7 February, 2020: Chris just sent us this picture with the text: “2200lbs organic red cabbage from red fire. Looks beautiful” Couldn’t agree more, Chris. We’ll be shredding, quick-pickling, and serving these up in our Chickpea Fritter. You might notice that the local stuff makes for an even more bright, vibrant sandwich. Thanks to the folks at Red Fire out… Read More
7 February, 2020: Our block on Boylston just got SO LOUD! There’s a Chik-fil-a opening up next door to CloverBBY in the old Boloco spot, and the construction noise is killing me! This was Stacia the other day, trying to chat with customers but literally only being able to smile over the sound of the drilling. Read More
7 February, 2020: Ayr got us a new camera, and I’ve been playing around with close-up photos. I’m pretty proud of this one of the Bridgewater. You can almost taste those crispy mushrooms! Our beloved Bridgewater leaves Tuesday the 11th to make space for a BRAND NEW MUSHROOM SANDWICH, the Mushroom Parm! If you’re on the app you may have… Read More
30 March, 2009: So some of you may know Anderson. Some of you may have just seen him cranking out sandwiches silently and fast. He’s an incredibly hard worker, but a man of few words. So when Anderson came to work today with a cut on his forehead (see picture) I asked what it was about. He claimed he and… Read More
3 February, 2020: We’re in the process of refreshing the branding at Clover. But you may not have noticed. And that’s by design. I’m trying to do this logo refresh in a zero-waste approach. Typically when companies decide to change their branding they tear up signs, throw away packaging, throw away menus, etc. It’s really wasteful. I got to thinking:… Read More
31 January, 2020: Farmers want to grow grain because it helps their soil. For soil, grain is like…a trip to the spa? A planting of grain (barley, wheat, or whatever) heals soil, prevents erosion, captures nutrients. It gets soil hyped to grow the next crop, and makes THAT crop better. What does that have to do with the beer you’re… Read More
31 January, 2020: Whoa, the Gonzo Gyro test at BBY was super successful. Olivia made this chart yesterday showing Gonzo crushing Bridgewater and giving Chickpea a run for its money. You guys even cleaned us out of our supply of David’s Greek inspired seitan! Problem is: we made another batch and we forgot to put salt in it. And the… Read More
29 January, 2020: David (training manager) grew up on Long Island. If you’ve spent much time in NY, you know you can’t walk a block without seeing a gyro, rotating peacefully in a stainless steel cabinet. Can you say it: “yee-ro?” Gyros are made of pork, beef, or lamb, stacked horizontally onto a rotisserie, studded with garlic, rosemary, thyme, oregano.… Read More
5 August, 2008: I scribbled down my goals for the brand a few months ago. Here they are: Long-term aspiration: Clover comes to define a lifestyle centered around a new cuisine and positive conscientious relationship to food Make Clover first place that comes to mind when people think of light/healthy/conscientious/organic food Allow consideration more broadly (e.g., squeeze into their minds… Read More
29 January, 2020: We’ve been privy to (and participated in) a resurgence in local grain over the past decade. More and more farmers are growing grain again in New England. Bakers want to bake with it, brewers want to make beer with it. But we’ve struggled with how to talk to customers and other chefs about why they should care… Read More
27 January, 2020: The Pushpir sandwich is leaving us soon (next Tuesday) to make way for the Venezuelan Plantain. Which means our boxes of magical, smelly chaat masala will have to be sent back to the HUB, and that is sad. Pushpir told us about chaat masala back in 2013 when he guided us through the world of North Indian… Read More
24 January, 2020: A few years back, Enzo brought us a sandwich called the Sunday Mushroom, based on the Sunday red sauce his Italian-American family would make. Super delicious but never reached the status of a JSP or a Brussels. Then the other week, Chris Strange came to Food Dev with another take. Chris was inspired by toasted ravioli he… Read More
23 January, 2020: I wanted to get a picture up of the Quick Lunch from P&E (pictured). Lucia beat me to announcing the Quick Lunch because she’s so… quick! If you haven’t noticed, this is at Clover KND (Kendall Square) as of yesterday. In testing. A bowl of Hearty Vegetable Stew, a salad featuring locally grown greens, a piece of… Read More
26 February, 2010: I made the trek down to Berkshire Products. This place is about as far as you can get from Boston and still be in MA. But they mill some of the most beautiful wood anywhere. It’s just amazing. I’ve always loved wood. In the context of Clover I think wood can bring warmth to what is going… Read More
21 January, 2020: We’ve been trying to think of ways for you all to eat more soup. Paul and Elizabeth’s is a family restaurant in Northampton that Ayr loves. They do something called a Quick Lunch – for $9.50 you get a salad, a soup, a dinner roll, and a tea! The “quick” part isn’t a lie – all the… Read More