Salume Beddu

For our regular Friday date, Chuck and I went to Salume Beddu,  which had just announced that they will be serving lunch this week.

I had been buying their products at the Clayton Farmers' Market for a couple of years and was delighted that they had found a permanent location. These two young men, Mark Sanfilippo and Ben Poremba, are immensely talented.

I was so happy to find them. Mark makes these unbelievably wonderful homemade crackers that I hoard during the winter months when I had not been able to get them. Now all I have to do is to drive to their new place of business and voila' there they are.

Ben is dedicated to curing and creating delicious salame, coppa, speck ( a kind of proscuitto), salsiccia, soppressatas, roasted pork belly, whatever. All the meats at Salume Beddu are made in house.  In fact, right on the sign over their establishment  it says, Salume Beddu, Artisan Cured Meats, Established 2007.

What they have created is a place where you can get not only delicious house cured meats and fabulous crackers, but very special, interesting cheeses, antipasto ingredients, imported pastas, Zursun heirloom beans grown in Idaho, Mediterranean inspired side dishes, and amazing bread from Red Guitar, by the baker, Alex Carlson. The crust is incredible.

Mark and Ben have put up a communal table at one end of their establishment, so while you're enjoying your delicious meal, you can visit with the other diners. There were some very serious foodies there when we were there and every one of them was delighted with his or her choices.

Chuck and I tried a bunch of the offerings.  He had Coppa and Fresh Mozzarella with Pears and I had Speck with Ricotta Salata, Preserved Lemons and Toasted Hazelnuts.  If you're not familiar with Ricotta Salata, you should get acquainted. It's nothing like the ricotta you get in a carton at the grocery store. It's a white solid cheese with a slightly salty finish that goes beautifully with fruity flavors. I adore it.

Both our plates were absolutely yummy and wonderful looking. Chuck's pears were thinly sliced lengthwise so you could enjoy the entire silhouette of the pear.  My preserved lemons were also thinly sliced and looked elegant on the plate plus they added a special note to the speck and ricotta salata that was just the right note. The toasted hazelnuts added crunch and flavor that enhanced the entire dish.

Next we had Bruschetta that today was a Lamb Sausage with amazing secret sauce and herbs. It was served hot on Alex Carlson's terrific bread.

For dessert we had a Creamy Sheep Milk Cheese with Honeyed Preserved Figs.  Lovely.

Do yourself a favor check this place out. You won't be disappointed.

Salume Beddu
3467 Hampton Avenue
63139
314-353-3100
www.salumebeddu.com