're a different taste from Thomas's, etc. Sun Jul 13 17:20:49 -0700 2008 3768018 27312 lvecch 1 1890157 In England last week I bought some excellent cashews at Marks and Spencer. They were spiced with piri-piri. Anyone know a mail order source for a similar product? Wed Sep 20 19:38:21 -0700 2006 1875649 26615 Scruncheons 2 1892404 You could order them directly from a British-food online store: http://www.britsuperstore.com/acatalog/Marks_and_Spencer_Crisps.html Or for a U.S.-based company: http://www.shebafoods.com/detail.aspx?ID=77 Thu Sep 21 17:00:03 -0700 2006 1890157 10532 LindaWhit 1 1892361 Zingermans Deli For everything...olive oil, vinegar, cheese, everything is excellent. great for gift baskets with products that are all top quality. Thu Sep 21 16:43:47 -0700 2006 1875649 15039 Tripper 2 2460986 Dont miss the Z club http://www.zingermans.com/Product.pasp?Category=&ProductID=G%2D1%2DZ Sun Apr 08 09:30:16 -0700 2007 1892361 10703 wendy8869 1 2035511 As an update, we ordered the Hancock Lobster Pot Pies this weekend to be shipped for a family celebration. The people at Hancock were very friendly and everything arrived as promised. We also ordered the Cream Cheese Bisquits and served both with a salad. It may seem that a 7oz pie is too small, but they are really rich and satisfying. The men in the family are big eaters and with a cheese and wine appetizer and cake for desert, everyone was almost too full. The pot pies had chunnks of claw meat. The sauce was really almost a lobster bisque rather that a pot pie gravy.. Also, there is just a bit of veggie, not large pieces like a pot pie. I would almost describe this as a soup with large pieces of lobster covered in pastry. The presentation is really nice. Ceremic ramekins and a lobster cutout on each pie. I would definitely order again. PS-I just got an email today with a gift certificate option Mon Nov 20 14:26:37 -0800 2006 1875649 44731 calif_martinigal 1 2169035 www.southernseason.com Has great baskets and Southern things. http://www.shoplateda.com/ Tue Jan 09 15:31:12 -0800 2007 1875649 11854 LaLa 1 2169092 Game birds from D'Artagnan. BBQ ribs from Interstate (and Corky's, and Rendezvous) in Memphis. Tue Jan 09 15:41:31 -0800 2007 1875649 16490 Bostonbob3 1 2170044 Beef jerky from Famous Mahogany Smoked Meats http://www.smokedmeats.com Tue Jan 09 19:28:41 -0800 2007 1875649 13851 MeowMixx 2 2172624 Mmmm, my aunt sends my a selection for Christmas every year. LOVE the habenero jerky. Wed Jan 10 14:00:01 -0800 2007 2170044 16490 Bostonbob3 1 2170076 I've ordered cuban pasteries(guava pastelitos)from this site before, because I've never seen them for sale in Oregon. http://www.cubanfoodmarket.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=CFM Tue Jan 09 19:38:53 -0800 2007 1875649 56307 amopdx 1 2180745 Usinger's of Milwaukee is considered by many to be the country's premier sausage maker. I'm a hot dog fanatic and love their natural casing angus beef hot dogs. Everyone who has tried them has liked them very much. Out of the dozens of beef franks I've sampled, Usinger's is at the top of the list along with Best's (New Jersey, not Chicago) which I have access to here in N.J. I order from Usinger's once or twice a year. They also make a quality beef and pork dog which they actually sell more of. The Angus Beef dog was selected as the best in the country by the Olympic Comitee and the Certified Angus Beef Co. and was chosen as the official hot dog of the Winter Olympic Games when they were held in this country a few years back. Usinger's is also known for their fine brats and other sausages as well. http://www.usinger.com. Fri Jan 12 11:41:02 -0800 2007 1875649 11964 hotdoglover 1 2182140 Macaroni and