st. benoît yogurt

Really, I'm not sure what the hype is all about. I've read so much praise and fanfare about St. Benoît yogurt that I just simply had to try a pot of this liquid gold. It tasted fresh and definitely better, than say a tub of Dannon, but I didn't fall out of my seat either with waves of satisfaction. Perhaps I had built it up a bit too much.

St. Benoît is a completely natural, farm-fresh yogurt that's available in the SF Bay area. The yogurt is made using only 100% Jersey cow's milk, with no added thickeners, stabilizers, preservatives or sweeteners. I would have to say what makes this yogurt such a novelty is the ultra cool glazed, ceramic pots they come packaged in. Makes you kind of feel like you're eating a batch of your granny's homemade yogurt at her farmhouse table. The purpose behind these pots is manifold. First, they are reusable. Like glass milk jars with milk, the taste of the yogurt is better preserved, and thus tastes better. They also encourage customers to bring them back and maybe take home some more. Repeat customers are a good thing. And no one can deny that these jars are like, totally cute. Omigod.


Next order of business, cost. I purchased a pot of St. Benoît from Whole Foods for $2.79, plus an additional $1.50 for the jar deposit. I'm not certain what the cost would be at the farmer's market, but I suspect it to be less, since you'd be buying straight from St. Benoît. For about 7 ounces of yogurt, comparably speaking, you are paying more here than for any of the other cow's milk yogurt brands off the shelf, such as Stonyfield, Liberté, or Brown Cow. But for the kind of customer who is purchasing St. Benoit over these other brands, priorities are probably of a different kind; someone who is enthusiastic of supporting local, sustainable farms and families and who is environmentally friendly.

With all this in mind, I was really hoping for a home run in the taste department. I had visions of lustrously smooth consistency, with a thick cream top, and notes of tangy sweet honey. After poking through a minuscule layer of cream, I found my spoon to be swimming in a pool of very watery yogurt. The top half of the yogurt was smooth, but I noticed and tasted small clumps near the bottom, the whey. (Which I suppose gives it a nice rustic charm, if you're into that.) The Marshall's Farm honey used to sweeten the yogurt was barely perceptible, even at the bottom, which was a great disappointment. However, I did finish the whole pot, so there must have been some redeeming taste qualities. It had a great tanginess that grew on me. It also tasted really fresh. And, I felt like I was doing my body a service by eating something this natural and healthy. Even the healthiest yogurts at Whole Foods that say "All Natural" still have ingredients like pectin and "natural flavors" listed. In my pot of St. Benoît, I had 3 ingredients and 3 only: Jersey milk, bacterial cultures, and local honey.


Though I wasn't wowed, I will certainly keeping purchasing St. Benoît on a consistent basis. I believe in supporting local producers, and keeping the environment clean of plastic yogurt container build-up. Next time, I'll have to try one of the fruit flavored ones- strawberry, plum, or Meyer lemon.

woodberry kitchen

There's a new kind of creature in town, and it's called the locavore. It prefers to surround itself in a sustainable, organic habitat, subsisting on locally grown foods, and leaving the slightest carbon footprint as could be. The recently opened Woodberry Kitchen is a watering spot where you can find a handful of these creatures on any given night. More than a handful really, because this gem of a restaurant is almost always packed. And certainly justified, as the quality and freshness of the menu selections are beyond reproach.

Seasonality and locale are the key factors that determine what items make their way onto this forthright and uncomplicated menu. From snacks to oysters to supper, local greens and free range meats are well highlighted. What is refreshing is that every ingredient has a story to tell, of where and whence it came from, of how it was treated during its lifetime, and the few and proud hands it passed through to land on your plate. There's a true and bright transparency to them, and to the mission of the creators of Woodberry Kitchen. What results is a unique approach to the dinnertable, linking us to a community of farmers and producers, and ultimately reinvigorating the most apathetic of palates.

And so, for Mr.S's very recent birthday dinner, I (very difficultly) made a reservation at this hotspot in Clipper Mill. We instantly felt the energy of the place, the warmth and vibrance that was felt in every corner. There are spectacular views of the whole restaurant and the open kitchen from the lofted areas on the second floor, which is where we found ourselves, happily admiring all the antique pieces on display throughout the place. Our server brought us a hunk of artisan bread from a communal cart, which was delicious (the bread, not the cart).

My apple martini was unlike anything I've had. Forget about the green apple Pucker and scary alien glow! Woodberry infuses their own apple vodka for this drink, making it wonderfully layered in taste and quite potent. Mr.S had the Wolaver organically brewed IPA, which was good, if you're into hoppy beers. We had a hard time deciding on starters. I wanted the Buchanan Valley pears with buckwheat honey and the deviled eggs; he wanted the pork buns with onion relish. We compromised on the pear and goat cheese flatbread, and the roasted beets salad.

a real apple martini

The beets were tender and sweet, topped with a quenelle of whipped goat cheese, as light as mousse. The flatbread really made our night, if not our whole week. Phenomenally delicate from the brick oven, it was topped with sweet pears, a sprinkling of chevre, and fresh basil. It was difficult, but I had to let him have the last piece... it was his birthday, after all.


My cast-iron roast chicken was a little fella from Springfield Farms, juicy with perfectly crispy skin, tucked into a pile of creamy grits and swiss chard. I was disappointed it hadn't arrived at the table in a cast-iron pan; it'd have made for a much better presentation. Albeit, the meat was savory and tender, and tasted like a chicken should. Mr.S's "kitchen burger" was good as well, and the onion jam it came with was wonderfully caramelized. The fries came in a small paper pouch and were just so-so. An added plus were the red onions on the plate. Instead of being raw, they were pickled, a perfect complement to the beef.


We skipped dessert, since there was a nice big Jewish apple cake waiting for us at home. There were an assortment of specials that night, including lemon semolina pudding cake, black tea ice cream, and burnt orange sorbet.

In addition to the meat dishes, Woodberry offers a good selection for vegetarians. There are salads to start, crisp cheesy flatbreads, roast vegetables with cheddar dumplings, shellbeans and gold rice, amongst others. It was one of the better meals we've had in a long time, both comforting and refreshing at the same time. This whole eating local trend is a good thing, a much needed movement if we want to see our own food chains within our communities grow and strengthen. And the food tastes like it should, which is quite revelatory. So let's not make it a trend, because that would be tragically hip, wouldn't it? Let's support it and the people who are part of the chain; there's a strong moral fiber that holds it all together. Jump on the locavore wagon; it's a delicious ride.



Woodberry Kitchen
2010 Clipper Park Road
No.126
Baltimore, MD 21211