Designer Furniture Right From The Finger Lakes

The MacKenzie-Childs furniture headquarters and manufacturing facility is located in the village of Aurora, located in the heart of the Finger Lakes on the east side of Cayuga Lake. Standing at the front of their buildings you are greeting with a panoramic view of Cayuga Lake. The beauty doesn't end there, either. Once inside visitors are able to walk through the visitor center, as well as get a tour of their facility.

Each of the items made here are meticulously hand-made by their experienced team of artisans. This is one of the things I love about their furniture, because each thing they make is completely, 100% unique. It's almost like the piece you bought was custom made just for you.

I first had the pleasure of experiencing their furniture first hand while I was working at an ad agency in Western New York. The furniture in the lobby, as well as a couple of other pieces throughout the building, were all from MacKenzie-Childs. I always thought the lobby looked sharp with that furniture!

I highly encourage anyone who's in the market for new furniture to make the trip to Aurora and visit their facility first. You'll not only have a great experience on the tour, and entire visit to the Finger Lakes, you'll also be supporting a New York business with your purchase.

Yancey's Fancy Cheese is still the fanciest around

Yancey's Fancy Cheese is made Corfu, New York and is home to some of the best hand crafted cheeses found in New York State. Throughout their illustrious history that started shortly after the First World War with a lone emigrate from Bavaria, Germany named Leo Kutter who started making cheese Cowlesville, New York, Yancey's Fancy has been at the forefront of exceptionally high quality, unique and fresh cheese that makes the best use of its New York location by working directly with local milk suppliers through the Upstate Farms Cooperative.

I recently had the pleasure of trying some of the Yancey's Fancy Bergenost Cheese, which I should add, is not only a Yancey Fancy Exclusive but also New York State Fair winner in 2009. It is a milder cheese that is similar to a sweeter Gouda in both appearance and texture. When taken alone it has a smooth start with an almost sour finish. When paired with a cracker and glass of Riesling it showed itself to be spreadable and complementary to sweetness from the wine. These points alone denote all the hallmarks of a fine cheese. It should also be noted that Yancey's Fancy supplies recipes for many of its cheeses. For the Bergenost, the Yancey's Fancy Creamy Bergenost Spinach and Artichoke Dip sounds delicious and would be great for any party.

So next time you are looking for a great cheese, be it for wine pairings, cooking, a party or just enjoying at home, try out some of New York's finest artesian cheese with Yancey's Fancy. Also, if you find yourself in the mood for something a little extra spicy, head on over to the House of Heat and check out the line of hot cheddar cheeses.

Here's a post for anyone with kids, or anyone who still feels like a kid

First off I'd like to welcome our newest contributor Sean Burley to the Made in NY blog. Hi Sean! He shares the vision of this blog, and loves NY state. I can't wait to see more contributions.

This post is all for the kids, and the kids at heart. As a kid and a young teenager one of my favorite chewing gums was Big League Chew, especially during the little league season. I would always have a pouch in my bag whenever I'd go to practices or games, and looking back as an adult I can still remember a couple of the games we'd play. One was who could blow the biggest bubble, and who could hold it for the longest. The second was who can chew the most at one time. Then there was always the feeling that chewing it connected you with your favorite big league players, especially if you collected enough wrappers to send in for your own replica World Series championship ring.

I haven't chewed this gum in years, and only recently started thinking about it again when I learned that this gum is manufactured in Akron, NY. Next time you're looking for a locally made gum try to remember to pick up a pouch of Big League Chew.

Flying Bison Brewing Company : Bisionfest

Hey everyone, my name is Sean Burley and I recently joined up with this great endeavor. It is my hope that my experiences in New York can help shine a little light on some really great things available right here in the Empire State. Without further ado, on to the review!

I have been drinking everything put out by the Flying Bison Brewing Company for almost 7 years now. The Aviator Red, Rusty Chain and the Buffalo Lager are some of the all-season brews that can be found on tap in many of the pubs, bars and local stores in bottles right here in Buffalo, NY. The brewery was started by Tim Herzog some time ago in the City proper and hopes to pave the way for a return of the grand brewing traditions Buffalo once had.

The beer that first caught my eye so many years ago is one that only comes out every year in early fall: The Bisonfest (Formally known as Baron von Bisionfest) which, as the name might suggest, is an Oktoberfest Marzen. This beer taste great and can be enjoyed at home with a six pack or on tap at such fine establishments as the Blue Monk in the Elmwood Village Buffalo, NY. Either way you will note right away that this “older” styled marzen is an intermediate burgundy color that smells almost citrusy at first but in time turns to a creamy caramel. With both its subtle malty taste and the crisp, refreshing finish the beer has a great drinkability rating, it is therefore somewhat sad to see this beer leave so soon, as it is only available for about 2 months! So get it while you can and if you looked to no avail : check out the Village Beer Merchant, they have everything!