cheese from beecherscheese.com AMAZING! Fri Jan 12 18:30:10 -0800 2007 1875649 22145 SallyHMcC 1 2182864 On the dessert side of things, you can order Graeter's ice cream online - http://www.graeters.com/flavors.cfm This ice cream has the most luscious chocolate chips in the world - melt in your mouth, and varied in shape - some huge! The ice cream is excellent and creamy - french pot style. Can't go wrong. Not cheap, but worth it, IMO. Fri Jan 12 20:47:02 -0800 2007 1875649 52113 Seldomsated 2 2460549 Wow, do I miss that ice cream. I also love their smiley face cookies. Has some marzipan in it and I haven't ever found another cookie quite like it. (sigh) Sun Apr 08 01:18:53 -0700 2007 2182864 39904 Bananna A. 3 3049154 mmmmmmm Graeter's mint chocolate chip......Luckily, they opened up a shop in my hometown so I can get my fix when I visit my family. Can I also add See's Candies? Oh those toffee-ettes! http://www.sees.com/Prod.cfm?CatGroup=00060085 Fri Oct 19 07:30:54 -0700 2007 2460549 12633 rHairing 2 3866763 I grew up in Lexington KY and went to Graeter's when cutting class . . . great ice cream. I crave it often now that I'm pregnant but haven't been desperate enough to order online . . . yet. Love the mocha chip! Mon Jul 14 08:05:58 -0700 2008 2182864 76852 butterfat 1 2183653 For my taste, Omaha Steaks are nothing special. I can buy equal at a local market. Allen Brothers, onthe other hand, I found superb -- especially their rib-eyes. The bouillabaise is pretty good, too. Sat Jan 13 00:21:25 -0800 2007 1875649 55316 mpalmer6c 1 2395889 Cookies from Home and Greenberg's Smoked Turkeys Sat Mar 17 18:26:41 -0700 2007 1875649 60822 Pampatz 1 2460967 www.nueske.com -- Nueske's offers some of the best bacon and ham that I've ever tasted. You have to try their peppered bacon -- fantastic! www.chefpaul.com -- If you like Paul Prudhomme's seasoning mixtures -- they're really good -- and buy them in the tiny jars in the supermarket, then you'll love this site. You can buy 24 oz. cans of his seasonings at a fraction of the per ounce price of the little jars. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/landing.jsp?go=Home -- The Baker's Catalogue is a wonderful place to shop for baking ingredients and baked goods and for baking tools. Sun Apr 08 09:22:01 -0700 2007 1875649 10644 Nancy Berry 1 2461189 www.justtomatoes.com -- they have the most wonderful selection of dried fruits and veggies. I use the dried tomatoes instead of potato chips. www.southavenfarm.com -- the Southaven Farm baking mixes are my newest favorite thing. I make muffins, cupcakes, quick breads, pancakes, etc., and they all are excellent. Very healthy without sacrificing flavor. www.cappuccinoconnection.com -- the best selection of flavored syrups Sun Apr 08 10:55:09 -0700 2007 1875649 84149 chaddick 1 2461283 We used to live in Chicago and found that we can order the all-veal bratwurst and knockwurst on line from Kuhn's Delicatessen. Everything is excellent. Here is the link. http://www.kuhnsdeli.com/ Sun Apr 08 11:39:39 -0700 2007 1875649 12174 veggielover 1 2461333 Smoked salmon from Gerard & Dominique Seafood in Seattle (http://www.gourmetseafoods.com/xcart/home.php)....good stuff.... Sun Apr 08 12:17:10 -0700 2007 1875649 19117 Pollo 1 2461341 Tea samplers from www.enjoyingtea.com Chocolate-dipped strawberries from Shari's Berries at www.berries.com Sun Apr 08 12:22:31 -0700 2007 1875649 40486 Cinnamon 1 2461357 Beyond a shadow of a doubt the single best thing for food you can do with a credit card is order unpasteurized cheese from www.fromages.com. We order and the cheese arrives perfectly ripened (hand selected), well packaged and oh so delicious. You can't buy unpasteurized imports