February 2013
There came a wonderful invitation in my mailbox. It was an invitation to celebrate the official opening of the Wild Purveyors store and to thank those who had made the opening possible via Kickstarter!
About Wild Purveyors….
Brothers, Cavan and Tom Patterson [owners of Wild Purveyors] specialize in seasonal, locally sourced raw and specialty food products which include: foraged mushrooms and other wild edibles, sustainably farmed natural produce, humanely raised natural meats and poultry, sustainably farmed fresh water fish, as well as farmstead and artisan cheeses. They are committed to providing the freshest, highest quality foods from the Pennsylvania region, whether they are sourced straight from Mother Nature or with a little help from our responsible farmers’ hands.
Since I was late to learn about the Kickstarter, unfortunately, I was not a funder, so how did I receive the invitation anyway? This pleasant surprise was the results of a generous, hungry diningsaur with a stylish orange neckerchief. My blogging buddy Rodzilla Reviews left Pittsburgh for the increased Vitamin D offerings of the West Coast before cashing in his Kickstarter reward. He sent me as a surrogate, so the least I could do was bring his alter ego along for the samplin’.
Before Wild Purveyors was a brick (and oh what lovely brick it is) and mortar store, Cavan and Tom could be found at various food and community events in the city. I was already impressed with their offerings and commitment to local foods. I had high hopes for their store, but when I walked through their door for the very first time, I do believe my heart fluttered! Their store is a thing of rustic charm and true beauty, and they built the interiors themselves. If I could, I would live there.
Thanks to jam maven of The Purple Spoon (named for the color a wooden spoon turns when used to make jam), I learned Pennsylvania is a source of cranberries. I also learned Diningsaurs really like jam! We left with a jar of the cranberry walnut.
The rabbit pate tartines called for seconds [and thirds]…
In addition to the rustic retail area, Wild Purveyors contains an event space, where the long, communal, wooden table steals the show (and my event-designing heart). My mind was racing with ideas for that space!
Pumpkin shrub cocktail and beer from East End Brewery.
Many thanks to Rodzilla for sending me to such a lovely afternoon festivity. Many thanks to Wild Purveyors for putting such a beautiful store and a noble mission on the block. I will be back soon for more cheese and whatever else winds up in one of the shopping baskets (actual baskets!!!).
