Hello Sourcers and happy December to you.

Let’s see what we’ve got this week!

🎪Bazaars!

🛍️Markets!

🎶Records!

There are frankly a ridiculous number of things going on this weekend, and I would deeply recommend that you get out and do something because January and February are looming and those can get…bleak.

For starters, there’s the holiday open house at the Corning Museum of Glass. Admission is free all weekend, and there’s some great kids activities. Plus, they usually have a really high quality Santa and Mrs. Claus. Does this imply that I spend the entire month of December silently judging every Santa and Mrs. Claus I encounter? Yes, yes it does.

The Rockwell Museum is also offering free admission this weekend. I cannot attest to the quality of their Santa, if any. But they will have gingerbread-themed family activities on Saturday!

Ithaca is host to a great artists market at the South Hill Business Campus. Factory Art Market kicks off Friday evening and runs Saturday and Sunday, featuring vendors from that building’s Artists Alley. It’s a really neat community of artists, crafters and artisans, and a great opportunity to check out the space.

In Binghamton, there’s the Holiday Bazaar at the Phelps Mansion, running Saturday and Sunday. In Elmira, there’s the Holiday in the Heights pop-up market on Saturday, with about a dozen local artisans. In Owego, it’s Lights on the River on Friday evening from 5-8pm with fireworks, food trucks, a Grinch, and roving jugglers. You’ve been warned. Saturday is WinterFest in Trumansburg. Their Santa is sort of just okay, but it’s a fun day, plus you can stop at the Cabin View Alpaca Farm on your way and, you know, meet some alpacas. If you like to sip while you shop, Grist Iron Brewing in Burdett is hosting their own Gristmas bazaar on Saturday, and so is Ill Eagle Taphouse in Elmira.

Basically, you’ve got no excuse not to have your shopping wrapped up (see what I did there) by Sunday night. 

Oh, and you’re coming to the Making Mixer at Angry Mom Records in Ithaca on Friday, right? We’ve got some special, limited edition swag to give away, plus snacks. And I’m told they sell records there.

What’s getting you out of the house this weekend?

Yours,

Bob Proehl

Locally Sourced editor

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Out of My Way - sharing stories of food across the region that I would go out of my way for…and so should you!

Soprano’s Market

607 Cayuta Ave

Waverly, NY 14862

Mon-Sat 7:00AM-9:00PM

Sun 8:00AM-8:00PM

Any time I find myself traveling between Binghamton and Elmira on Route 17/86, I find an excuse to take the Waverly exit and make a quick stop at Soprano’s Italian Market. Soprano’s is home to all things Italian! I’m never quite sure how to accurately describe this place other than a cross between an Italian grocery store, deli, bakery, and restaurant. 

Soprano’s is open Monday-Saturday from 7:00AM to 9:00PM and Sundays from 8:00AM-8:00PM so there’s a good chance they’ll be open whenever you find yourself in the neighborhood. When you walk in the door and head all the way to the back of the building, you’ll find the deli counter where you can get all sorts of traditional Italian meats and cheeses by the pound, as well as prepared food, sides, and made to order hot and cold sandwiches crafted with care. Their rye melt—grilled ham and Swiss on rye—is especially delicious!

And since this is an Italian eatery, you know they have a variety of calzones and pizzas, including some creative breakfast pizza options like steak bagel and eggs benedict. You can get breakfast, lunch or dinner and eat in or take your meal to go…but why would you give up the opportunity to sit near the pudgy Italian chef statue in their dining room at least once?

In addition to prepared food, Soprano’s also carries a wide assortment of Italian pantry staples like canned tomatoes, pastas, flours, and spices along with a variety of fresh breads and cheeses. Sometimes you can find totally unexpected things, like when I visited a few years ago in December and was elated to find a pile of dried and salted cod fish, tail and all, just in time for the Feast of the Seven Fishes!

But what keeps me coming back is their selection of homemade frozen pastas, ravioli, gnocchi, and sauces. At this time of year, I love their wild mushroom ravioli, which I cook up with a simple browned butter and sage sauce. They have ravioli with more traditional fillings like cheese or beef and fancier fillings like shrimp scampi or short rib. You can also get entire frozen entrees like lasagna, stuffed shells, and eggplant parmesan.   

Once you’ve browsed to your heart’s content, looked in every corner, and made your selections, you’ll think you’re done and go up front to the counter to check out. But there, you’ll be tempted by their mind-boggling array of desserts, including an impressive variety of cookies, biscotti, cannoli, cupcakes, scones, and other specialty pastries. On my last visit, I impulse-bought a napoleon and a tiramisu and had zero regrets. 

What fun, eclectic, or unique markets, grocery stores or delis do you go out of your way to visit? Send me a note. I love discovering new places to shop in the region!

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On a dark, cold November afternoon, I headed to Sound-Go-Round in Vestal to try to shake my Seasonal Affective Disorder. Over 20 years ago, this shop started as a CD music store and now includes vinyl, DVDs, video games and other fun stuff. The used vinyl section isn’t as robust as some other area stores, but I did manage to find a couple of treasures.

The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric - Wreckless Eric

In late 1978, the Stiff label released the second Wreckless Eric album, The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric, from British artist, Wreckless Eric. There were 3 versions of the disc - black vinyl, green vinyl and a picture disc. I was lucky enough to score the green one at Sound-Go-Round. The Stiff label was an early distributor of Punk music in the UK, signing such acts as Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello, Lene Lovich and Eric Goulden, aka, Wreckless Eric. As much as I love so many of the early Stiff artists, this purchase was my first Wreckless Eric disc. 

Wreckless Eric’s self-titled first album reached #46 on the UK album charts, this second disc (released later the same year) didn’t even chart! There were, however, a few publications that were very positive about the album. The Rough Guide to Rock wrote that the album develops Eric’s “patent hybrid of punk and pop with 50’s sensibility.” And it's the combo of those 3 genres that drew me into the album.

This disc falls within the UK genre of Pub Rock: not over-produced, energetic and raw, with some silly lyrics and even a fun cover of the Bubblegum Pop song “Dizzy” by Tommy Roe. If you are a fan of Robyn Hitchcock, The Kinks or Ian Drury and the Blockheads, you’ll want to visit The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric. 

Judy and Her Partners in Rhythm and Rhyme - Judy Garland

Back some time in the 1970’s, I was at the Holiday Bazaar in the Our Lady Queen of Peace auditorium in Staten Island. I loved going to the White Elephant table to look through treasures that folks pulled out of their home to sell. Little did I know that a fifty cent purchase would send me on a life-long interest in vinyl. I found a copy of the 1961 Judy Garland “Judy at Carnegie Hall” two-disc record set. This was the first album I bought with my own money, and I still have it somewhere in my vast, un-categorized collection.) 

Judy Garland was the first singer who actually gave me goosebumps when she sang. So when I saw a record I’ve never seen before at “Sound-Go-Round,” I had to add it to my pile. Judy and Her Partners in Rhythm and Rhyme, on the Star-Tone label, has previously unreleased tracks. Some are taken from the TV series, “The Judy Garland Show,” so the audio quality is not great. However, being able to hear Garland sing with Bing Crosby, Donald O’Connor, Gene Kelly (a rehearsal check!) and even TV’s Big Mouth, Martha Raye is historic. And I still get goosebumps listening to Judy Garland sing, even if the audio quality isn’t great!

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