Meat & Fish Market

Surf & Turf Thursdays are back in the Hill. And check out their selection of cedar-planked seafood.

Summer has arrived at last, and that means the return of Surf & Turf Thursdays at our Chestnut Hill store. The combo this year is naturally-raised Aspen Ridge ribeye steaks (normally $15.99/lb.) and cold-water lobster tails (normally $39.99/lb.). By packaging them together, the price goes down to $16.99/lb. The two items must be purchased together.

The Hill is also the spot for planked fish combos. The M/P/F Squad has packaged two: salmon ($12.49/lb.) and rainbow trout ($11.49/lb.). Availability is subject to change. Grilling with a plank, which is packaged with the fish, requires a little more prep time — the plank must be soaked in water for a couple hours — and applying a light coat of oil before you lay the fish on it. Then, just close the lid and wait; no flipping is needed.

Going On in Grocery

A better-for-you ice cream and more Fraktured hot sauces in Ambler.

The latest candidate for Ice Cream That’s Yummy and Healthy(ish) comes out of West Chester and has its own stand-alone freezer in Ambler. Six Pack Creamery offers two flavors — Cocoa Milk Muscles and Lean Mean Vanilla Bean — with only two grams of saturated fat, nine grams of sugar and 13 grams of protein per serving (which is listed as one-third of a pint on the package). I tried Cocoa Milk Muscles, and it passed my Real Deal Taste Test. Right now, it’s only available on Butler Avenue.

Moving down the line from sweet to spicy, Perkiomenville’s Goshenhoppen Run Farm has added to its line of Fraktured hot sauces. The new varieties, also only in Ambler for now, include Pipicha Verde (mild/medium in heat, with tomatillo, garlic scapes and jalapeño); Twisted Ginger (super hot, with carrot, ginger, and habanero), and Hot Shiitake (super hot and savory, with tomato, shiitake mushrooms, and smoked Carolina Reaper peppers). Look for them to be added to the offerings in Mt. Airy and the Farm Market soon.

All Wellness & Good

Expanded options for cleaning up Next Door. And MudGirls ceramics debut in Ambler.

Just in time for sweaty season, Next Door has broadened their line of deodorants from Herban Cowboy. They now carry Blossom, Love, and Sport sticks, as well as three varieties of spray. Their products are vegan and cruelty free.

In Hill soap bar news, Next Door has managed to squeeze a new vendor into its shelves: Siliski Soaps of Murrysville, east of Pittsburgh. Their recipes are based on olive oil rather than palm, combined with cocoa, shea, and coconut oils, and contain no fillers, preservatives, or synthetic lathering agents.

Meanwhile in Ambler, the ceramic art of MudGirls Studios of Atlantic City is dressing up the gen merch pockets of the store. MudGirls is a nonprofit that started as an activity in a women’s day shelter and has now branched into a business that includes a workforce of 10. Their pieces include bowls, hand-carved tiles, tea bag dishes, and soap dishes.