Don't worry guys, you can find high end designer clothes made right in NY

I grew up in Rochester, and I often heard about Hickey Freeman being talked about in the news. It wasn't until I was almost done with college that I realized what a big deal this company was in the world of designer men's fashion. The company manufactures a full line of mens clothing, including dress clothes, casual clothes, outerwear, accessories, and more which are all manufactured at their facility in Rochester, NY.

You can see their full catalog, and order your favorite clothes right from the Hickey Freeman

Switching gears a little to highlight a non-consumable Made in NY product

This week I wanted to switch gears a little, and shift the focus away from food and beer. This week I wanted to highlight p.w. minor, a company which has been manufacturing shoes in Batavia, NY for 144 years. Today their products are found in shoe stores throughout the country.

p.w. minor specializes in making casual shoes, dress shoes, athletic shoes, boots, sandals and shoes for the medical profession. The company displays pride in their craftsmanship for the quality of the shoe you purchase. They also manufacture a number of specialty products for individuals with a number of different conditions, including arthritis, diabetes, bunions, hammer toes, and plantar fasciitis.

A tool on their website will help you locate a dealer in your area where you can purchase their shoes.

Next time you're in the market for a new pair of shoes, why not consider a pair from a company manufacturing them right here in New York state.

Reviewing another NY beer for Oktoberfest

I know my last two posts have revolved around items found in Cooperstown, so I want to promise you that not all products reviewed in this blog will be from there. However, this post will still be a beer review as we get closer to Oktoberfest. One of the oldest, continually operating breweries in America is the Genesee Brewing Companylocated in Rochester, NY.

While there are some in Rochester who consider this to be a "cheap" beer that's not fit for consumption, it does not speak to all of those who have been supporting the brewery throughout the years. It has been my experience that most people who say they don't like Genesee beer have never actually tried it.

The brewery produces Genesee, Genny Light, Genesee Cream Ale, Genesee Ice, Genesee N.A., and Genesee Bock Beer. My personal favorite from this brewery is their flagship beer, Genesee. This beer, actually a lager, has a very crisp taste which makes it easy to drink.

If you haven't tried a beer from the Genesee Brewing Company before, or haven't had one from there in a while, I encourage you to try out any of their products.

The first of many NY beer reviews to get you ready for Oktoberfest!

In my previous post I mentioned one of my favorite dips which I found while vacationing in the Coooperstown, NY area. While on that same trip I found what I consider to be one of the best breweries in the north east. It's called Brewery Ommegang, and is located in Cooperstown, not too far from the downtown area. Driving up to it I knew it was going to be something special. It's set back from the road on a well manicured property, which is in start contrast to the forests and fields around them. The brewery offers guided tours, offering detailed explanations about the brewing process for their various beers. Don't fret, you won't be leaving empty handed. At the end of the tour you arrive in a tasting room and can sample each of the beers you just heard about. The beers are crisp, and each have a distinct flavor. I found myself particularly drawn to the Witte and the Hennipen the most, and am fortunate to still be able to purchase these locally at Wegmans. The beers themselves do have a higher price tag on them than most of the mass-produced beers you are probably familiar with. Don't let that fool you! The beers, even in their smallest 4-pack size, are stronger and have more flavor than most other beers you've tried. And if you get their larger sizes you'll find the bottle is perfect for sharing.

Next time you're looking for a new beer, particularly one made right here in New York State, check out any of the brews available from Brewery Ommegang. You won't be sorry.

One of the best Buffalo Bleu Cheese Dip's I've had

Over the years I've found it quite hard to find a good Buffalo Wing Dip at local supermarkets. Most were either too watery, too paste-like, too bland, or just didn't taste right. That all changed while I was vacationing in the Cooperstown, NY, area and found Fly Creek Cider Mill. All I have to say about this place is WOW! I could probably write a review for just about every product in this place. When you're in the store you have the opportunity to try just about every product they make. That actually makes the process harder, since everything is excellent. One of the items I tried in their store was their Buffalo Bleu Cheese Dip. It has a taste, and texture, that is very close to when you dip a buffalo wing into a tub of bleu cheese. This makes a a wonderful dip for chips & pretzels, as well as a great spread.

Buy it here directly from Fly Creek Cider Mill

Welcome to the Made in New York blog

Hello, and welcome to this Made in New York blog. As I've said at the top of this blog, I started this as a challenge to prove that there are still things manufactured in New York. I'm hoping that along the way I'll uncover some good nuggets, and possibly encourage others to try out a product made in New York. I'll try to start with products I've already used before and move on from there. If you ever have a question, or even a product request, feel free to comment on any of these posts.