in the United States and if you haven't been to France, you won't know what you're missing. If you buy cheese for a business or your home, you'll find that local gourmet cheese shops often carry some of the same cheese (cooked) that you can buy uncooked from fromages.com. I've priced cheese extensively and I've never paid more for cheese, even after shipping from France from Fromages.com than I did locally. I recommend the Epoisses, Brin d'Amour, Pont l'Eveque or any of their seasonal "cheese boards" they ship. Great value and perfectly selected. Erik Sun Apr 08 12:37:17 -0700 2007 1875649 89777 ejengstrom 2 2472422 Erik, I'm a bit confused by your post. Are you saying you can in fact get the good unpasteurized stuff shipped to the US from fromages, or is it the "extra aged" unpasteurized? Does the extra aging completely ruin the charm of the cheese? I'm assuming it's still better than pasteurized yes? I think I'll do a little shopping either way. Wed Apr 11 17:51:36 -0700 2007 2461357 56082 PumpkinHead 1 2467902 ditalia.com they sell VERY good salami. Tue Apr 10 13:45:16 -0700 2007 1875649 88286 ceejoi 2 2468760 martinrice.com Who knew that fabulous rice grows right here in Missouri. They have a nice sampler package so you can try they all. Tue Apr 10 17:53:40 -0700 2007 2467902 16236 LindaR 1 2469191 For magnificant Missouri country hams, go to http://management.semo.edu/schfa04/jmbruyette1s/esicars/contact.htm be sure you understand what you're getting and be sure to have them cook the ham before shipping. They charge $2, and you will need a bathtub-sized boiler to do it yourself. You can order a half ham to work your way into this delicacy gradually. My 16-pound Christmas ham, cooked and shipped, was $54. Wonderful deal. Tue Apr 10 20:26:19 -0700 2007 1875649 15041 MikeLM 1 2472458 If you like wild rice, treat yourself to the traditionally harvested wild rice from the White Earth Land Recovery Project. This stuff is amazing! I can buy it locally (I'm in the same state), but I would mail-order it if I moved away. http://www.nativeharvest.com/scripts/prodList.asp?idCategory=25 Anne Wed Apr 11 18:03:36 -0700 2007 1875649 12541 AnneInMpls 1 2618696 the smoked turkey from www.smokehouse.com is frackin fantastic. me and my girl each gave one to our mother's for mother's day and got raves. i've ordered several times for myself. it's just so easy and so delicious they also have my favorite country bacon Thu May 31 16:15:35 -0700 2007 1875649 12853 mr mouther 1 3767708 I've only tried a few mail order items. I've order Omaha steaks which were okay. I also had a pizza sent to me from a friend in Chicago which was great! You can find just about any food in America that you want shipped to you at www.eatyourmailbox.com . Tue Jun 10 13:46:37 -0700 2008 1875649 140225 SDMonkey 2 3768433 Does anyone know a good source for grains (millet, quinoa, buckwheat, rice, corn, etc.)? Tue Jun 10 17:38:51 -0700 2008 3767708 89507 allieinbklyn 3 3772719 anson mills and blue bird farm -- google turns them both up Wed Jun 11 21:17:45 -0700 2008 3768433 64882 Vetter 1 3774600 Allen Brothers out of Chicago. Great prime meat! Thu Jun 12 11:50:51 -0700 2008 1875649 11408 melly 1 3866819 Wild salmon from seabear.com. (My dad sends me a bunch of fillets for Christmas and they are great. They come individually vaccum packed and frozen and are very easy to defrost and cook. I like the sockeye and King salmon best.) Also, chocolate truffles from DeBrand's. I'm not obsessed with chocolate but the texture, flavor, and whole experience of these are swoon-inducing. Especially the macadamia nut. http://www.debrand.com/chocolate_guide/index.cfm?id=7 Mon Jul 14 08:25:28 -0700 2008 1875649 76852 butterfat