This Week: Pasta, Chocolate, and Vitamins

Note: This is the first of installment of a bi-weekly feature on specialty stores in the Boston area. Today, the Daily looks at specialty food stores.



>Dave's Fresh Pasta

Though its brightly colored sign and charming storefront are sure to have caught every Tufts student's eye at least once while passing by on the Joey, it's easy to go your entire college career without ever once setting a foot inside Dave's Fresh Pasta. But missing out on this highlight of the Somerville/Medford community, with its quaint atmosphere, high-quality food, and friendly staff, would be as much a disaster as spending all four years of your Tufts experience locked away in your dorm room without ever leaving campus.

As its name might suggest, Dave's is a specialty pasta shop, though it does not exclusively sell noodles: everything from gnocchi to semolina is available here. A moderately-sized selection of Italian cheeses and various olive types are displayed in the front counter, ready to be measured out upon request. Nearly everything is homemade, from the multitude of fresh ravioli (the vegetarian comes highly recommended, but everything from gorgonzola to scallop, anise, and leek ravioli is available on their shelves) to the myriad of fresh sauces to various types of fancy pasta shapes that only a gourmand would know even existed, and the extensive collection of baking supplies will please even the pickiest cook.

But Dave's Fresh Pasta caters to the college student even more than the enterprising Italian chef. Also for sale are soups and lasagnas that can easily be reheated in a small kitchen or microwave, along with some cold pasta salads and Italian bread. The store offers free instructions and recipes for cooking their products, and hosts a once-a-month pasta-making class for an additional fee. Special orders can be completed with three days notice, making Dave's the perfect place to go when you're organizing that dinner party for all your friends, and the prices are affordable enough to make cooking at home an attractive alternative to eating out.

Dave's Fresh Pasta is located at 81 Holland Street in Davis Square. Open 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.



Cardullo's



One might not think of imported candy bars as a reason for visiting Harvard Square, but that's no reason not to stop off at Cardullo's the next time you're there. Described by its employees as "the other institution in Harvard Square," this specialty food store has been serving the community in Cambridge for 54 years and will be featured on Food Network's program "The Phantom Gourmet" this upcoming Valentine's Day.

Cardullo's may have plenty of imported foods (with chocolate from Great Britain and cookies from France), but their local products are equally appealing. Their shelves feature all sorts of New England preserves, ranging from sour cherry jam to raspberry peach champagne jelly and cranberry horseradish sauce, and they have a wide selection of spreads for sandwiches (all sorts of mayonnaise, mustards, and olive oils, along with almond and pistachio butter), along with a cold cuts section where customers can order inexpensive sandwiches.

Caffeine addicts will definitely find Cardullo's worth the trip, as they sport close to a dozen different brands of tea (including the fancier flavors that you can't find in your neighborhood supermarket), as well as fresh coffee. Also worth stopping in for is their fairly extensive wine collection, especially with a certain holiday encroaching on the horizon.

Cardullo's is located at 6 Brattle Street in Cambridge, close to the Harvard Square T-stop. Open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday

Cambridge Naturals



It's easy to go your entire college career without taking a single vitamin, but at least one store in Cambridge makes it so you won't have to. Cambridge Naturals, which is located about a five minute walk up Massachusetts Avenue from Porter Square, is airy and open with a knowledgeable staff eager to answer any sort of questions about which product might be best for a particular customer.

Products for healthy living are hardly lacking here, as you can buy everything from immunity enhancers and protein powder to homeopathic treatments. The store features an extensive collection of herbs, which can be purchased either bottled or in bulk from the oversized jars lining the back wall and ranges from sassafras and lemon grass to dried rosebuds. Raw honey can be purchased either in moderate amounts or in bulk, and the huge selection of energy bars displayed under the front counter means customers will never have to miss another meal due to a lack of time again. Also available are a wide selection of specialty teas and a small selection of healthier foods like soymilk and free range chicken broth.

Cambridge Naturals is located at 1670 Massachussets Avenue in Cambridge, about five minutes from the Porter Square T-stop. Open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 12-5 p.m. Sunday.