Whoever came up with the advice “Make a list before you shop” or “Always shop on a full stomach” has obviously has never visited Mint in Tarrytown. Has anyone ever walked out of that store without making an unplanned purchase? It’s practically impossible. But today I was a man on a mission.
It was a hot one out there, so before trekking to Mint, I made a pit stop at Bubble Shop in Hartsdale.
Bubble Shop’s connected to the Asian supermarket, New Golden Village. And they make some kick-butt bubble teas, a Taiwanese-invented sweet tea drink with chewy tapioca balls that you suck up through a straw.
So many tempting choices! I chose mango.
Ahhh, the beauty of a bubble tea on a hot summer day. I absolutely love this drink. The nice part is that once the tea’s gone, there are still plenty of tapioca balls on the bottom to suck up. Refreshed and still chewing on tapioca balls, I headed over to Mint.
I’d told myself I was only going to Mint to buy two things: a wedge of Pecorino Romano and a bag of Tortas de Aceite. What are Tortas de Aceite? They’re a Sevillian snack, a crispy, slightly sweet biscuit flavored with anise. A girl I used to date introduced me to them, and I’m forever grateful.
“Pecorino and Tortas, Pecorino and Tortas, Pecorino and Tortas,” I repeated to myself over and over as I walked inside. I didn’t see the Tortas in their usual spot so I asked Hassan, the owner, where they were. ”We’re out,” he said. ”Someone yesterday bought all of them.”
D’oh! Disappointing news, but at least there was still the Pecorino. Hassan cut me a slice to taste. It was excellent, so I ordered a wedge of it. Done. Time to go.
Then Hassan said, “Here, try this,” offering a slice of green cheese. ”It’s Gouda with basil.”
I tasted it. Shit. That’s really good. No, change that, that’s freakin’ delicious.
“What are you making?” Hassan asked.
“I don’t know, some pasta with asparagus and artichokes,” I said. ”I just wanted the Pecorino to grate on top.”
“The Gouda would go even better.”
Damn, Hassan’s good. Once he hooks you, he reels you in. He cut me a slice of another cheese.
“Pecorino with black truffle.”
Mmmmm. Sharp and earthy. Now I was tempted to buy the entire cheese case. Not to mention the basket of beautiful crusty baguettes close by. It was a battle of the “rational me” vs. the “glutton me”… the “rational me” won, sort of. I bought a wedge of the Pecorino, a wedge of the Gouda, snagged a baguette, and booked it out of Mint before anything else caught my eye.
But you know what? I’m glad I listened to Hassan. Here’s my pasta with the grated basil Gouda on top.
The Gouda gave the pasta a depth of flavor it never would have had without. It was the perfect cheese for this dish. Hassan was right.
Bubble Shop
365 Central Park Ave.
Hartsdale, NY 10583
914-723-1120
Mint Premium Food
18 Main St.
Tarrytown, NY 10591
914-703-6511