The Spice Merchant

This place is located in Chenoweth Square in St. Matthews down the way from Seafood Connection and across from Paul's and Rick's Ferrari Grille. We went in yesterday for the first time and met the owner, who said she bailed out of a stressful career to do something she likes. She carries teas, spices and rubs (purchase by the ounce), mustards , tapenades, pesto, spice/pepper mills,...etc. This might be an option for those who, like me, have a cabinet full of spice jars of unknown age and condition and would like to buy in smaller quantities.

I'm not a tea drinker, but she had a good-sized selection of them. She said she has been pleased with the response to her place, which implies that the product turnover might be adequate to maintain freshness. She also said she gets a lot of good ideas from customers and will special order at their request. (I have no affiliation w/ the place - just out doing the Saturday rounds and stopped in.)

This is great news! I'll check it out this week! Thanks!

I've been pushing this place for a while now! Try the Cognac Pepper mustard she carries. The rubs are superb ( I'm fond of the New Zealand rub). She has some wonderful salts, and, though I'm not a tea-drinker, an amazing selection of teas. The spices are fresh, varied, and some are hard to find. It's up the street for us, but I'd go farther if it weren't!

Agree, this is great news. I've been looking for a source for bulk green tea and sounds like TSM might be the ticket.

...She has some wonderful salts....

Salts- I forgot about the salts! Pink salts, black salts, smoked salts.............etc.

I had no idea this place existed! I'm very excited now!

Made the trip in to the Spice Merchant today -- a great store. Found several varieties of bulk green tea, spearmint tea -- a lot of really intriguing choices.Purchased a couple ounces of New Mexico Poultry spice rub on some chicken breasts that I grilled. Nice flavors, a little heat but nothing eye-watering. Will definitely visit this little shop again. Hope she does well.

FYI - The Spice Merchant has a new website with some expanded store information - http://www.thespicemerchant.net

Thanks for the link - can't wait to stop by.

I found this place by accident when heading over to the Seafood Connection. Now I get all my spices for my BBQ from there and my wife and I have actually started drinking more tea. I really hope this place succeeds - there couldn't be a nicer person running the place.

[Robin Garr]

there couldn't be a nicer person running the place.

Someone ought to invite the nice person to the forum. We can always use more talky foodies here!

Someone ought to invite the nice person to the forum. We can always use more talky foodies here!

I did just that when I went in her place for the first time. I believe she would be interested in the discussions here and would have much to contribute.

[Robin Garr]

Someone ought to invite the nice person to the forum. We can always use more talky foodies here!

I did just that when I went in her place for the first time. I believe she would be interested in the discussions here and would have much to contribute.

Excellent, Jay, thanks. I've popped in there once or twice (like most of the rest of you, on side trips from Seafood Connection or St. Matthews Wine Co. or Paul's) and haven't really stopped to chat or introduce myself. It's not like an anonymous restaurant review! Next time I'm over, I'll ask for her, and if you guys all do the same, we can make her feel as welcome as other good local merchants are here.

And for those of us in other parts of the Metro, don't forget that Nuts N Stuff also carries a wide selection of bulk teas, coffees, spices, nuts, candies, etc. etc.

Be sure to pick up some szechuan peppercorns! Up to a year and a half ago, they were illegal in the US because they have a slight narcotic effect... they act kinda like novacane (sp). They make the top of your tongue tingle! The more you eat, the more pronounced the effect. To be honest, they aren't too intense on the front end.They taste like a cross between rosemary and sage. The heat gets you on the back end. Kinda like good szechuan cooking- you get about halfway through the dish before you realize your sweating. At Varanese, we use them to make a bloody mary that contains only asian ingredients.

The himilayan mountains pink salt is also a great product. Probably the cleanest salt I've ever tasted. Must have something to do with the monks chanting