Big pleasure in small bites TASTE OF N.J.

Star-Ledger, The (Newark, NJ)

May 27, 2009
Big pleasure in small bites TASTE OF N.J.
Author: Brook Tarabour; FOR THE STAR-LEDGER
Edition: State/ROP
Section: Today
Page: 033


So here I am, sitting across the table chatting pleasantly with the owner of a business I'm writing about; everyday stuff, right? What's your concept, how did you get started, when did you open the usual way to start the conversation. Only this guy happens to be the guy who invented Alpine Lace cheese. The Guy.

If you think back to the early 1980s, Alpine Lace was probably the first low-sodium, low-fat deli product you ever heard of. In fact, when Carl Wolf came up with the concept of a "diet" cheese in 1983, he had a fairly tough time selling the idea to gourmet shops, never mind getting supermarkets to buy it.

But when he switched his original cheddar flavor to Swiss, things really started to turn around. National ad campaigns followed, and Alpine Lace, which made so many of us feel guilt-free about eating cheese that never called itself diet, became a household name. That was quite a feat, if you think about it. Today, there's not a major brand out there that doesn't carry low-sodium, low-fat versions of their deli products -- all because Carl Wolf thought it might be an idea that could fly.

So here I am in a huge warehouse in an industrial park in East Rutherford because Wolf has bought himself another business, and he just may lift this one into the Alpine Lace stratosphere (it had grown into a $250 million retail business by the time he sold it in 1991).

Hors D'oeuvres Unlimited is only eight years old and not a household name as yet. But rest assured that hotels, caterers and restaurants know it well. Through the years, the company has been an industry staple when it comes to bite-size treats at cocktail hour receptions, making items like franks-in-the-blanket, cheese straws and those little puffs filled with potatoes, mushrooms, spinach, or cheese.

Then came Carl Wolf and his son-in-law Matt Brown. There may still be franks-in-the-blanket, but there are also delicious little beef frank sliders on tiny potato rolls with mustard and kraut or chili and cheese. Remember cheese puffs? Well, now you can have one filled with pecans, wild mushrooms and Gorgonzola, or caramelized onion Brie en croute.

The crabcakes I remember being passed butler-style when I first started in the hotel business were more bread than crab; now you can choose citrus-infused jumbo lump crabcakes or crab Florentine pastry puffs. If you love lobster, how does butter-marinated Maine lobster brochettes or mini lobster pot pies sound?

Maybe your party has an Asian theme. How about edamame dumplings, General Tso's chicken dumplings, Imperial spring shrimp rolls, Thai curry samosas and wasabi-encrusted salmon brochette to start the evening's festivities?

If you like your hors d'oeuvres wrapped in phyllo, there's one with Brie, raspberries and almonds that's delicious, as are mission fig, Stilton and prosciutto bundles.
For something a little heartier, bacon-wrapped sirloin Gorgonzola skewers, mini beef Wellingtons, Philly cheese steak spring rolls, mini paninis with bacon, Swiss and chutney, and several choices of burger sliders might fit the bill.

For vegetarians, artichoke and spinach tartlets, farmhouse cheddar mac and cheese tarts, mushroom and asparagus spring rolls, or porcini risotto croquettes sound great.
There are about 120 varieties -- and yes, there are still puffs, little quiches and spanakopita for the purists at your gathering. But Wolf has taken the traditional canapé tray and turned it on its imaginative culinary head.

And get this: celebrity chef Michael Schulson of Style Network's "Pantry Raid," the former chef of Buddakan in Manhattan and the creator of Izakaya at the Borgata in Atlantic City, has created his own line of hors d'oeuvres for Wolf and Brown.

TV party planner Colin Cowie has also come up with a few products and offers several tips on how to plan the perfect party on the company's website. You'll also find lots of recipes, dipping and side-sauce suggestions and home preparation advice.

So now that you're really hungry, I've saved the best for last. You can buy online at regular cost, but if you come to the warehouse and purchase products there, you pay 60 percent off retail prices. There are 80 to 100 pieces per box, so you end up spending $25 to $65 per box, averaging $45. If this sounds like a huge amount of food to buy, think about how many pieces each guest eats during cocktails. Or plan a tapas party and use the hors d'oeuvres as your entire meal, just grazing through the evening. Or come with a friend, order together, save big, and wind up with more choices.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the last Friday of the month, the staff prepares a variety of items, and you can taste a few before you buy. There's no doubt in my mind you'll be treated to Dan Mancini's meatballs and Sunday sauce, a signature product. A local guy with a big dream, Mancini's meatballs take three to four hours to simmer, and then they're flash-frozen. A 4 ½ pound tray of 12 large meatballs with sauce costs $14 wholesale (your price at the warehouse), and I dare you to stop at one; I could not.
Mancini has already been on the Martha Stewart Show and Fox News; Wolf swears we'll see him on "60 Minutes" someday, and who could argue with a guy who turned diet cheese into a national obsession?

Take a look at the website and you'll be programming your GPS for a nondescript warehouse in an industrial park, where you might get lucky and meet Wolf before he moves on to his next inspired idea. For now, offering his customers appetizing, delightful, trendy food at 60 percent off of retail prices is working pretty well.  I'm worried, though. Once Katie Couric comes calling, can Mama Mancini's meatballs be far behind?

"Taste of New Jersey" appears every other week in Savor. Please send news of your favorite finds with your name and telephone numbers to Savor, "Taste of New Jersey," The Star-Ledger, 1 Star-Ledger Plaza, Newark, N.J. 07102. All submissions become the property of The Star-Ledger and will not be returned; submissions may be edited and may be published or otherwise reused in any medium. IF YOU GO Hors D'oeuvres Unlimited 25 Branca Road, East Rutherford, (201) 531-1212; appetizerstogo.com. Hours: 8 a.m. -- 3 p.m. Monday to Friday for walk-in purchases; 11 a.m. -- 2 p.m. for scheduled tastings on the last Friday of each month.



Caption:
Matt Brown, president of Hors D'oeuvres Unlimited in East Rutherford.
JENNIFER BROWN/THE STAR-LEDGER

 

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