Valley Homes & Style Magazine | August & September 2016 Edition
August – September 2016 Edition
The Naked Olive
By: Tula Mason Photos By: Josh Triggs WHEN I ASKED business owner Laurah Miller how she came up with the name The Naked Olive, she stated with amusement that the name was settled on over much conversation and many martini’s. As for the logo, which pictures an olive looking both naked and embarrassed, it represents that the merchandise carried in the shop is pure. With this questions answered, our conversation moved on to what inspired her to open a shop centered on oils and vinegars. To this she answered that during a trip to a self-defense show she had a flat tire. While killing time waiting for her car to be repaired, she happened upon a tiny shop that really peaked her interest to with this, what could have been unfortunate circumstance, turned into a dream. The Naked Olive was born. Don’t let the modest name fool you, this place has everything flavorful. Whether you love to cook or just love to eat, this shop that can only be described as rustic-chic, is the place for you. This specialty grocery store located at 87 N Washington Street in downtown Berkeley Springs, WV, truly caters to everyone. No matter if your taste or cooking style is simple or leans more towards the refined style side, you are sure to find high quality edibles that will tickle your taste buds. From the wide assortment of extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars to a lovely assortments of salsas, jams and spreads this quaint shop offers just about anything that your culinary heart desires, right down to the fresh breads/and tasty fine chocolates they carry. The Naked Olive boasts more than 50 flavors of the finest extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) and balsamic vinegars from around the world, each one hand selected by Laurah and available on tap for tasting. If you find something you like, just choosing the size bottle that suits your needs and it will be hand filled and sealed just for you! As the name of the store implies you guessed it, they also carry gourmet stuffed olives. These plump beauties are available in four fabulous flavors and look divine, they even have vermouth-soaked olives if you want some with a kick. Like wise, there are many other products to choose from that you may not expect to see, such as Handcrafted Bourbon Barrel sauces with fun sayings like, “Eat your Bourbon”, and catchy names like “Kentuckyaki” printed on the labels. I must admit that this witty packaging makes me want to give them a try myself. You will also find a yummy selection of Bourbon Barrel Handcrafted...
Brewbaker’s keeps tradition alive
By: Paul Long Photos By: Josh Triggs Perhaps it was fate that led Laura and Monty Rhodes to purchase Brewbaker’s Restaurant when it went up for sale in 2012. But whether or not that was the case, their shared history with the popular Old Town Winchester establishment certainly didn’t hurt. Laura met Monty at Brewbaker’s more than a decade ago, when she was a server and he was a regular customer. Today the couple owns the restaurant located at 168 N. Loudoun St. near the northern end of Old Town. Laura was hired as a server in 2004 and later tended bar while going to school. Monty – whose first job was as a dishwasher at Mutley’s, an earlier incarnation of Brewbaker’s – had managed a restaurant in Middleburg and owned one in Boyce; he was working in wine sales when Brewbaker’s previous owners, Dawn and Bobby Sayre, decided to sell it. “Obviously we all kind of knew about it (being for sale),” Laura said. “And my husband and I kind of talked about – he was wanting to do a shift in his career, and it would be nice to own a restaurant. It would be kind of silly to look for another place when this was where we met, and we knew everybody, and there was always the possibility of someone else purchasing the restaurant and turning it into something different.” According to Brewbaker’s website, brewbakersrestaurant.com, there has continuously been a restaurant at 168 N. Loudoun since 1910, making it possibly the oldest such facility in Winchester. Dawn and Bobby Sayre established Brewbaker’s in 1999 and expanded the dining room in 2007. The restaurant added a banquet facility in 2012, shortly before Laura and Monty took over. Laura Rhodes believes Brewbaker’s has been successful because it appeals to a wide variety of people. “It is a comfortable casual dining experience where we strive to have them leave in a better frame of mind or mood than they came in with,” she said. “I think it’s built a niche in the area of being a place where families felt comfortable in coming to dine, but also singles and people who wanted to go out for entertainment purposes. It fit a lot of different demographics and there weren’t a whole lot of places downtown then. And the owners were fantastic people and made a very strong splash in the market when they opened it.” The restaurant’s lengthy history might seem a little intimidating to some, but Laura Rhodes said she welcomes the challenge, while acknowledging that the tradition does create some pressure. “It’s – I love this word and...
