Valentine's Day
Gift-giving and exchanging notes of affection on February 14th are traditions that date back to the 17th century. Forgetting to get your sweetie something for Valentine’s Day probably goes back as far. So let us provide you with a reminder, and the following are some of the many options you have here at Union Market for giving the one you love something meaningful and romantic.
Flowers
Valentine’s Day is the biggest day for roses all year, and we always stock a stunning selection of sizes, stems, colors and varieties. Additionally, we broaden our already extensive array of everything floral, packing our stores to the rafters with all the flowers you love the most. Some of your favorites include tulips, carnations, alstromeria and lilies. We also have gorgeous hand-tied mixed bouquets, for the gorgeous one in your life.
Chocolates
Chocolates (like oysters, another Valentine’s Day favorite) enjoy a somewhat questionable reputation for their love-stirring powers. While scientists still struggle to discover that magical physical component that gets the juices flowing, we can tell you that one’s generosity of spirit and the incomparable deliciousness of the goodies themselves count for a lot.
We’ve always prided ourselves on the extensive selection of confection. All of our stores have counters devoted to them. Whether you’re looking for a single, sweet bauble of dusted truffle or a boxful of mouth-watering options, we’ve got you covered.
Many of the most creative producers today are locally based. Our own lovely house collection of Union Market varietal bars and bonbons is made by Brooklyn’s own Tumbador Chocolate. This year we will be offering gorgeous gift boxes and alluring assortments from:
Jacques Torres - Brooklyn, NY
Michel Cluizel - Paris, France
François Pralus - Roanne, France
Sweet Shop USA - Mount Pleasant, TX
Lake Champlain Chocolates - Burlington, VT
Some of the other confectionary artists we carry include:
Nunu Chocolate - Brooklyn, NY
Madécasse Chocolate - Brooklyn, NY
Vosges - Chicago, IL
Chuao Chocolatier - San Diego, CA
Caviar
Few romantic indulgences can compete with caviar. A year-round luxury food, wholly unique in concept and flavor, caviar plays to the high end of our senses. And our sensuality.
We carry four types of caviar, all sustainable, all fresh-packed and non-pasteurized:
Russian Osetra
Young Caspian Sea Sturgeon are transplanted to a farm facility in Bulgaria, maintaining the all the quality and characteristics of the breed and keeping the production environmentally sound. Because it is a Russian breed (Acipenser Gueldenstadtii), it can still legally be called Russian, but we don’t want to mislead you into thinking this is wild Caspian caviar, which is endangered and protected. The pearl is firm, medium to large in size, golden to dark brown in color. It has a smooth, slightly nutty flavor and a clean buttery finish.
American White Sturgeon
Also known as Transmontanus Sturgeon. This California sturgeon’s farm has a micro-ecosystem in place, where filtered water passes through a four acre hydroponics pond and vegetables are grown all year round. The process is designed to clean, recharge and recycle the waters so that the sturgeon swim in the most pristine and mineral-rich environment possible. The pearls are medium to large in size, dark grey to jet black color, with an extremely smooth flavor and a soft, creamy texture.
American Hackleback
Hackleback Sturgeon is a wild-harvested fish, native to the lakes and rivers of Tennessee and Illinois. Probably the most prized of all the wild American caviars, it yields a slightly smaller egg with a jet black-to-dark brown color and firm texture. The flavor is robust and briny, but still buttery.
Salmon Roe
A wild-caught species, Chum Salmon are native to the North Pacific. Ours are fished off the coast of Alaska. The medium-large eggs have a golden orange color and firm texture. They burst in your mouth like a confection, and have a strong flavor that is both briny and honey-sweet.
Oysters
Even though there’s no scientific evidence that oysters are an aphrodisiac, just the idea of them seems to make us think that way. (Perhaps that, by itself, is what makes them aphrodisiacs.)
If you’re like us, great food is a turn-on in almost any form. So let’s give oysters their due: a unique, fresh food, stimulating, exciting… and romantic.
Check out our terrific Fresh Live Oyster Selection.
http://unionmarket.com/index.php/products-about/products-seafood
