Tuscan Market in Salem, N.H.

On September 9th, I met Mary Ann Esposito. No big deal.

But this post isn’t all about me. I met Mary Ann because we were both invited to the same media dinner hosted by Tuscan Market – a 10,000 square foot artisanal market with a 65-seat cafe featuring Italian-imported and inspired foods and products. The market - which is located right next to Tuscan Kitchen in Salem, N.H., and owned by Joe Faro – will open in October.

Our evening kicked off with innovative bellinis, which we got to sip while walking around the store and admiring the almost-filled shelves full of authentic Italian items (including olive oil, wine and candy, to name a few).

Delicious, freshly-baked olive bread. 

Handmade pastas.

Parmesan cheese...straight from Italy.

Tuscan Market also features a wide variety of local produce, most of it coming from Smolak Farms in North Andover, Mass.

Our meal for the evening - which was presented and prepared by Tuscan Brands' Corporate Chef Eddie Payne - consisted of five courses. Unfortunately, Z and I only had the chance to try a few of them, since most of the dishes were not vegetarian-friendly - but we still were able to get a good enough taste of what Tuscan Market will have to offer the public in a few weeks.

Smolak Farms' heirloom tomato, caramelized fig, house-made burrata,  local truffle honey, and purple basil.

The vegetarian version of the Cappellacci of Roasted Butternut Squash & Duck Brasato with simple sage sauce, shaved black summer truffle, and Parmigiano Reggiano.

Payne talking about the dishes.

Everything we tried was flavored beautifully, and all of the ingredients used were clearly fresh. It was a bummer we couldn't try all of the dishes, but we did make up for dinner with dessert. Meet the most delicious, moist carrot cake I have ever eaten (hands down):

The cream cheese frosting was also delightfully tart, smartly lacking the unnecessary added sugar.

We finally cleansed our palates with some house-made pistachio gelato (the market features 24 different flavors of gelato) and a cup of strong cappuccino.

I would definitely return to Tuscan Market once it opens in October. From the freshly-baked breads to the local produce to the authentic Italian products, this will be the one-stop shop for all of your quality, local food needs. Trust me: It’s worth the short drive to Salem. 

Tuscan Market will be open seven days a week: Monday to Thursday 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and Sunday 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

My food and drinks were complimentary, but, as always, the opinions expressed in this post are honest and 100 percent my own. 

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