Happy Girl Kitchen
173 Central Ave., Pacific Grove, 373-GIRL
A good pickle involves crispness, acidity, exciting spicing, crunch and a sense of surprise, according to Todd Champagne. Champagne and his wife Jordan founded their community cannery so folks can enjoy the Central Coast’s delicious flavors year round. What powers these picklers to super places? “Patience to create thousands of edible time capsules,” Champagne says. Few words do their “spicy bread and butter pickle” justice; this writer, in fact, just devoured one for research, then finished a full jar for quality control. Beyond the artisanal cucumbers, H. Girl also preserves veggies like carrots, garlic and green beans. Savor the flavors: Sweet, spice and everything nice.