Mail order/Food-of-the-month clubs

[Alan Dunkin]

Anyone use these? I saw an article in Men's Journal about a year ago I believe that had quite a few - growing every day via the internet - and was curious if someone had any favorites. The sheer variety of things available these days is amazing.

On the easy kind that makes sense, beef jerky of the month is a bit popular. I tried the Gary West brand in the past, though the jerky is not flat strips but more of the oily thick sticks. Didn't really appeal to me that much as they were very "wet", but they aren't bad. Coincidentally you can get them on Amazon too..

--- Alan

[stusser]

I've been a member of the bacon of the month club (http://www.gratefulpalate.com/) since 2002 or so. Great stuff, I look forward to it every month.

[Alan Dunkin]

I saw that and was wondering how much they send, etc. I could have sworn there was another that offers stuff like jowl bacon, but can't find it.

These guys sell a lot: http://www.zingermans.com/

--- Alan

[stusser]

Never heard of zingerman's... if I wanted to buy deli over the internet I'd buy from katz's (http://www.katzdeli.com/), they're the best, period. Of course I live in manhattan so I can just take a cab.

The cured pig jowl you're talking about is guanciale, niman ranch sells it over the web. I've used it to make spaghetti alla carbonara. Guanciale is hard to find anywhere but the internet; I go to an italian butcher on 28th st when I've got to have some. Which was... once, since I wanted to do it "right", normally I just use pancetta.

[Alan Dunkin]

Zigerman's has a very different selection of stuff, not just deli meats, which are kind of an afterthought on the site.

--- Alan

[shift6]

A (now ex-) girlfriend of mine signed me up for a chocolate of the month club once. Guaranteed us staying together for at least another year, because I loves me some chocolate. It wasn't some OTC Hershey's shit either.

This was like 10 years ago and I don't remember the name of the company.

[dannimal]

As someone in Zingerman's home town, I can say that their stuff is usually good but almost always overpriced. Not a big shock.

I've given a couple of the Clubs of America club things as gifts in the past, and they've been well received.

http://www.clubsofamerica.com/

[Brian Minsker]

My sister got me an Ale in the Mail 3-month subscription for my birthday a few years back. It was much better than a shirt.

[Alan Dunkin]

Oh come on, you live in Champagne :)

I don't think Texas lets you directly buy and ship alcohol into the state.

--- Alan

[Brian Minsker]

Oh come on, you live in Champagne :)
No, that one has far fewer corn and soybean fields around it. :wink:

I don't think Texas lets you directly buy and ship alcohol into the state.
I thought the Supreme Court just struck down all those state laws restricting mail-order alcohol sales across state lines this past session.

[jpinard]

As someone in Zingerman's home town, I can say that their stuff is usually good but almost always overpriced. Not a big shock.

I've given a couple of the Clubs of America club things as gifts in the past, and they've been well received.

http://www.clubsofamerica.com/


I second that. We had Zingerman's all the time in the lab (U of M Human genetics lab) - and their food was OK (not spectacular) and it was waaayyyyy overpriced.

[mouselock]

Oh come on, you live in Champagne :)
No, that one has far fewer corn and soybean fields around it. :wink:

To be fair that's not a sufficient criteria for much of anything. It'd be nearly physically impossible to have more corn and soybean fields around a place than Champaign.

[Alan Dunkin]

Hmm, I went to wine.com and discovered I could ship to Texas, which is definitely not what it was like a year or so ago. According to the graphic of the map they use, however, it is not universal - for wine that is. Many states still do not allow it.

--- Alan

[Damien Falgoust]

Alcohol rules in Texas are almost totally local in nature. Dallas in particular is pretty fucked up -- you can change zip codes within Dallas County and go from a wet to dry area.

[Old Man Gravy]

Old Lady Gravy, Young Lady Gravy, and I spent some time in Wimberley and Brady last summer with OLG's grandparents and uncles, and it was the first I'd heard of the wet/dry county idear. Struck me as just retardedly self-defeating in the unintended consequences category, like so many well-intentioned laws.
You may cut down a bit on underage drinking with that kind of idiocy, but you guarantee skyrocketing drunk driving incidents, what with all the lushes having to travel 30 or 40 miles to the next county to hit the bar and then drive home hammered.

[Alan Dunkin]

Yes I'm familiar with Dallas' alcohol rules, with are based on city or essentially grandfather clause cities that no longer exist.

Shipping rules are different, however. Apparently states differentiate between beers, wines, and liquors and so different drinks apply differently. It *seems* like with Texas you can import most things now.

--- Alan

[Zephyr]

Oh come on, you live in Champagne :)
No, that one has far fewer corn and soybean fields around it. :wink:

To be fair that's not a sufficient criteria for much of anything. It'd be nearly physically impossible to have more corn and soybean fields around a place than Champaign.

I take it you never went to the southern part of the state? It was a 7 mile drive to my college from town and it was all corn and soybean fields bounded by coal mines. Although to give props to Champaign, it was the only city I have been to that had a cornfield in the middle of town. I am assuming it had something to do with the U of I Agri. Dept.

[fire]

Coming soon: mail order / bride of the month club...

[mouselock]

Oh come on, you live in Champagne :)
No, that one has far fewer corn and soybean fields around it. :wink:

To be fair that's not a sufficient criteria for much of anything. It'd be nearly physically impossible to have more corn and soybean fields around a place than Champaign.

I take it you never went to the southern part of the state? It was a 7 mile drive to my college from town and it was all corn and soybean fields bounded by coal mines. Although to give props to Champaign, it was the only city I have been to that had a cornfield in the middle of town. I am assuming it had something to do with the U of I Agri. Dept.

They're pretty solid once you get outside of town here.. but what I like is that they spring up unbidden in town.. there are some roads that are like this:

Subdivision.. few houses.. corn fields.. few houses.. subdivision.

And yeah, I'm not counting the plots in town; that's like a historical agricultural research experiment thingy. Could live without the damned pastures though, as most of campus is downwind on a bad day.

I'm looking forward to the mountains I think. ;)

[Brian Minsker]

Although to give props to Champaign, it was the only city I have been to that had a cornfield in the middle of town. I am assuming it had something to do with the U of I Agri. Dept.

Those are the Morrow Plots, the oldest agronomy research plots in the US. They've been in use since 1876 and are a National Historic Landmark.