Unique Specialty Foods Shops Outside Boston
While Boston is home to many great restaurants and some amazing specialty foods markets, I want to draw everyone's attention to the hidden gems, west of the city. Metrowest and Worcester are home to so many unique and amazing foodie destinations that often are overlooked because they are not in the city. As a Chef, these stores are like stepping into Willy Wonka's Factory, they are filled with unique, stunning artisan made products from craft vendors! This is just a few of the hidden gems that make your inner foodie squeal with joy!
Provisions Trading Company | Ashland, MA | http://www.provisionstrading.com
Opened in 2019 by Chef Alan MacIntosh and partner Paponake MacIntosh. Provisions is a specialty foods market, that features 100% artisan made goods that are globally sourced. Now offering artisanal craft wines, beers, sake, plum wines, and hard seltzers and kombuchas. Provisions offers a vast selection of bulk spices, looses leaf teas, locally roasted coffee, local farm quality meats and so much more. With the largest selection of crispy chili garlic toppings and hot sauces in the area. Provisions also offers a unique selection of salumi, craft cheese and meats as well as accompaniments for all your charcuterie needs. Provisions Trading is an all inclusive store, where everyone is welcome! Bring your friends, explore or join us for our weekly tastings!!
Wine Empire | Ashland, MA | https://mywineempire.com/
Wine Empire is a family owned & operated specialty wine shop & Italian gourmet market. Wine Empires selection is carefully curated by partner, Italian Wine Ambassador and sommelier Gianluca Queiroli. The collection at Wine Empire features some stunningly beautiful and unique bottles as well as hard to find rare vintages not found anywhere else in the area.
Wine empire also features a beer "cave" with hundreds of craft beers, ciders and so much more. The selection of gourmet foods is focused around Italy, featuring locally made pastas, cheeses and desserts.
Ed Hyder's Mediterranean Marketplace | Worcester, MA | https://www.edhyders.com/
In 1975, after working in his family’s butcher shop for many years, Ed Hyder left Grafton Hill and opened up a new 300 square foot shop on Park Avenue. He began by catering to his friends and neighbors in the Armenian, Greek, and Middle Eastern communities of Worcester; bringing them traditional foods from their native lands. Four decades and four locations later, his children Miriam and Greg continue his legacy at 408 Pleasant St. What started out as a tiny storefront now offers groceries and prepared foods from all over the globe, a variety of local goods and the most unique and exciting wine selection in Worcester.
Duck Soup | Sudbury, MA | https://quackquackquack.com/
The Doors of Duck Soup opened for the first time in 1971. And they never closed. We are now one of the longest continuously operating retail stores in Sudbury! The vision of Richard Ressler and Jim Barisano lives on in today's Duck Soup: it's still a quirky, indefinable, yet beloved neighborhood institution. Not quite coffee shop, not quite cheese shop, not quite kitchen shop, not quite gift shop. Now with a package store liquor license and serving up cooking classes, we continue to surprise, delight and defy definition. One thing we have always been: a place where everyone is welcome and customers become friends. Stop in for a sample of our famous Duck Soup Blend coffee and meet the team of DuckSoupians! On April 10, 2017 we acquired the Kiff brand of baked products. We are thrilled to be associated with such unique and delicious goodies. In 2018 we took on the former NECCO’s Sky Bar candy and now make it at our facility right next door to Duck Soup!
Pecorino A Country Cheese Shop | Grafton, MA | https://www.pecorinografton.com/
Welcome to Pecorino, a European minded shop with a personal touch! Pecorino carries a fresh and seasonal selection of local and imported cheeses, cut and wrapped to order, fine charcuterie and condiments, fresh bread and olive oil, crackers, jams, honeys, spreads and gourmet pantry items. Our products are sourced with love from people who work passionately with real ingredients. Pecorino's well curated wine selection features classic and lesser known varietals, mostly from Europe, that were grown and vinified sustainably - you are encouraged to ask for staff recommendations! We stock a small assortment of local craft beers and ciders and make cheese plates and classy gift baskets. Let us know what we can do for you!
Heritage Wine & Provisions Shop | Sherborn, MA | https://www.heritageofsherborn.com/provisions-shop/
Heritage wine and provisions store is the perfect on-the-go solution for quality wine, craft beer, spirits, food and coffee. Located just a few steps away from the doors of Heritage of Sherborn, we’re a one-stop shop designed to fulfill all your take-away needs, offering a wide variety of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack items prepared daily by chef Josh, brownies by Tiffany and cookies by Quebrada.