By: Katelyn Parker

If you are anything like me, you have a great affinity for fine foods but can’t cook anything but pasta with jarred sauce. If I want something a little more eclectic than my cooking skills allow, my only option is to go out or bribe somebody with a larger skill set to cook for me. With the limited hours of restaurants, the inherent risk because of Covid, and the fact that I don’t have any chef friends, I am stuck with my generic pasta dinner; or am I?

While in Sheridan I came across a store called Verdello Olive Oils and Fine Foods. This store is a sanctuary for those who have as much appreciation for flavor as I do. They provide you the tools to create great meals in the comfort of your own kitchen.

Dried Pasta

Verdellos’ selection of dried pasta is impressive to say the least. The flavor and texture of artisanal dried pasta is worlds different than the dried pasta you get from your big chain grocery stores. These noodles are not just a delivery system for sauce, they complement the flavor and elevate the taste. It would be a disservice to these noodles to drown them in pasta sauce, masking everything that makes them exceptional. Although still dried pasta, using artisanal dried pasta sanctions a better home cooked meal with enhanced flavor.

Gourmet Ready to Eat Sauces

If you are not prepared tackle making a pasta sauce from scratch to adorn your new and improved noodles, Verdello carries a wide variety of jarred sauces that are far superior to the average sauce. These sauces make you wonder what you have been getting at the supermarket because the real deal carries a flavor that is entirely different. Not sure which sauce complements which pasta? Verdellos’ knowledgeable and professional staff can help you make the right decisions to be able to send you home with everything you need to make an excellent home cooked meal.

Olivelle Oils and Vinegars

For the longest time I was under the impression that olive oil came in one flavor and vinegar was used in salad dressing and cleaning purposes. In actuality, there is a wide variety of flavors, recipes and uses for both. Verdello carries a vast selection of Olivelle oils and vinegars and allow their patrons an opportunity to taste each one. Olivelle offers recipe cards for each of their products, giving inspiration to create something you normally wouldn’t with ingredients you don’t usually use. If the recipe on the corresponding card doesn’t suit your fancy, Verdellos’ staff can educate you on different uses for each of their products.

Fine Wines

What is fine cuisine without a fine wine to go along with it? Also carried in store is a large selection of fine wines in several varietals. Just like the vast difference between grocery store dried pasta and artisanal dried pasta, the difference in flavor of good wine is exponential. Box wines or cheap bottles do not share the complexity and flavor that a finer bottle does. Just because the wine is superior to its bagged counterpart doesn’t mean it isn’t affordable, Verdellos’ prices are very fair for the quality of wine they are dealing.

Charcuterie Boards

Charcuterie boards are a hot item in cuisine these days. Meat and crackers have always been a staple, but a well-crafted charcuterie board elevates the old standby tenfold. The thing about crafting and bringing a board to friendly get togethers or events is that it takes time and quite a few materials. At Verdello they do it for you. They provide all the ingredients so that you are set up to create your own board or they have several sizes to choose from and they will construct it for you. This is a helpful trick to keep in mind once the holiday’s role around.

In addition to their many products they sell in-store, Verdello also offers wine and cheese plates that you can enjoy in house. They offer inside and outside seating (weather permitting) and the ambiance is perfect. We sat on their back patio which features a fenced yard with a large gazebo and perfect landscaping, offering the perfect oasis to sip on a glass of dry rosé and snack on a triple cream brie.

For those of you that aspire to be more of a chef at home, Verdello offers cooking classes in their beautiful luxury kitchens that are housed in the back of the store. You can access the schedule of their cooking classes on their website as well as order products and discover new recipes.

Verdello opens the door to fine cuisine and worldly exploration. If you love food and wine, this is your store.