A Chocolate Fig

I sometimes miss my chance to support the local-food-movement, mainly because many Saturday mornings come at the expense of Friday night revelry and not even the promise of a breakfast brat could lure me to the market.

With the opening of Golden Fig & River Chocolate Company Fine Foods on Grand Ave. in St. Paul, I can feel good about hitting the snooze on the weekends and supporting the community on Tuesdays. The shop is the brainchild of two giants in the local food producers movement: Laurie Crowell of Golden Fig and Dierdre Davis of River Chocolate.

The idea is to feature fine foods and gifts made by small producers from the Midwest. Beyond their own lines, you’ll find goodies like Daddy Sam’s BBQ Sauce, Laura’s Candy hand-crafted marshmallows (hello double dark chocolate!)and Native Harvest maple butter.

But even better than the goods are the stories behind them, and Laurie and Dierdre know them all. They’ve worked hard to find the items they’re selling and have really learned about the people behind them: there’s the spice lady in a small Minnesota town who has traveled the world in search of spices or the people behind Native Harvest who are sharing Native American traditions to fund the White Earth Recovery Project.

Inspired by the sell-out of their Rustica Bakery orders, they’re waiting on a delivery for a deli cooler. The pair promises to stock it with the best local cheeses and meats, as well as a special sandwich of the day.

Of course you can still visit Laurie and Dierdre at their market booths on the weekends, but take the time to stop in the store during the week and make them tell you a story.

Golden Fig & River Chocolate Company Fine Foods
790 Grand Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55105
651.602.0144