I tasted Fatted Calf's high-end charcuterie products long after most of my friends did. But as soon as I nibbled on a cured sausage, I fell in love. Hard. I'm not alone: Local foodies rave about the salumi, bacon, and terrines. The only way to get choice items at their farmers' market stall is to sign up for their mailing list and reserve items in advance.
Taylor Boetticher, tattooed like a rock musician, and his wife Toponia Miller, whose small frame snakes adeptly through large crowds, do charcuterie the way it should be done, which is why I'm happy to give them my Charcuterie to Swoon For award for this year's Independent Food Festival. The operation embodies the principles that make for great food: The two chefs use traditional, artisanal techniques, they use only the best ingredients, and they keep their operation small.
Taylor got the charcuterie bug when he worked at Berkeley's Cafe Rouge, well-known for their offbeat meat dishes. Then he spent some time with Tuscany's world-famous Dario Cecchini, learning the craft of Italian salumi. Now, he and Toponia make charcuterie from all over Europe and regions influenced by its cuisine. On any given day, you might find pancetta, merguez, or chorizo among the many other products they sell.
Food lovers in the Bay Area often say there's no point in making your own bread, because great bread is easy to get. Fatted Calf presents the same problem for those of us interested in charcuterie: Why bother with all the work, when heaven is so close at hand?
