Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and Virginia Gourmet has many wonderful healthy Valentine’s Day goodies.  Naturally, it would not be Valentine’s Day without chocolate.  Why not try our new heart healthy chocolates.  These handmade dark chocolates have a 98% cocoa content, are made using a blend of cocoa beans and a dash of sea salt (No sugar added!), then shaped into roses and bite-sized sea shells.  The sea salt is one of the secrets, making the sweetest and best tasting dark chocolate you will ever experience.  Roses can be purchased singly or in a bouquet.  The bite-sized sea shell shapes are individually wrapped and packaged in a ½ pound box.  According to the Department of Cardiology at Riverside Regional Medical Center, consumption of ¼ pound of dark chocolate containing 97% or more cocoa per week (2 pieces of our chocolate per day) is healthy for your heart.  Show the one you love that you care by giving the gift of heart healthy handmade dark chocolates.

Another great Valentine’s Day treat is our coffee beans available in Revolutionary Roast & the Virginia Symphony Orchestra Blend (for the “coffee purist”); Roasted Chestnut (for those who like their coffee bolder with a caramel finish); or Southern Pecan (for those who like their coffee sweet).  Drop in one of our heart healthy chocolates to make a mocha coffee.

When planning your Valentine’s Day meal, consider serving bison.  We offer bison hot dogs, bison steaks, and bison burgers.  Any one of these will make a lean and hearty Valentine’s meal.  Add a side of our fresh vegetable pastas to round-out your meal.

Naturally, our Bloody Mary Mix is a perfect way to celebrate any holiday or just a day.  Our Bloody Mary Mix is authentic Eastern Shore made with real clam juice and anchovies.  It’s not just a drink – use it to jazz-up chopped meat, for cold cucumber soup or gazpacho, or make a cocktail sauce with it!

This is just a small sample of what Virginia Gourmet has to offer for the ones you love on Valentine’s Day.  Stop in the shop and let us help you prepare for your special day!  Give from the heart by supporting local!  Happy Valentine’s Day!

Virginia Gourmet is pleased to welcome the Woman's Club of Williamsburg Thursday, December 15 from 5:30-7:00pm for a cookbook signing and chef's demo. Chef Mike from Oceans & Ale will be preparing one of his famous steak recipes which is found in the Woman's Club cookbook, Tasteful Traditions. He will be using ingredients that are available at Virginia Gourmet.  The event will serve as a fundraiser with 10% of all proceeds benefitting the Woman's Club of Williamsburg and its charities.  Please join us for an evening of great food, gift giving, and fundraising.

The cookbook is a compilation of recipes from the Woman's Club members and local restaurant chefs.

Our 2011 Holiday Showcase is just around the corner.  Join us at Virginia Gourmet on Sunday, December 4 from Noon to 3:30pm for a sampling of all the wonderful Virginia's Finest specialty foods we have to offer.  We will be cooking up dishes using items that are available for purchase from Virginia Gourmet.  If the weather is nice, Len may fire up the barbecue!  As you may or may not know from past years, we pull-out all the stops and feature some unique ways to cook.  In addition to our specialty food offerings, we will have Virginia artisan works for sale, along with cookbooks and cooking implements.  So, mark your calendar and we will look forward to seeing you at Virginia Gourmet on Sunday - right before the Grand Illumination!

Virginia Gourmet is located at 264 McLaws Circle in Williamsburg, Virginia

Why Gluten Free?

We want everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy our products. In order to achieve this, we found that we needed to choose all natural or organic ingredients that were compatible to everyone. Therefore, as we developed and continue to develop our products, we take into consideration those people who have allergies to various food ingredients such as wheat. We also cater to those who are looking tor additional ingredient options to incorporate into their diets. We strive to make these foods healthier and better tasting than their traditional counter-parts. This way, you don't have to be on a gluten free diet, to enjoy our gluten free food.

We will discuss other ingredient philosophies in future blogs. Please let us know your ingredient concerns so we might be able to design a future product for you and others as well. Remember, our goal is to provide products that everyone can enjoy.