Canning: A New Adventure
By: Angi Cornwell Preserving your garden produce can be simple if you have the right canning information. One of the misconceptions about canning is that you must have a canning pot. That is not always the case. What you do need is a pot that is tall enough to hold the rack, jars, and an inch of water above or so of space where the water can boil.Any time you are using a stock pot, you need to find a small rack to drop into the bottom. I have used old canning jar rings, cake cooling rack, trivet, or a kitchen towel. You just don’t want your jars setting on the bottom of the pot. Here are a few tools that I use when canning. You’ll need a knife and cutting board, heatproof tool for stirring. Silicone is my favorite because it can just be placed in the dishwasher. A wide mouth funnel is always good to avoid a mess, a jar lifter is the best tool to have, its designed to give you a secure grip on the jars as you move them in and out of the water. How To Prepare Your Jars Place your rack or whatever you are using to place your jars on, fill your pot with warm tap water, helps with heating your water faster to a boil. I only fill the pot enough just to barely cover the jars. Put a cup of white vinegar in your canning pot before you start heating. This helps with minerals not depositing on your jars or canning pot. It does make for easier cleaning and keeps your pot in good condition. Recently, the experts at Ball Canning announced that it’s no longer necessary to simmer lids prior to canning, as the Plastisol sealant doesn’t require softening. Instead, just make sure to wash your lids in warm, soapy water before applying them to filled jars. How To Check That You’re Sealed When it comes to checking to make sure your jar has sealed sometimes we miss that pinging sound that gives you confirmation that your jar has sealed. Just because you did not hear it doesn’t mean it is not sealed. Here are just a few ways to check: Press down on the center of the lid. If it moves up or down, then no its not sealed. If its solid and concaved means you are set. You can also unscrew the band and pick up the jar with only the lid, if you have a good seal you will be able to do this with ease. Selecting, Preparing and Canning Fruit Berries – Whole Blackberries,...
North Market – 400 Flavors in 1 Location
By: Beth Muth Photos: Josh Triggs North Market Pop Shop, located at 241 North Market Street in downtown Frederick, Maryland, offers more than 400 varieties of craft soda from distributors worldwide. Michelle Schaffer bought the business from its original owners in autumn, 2013. A biochemist by trade, work brought Michelle to Gaithersburg, Maryland, but it was Frederick that reminded her of her hometown of Portland, Oregon. “I’d been doing science for a really long time, but I’m happier when I’m making other people happy – and you can do that with soda pop and ice cream,” explains Michelle, who was ready for entrepreneurship. What Locals Like About the Pop Shop Downtown Frederick is a melting pot, much like America itself. North Market Pop Shop offers a melting pot of soda choices which remind locals of other places outside the immediate geographical area. The shop’s charming interior harkens back to a time when soda wasn’t a household staple, displaying both vintage decor gifted by customers and hand-painted details from Marty Mummert, a Gettysburg sign painter. “People want something that isn’t a large chain,” Michelle observes. “We carry sodas from places remind them of home.” The shop features number of brands readily available for immediate purchase, from as close as the quadstate area to as far away as Australia, Europe, or Japan. You can buy single bottles or take advantage of discounted pricing for packs of four, six, twelve, or twenty-four bottles. Another advantage of discounted packs is that you can mix and match to create any combination of brands and flavors. Premium pricing for some drinks, like Bundaberg brand root beer imported from Queensland, require an upcharge but the packages are still a great value. A Diverse Menu to Tempt Various Tastes North Market Pop Shop carries a food menu which includes all-beef hot dogs. Michelle remarks, “Everybody loves the chili sauce, which we ship in from Webster Springs, West Virginia; we do sloppy joes, too, with the chili sauce. All of our toppings are from McCutcheon’s [in Frederick] and we use Sriracha mayo and squeeze cheese. We’re bringing squeezy cheese back!” Delectable treats like Pocky, a Japanese snack that consists of a thin, wafer-like pretzel stick covered in chocolate cream, and honey from hives on 5th Street in Frederick round out the options. Ice cream flavors from traditional vanilla and strawberry to unique blends such as java cookies and peach white tea, come from Trickling Springs Creamery in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and lack added colors, artificial flavors, or preservatives. Customers who follow a vegan or gluten-free diet will be happy to know the shop carries options from Little Baby’s, a...
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