When you go to a restaurant, I bet you sometimes complain that the menu is way too long, there's too much stuff to choose from and you can't decide where to start. Right. You should have my problems.

Last week I attended the Fancy Food Show in New York City. It was the 53rd trade show for the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. Chicago and San Francisco also host annual shows.

With notebook in hand and athletic shoes on feet, I hit the aisles in the Jacob Javits Convention Center and tried to take at least a fly-by glance at each of the 2,400 booths. For two full days, I sipped and nibbled in the name of research, trend-spotting and having hot product revelations while talking with domestic and foreign manufacturers, importers, distributors, retailers, caterers and others in the business.

My first stop was a check-in with Ron Tanner, the editor of Specialty Food Magazine and vice president for communication and education of NASFT. If his name is vaguely familiar, you might remember him as a school pal from North Allegheny High School or as a neighbor from McCandless, where his family still lives.

"The Fancy Food Shows are the place for small food producers and food importers to show their goods to small -- and not so small -- retailers and restaurants," said Mr. Tanner. "This is the place for the producers and buyers to show off their wares. Think of it as an old-fashioned bazaar in a high-tech world."

Most of the products are condiments, jams and honeys, crackers, olive oils, vinegars, chocolates, cheeses, salsas and dips, pastas and pasta sauces, beverages and food gifts.

"The role of organics is growing terrifically. It's a huge trend," Mr. Tanner said. "For the first time, organics and natural foods have their own pavilion. More consumers are looking for purity and authenticity in their food."

Jennifer D'Aurora of McGinnis Sisters in Pittsburgh (she's a niece, and her mother Bonnie is a genuine sister) was one of the judges who tasted nearly 2,900 products from 1,466 entries to narrow it down to 110 finalists. She says, "It was amazing. I went to New York City in late April and joined judges from all over the country. Tastings were staged like a wine tasting, where we tasted each product, then spit. We evaluated quality, flavor profile, price, packaging and innovation. We filled out comment cards on each product. To prevent taste fatigue, you have to drink a lot of water and take frequent breaks."

NASFT's prestigious annual product awards competition was reinvented this year with a new name: the SoFi awards for Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation. The SoFi -- a short, shiny humanoid statuette with excellent posture-- looks like an Oscar but wears a toque and carries a dome-covered platter.

Fancy Foods Sampler

Here are some of the outstanding goodies, new products and SoFi finalists that are available in Pittsburgh, or have a local connection, or that I just plain like and recommend (with prices if findable).

Ciao Bella Gelato. Ciao Bella, a New York gourmet gelato and frozen dessert company, is the most highly awarded purveyor of artisanal gelato and sorbetto, with an unprecedented 14 first-place NASFT awards. It took first-place honors this year for Best Dessert with its Blackberry Cabernet Sorbetto and Best Foodservice Product with its Lebanese Yogurt Sherbet. Try any flavor, any time.

Where: Giant Eagle, East End Food Co-Op, Whole Foods Market, McGinnis Sisters Monroeville (which has it for $5.49 a pint).

Peanut butter sandwich cookies. Shades of grade school. Late July Organic Snacks of Hyannis, Mass., has perfected the genre: Classic Saltine Crackers, Bite Size Cheddar Cheese Crackers, Peanut Butter Sandwich and Cheddar Cheese Sandwich Crackers. The company, like so many others in the organic category, makes certain to advertise that their products contain no high fructose corn syrup or trans fats along with the usual organic litany. If this is what organic tastes like, count me in. These are the most delicious and wholesome noshes I've ever tasted. Get some for the kids, too.

Where: Giant Eagle, East End Co-Op, Whole Foods Market, McGinnis Sisters Monroeville. (Suggested retail prices of $0.79 to $0.99 for a single serve pack or $2.99 to 3.99 for a 5- to 6-ounce box.)

Fran's Chocolates. I'm a longtime fan of Fran's chocolates, a Seattle confectionery. Ms. Fran Bigelow won a SoFi award for her hot chocolate and was a finalist for her hazelnut diamonds, a smooth and creamy confection made from Oregon hazelnuts and Venezuelan chocolate. My passion, however, belongs to her dark chocolate-covered, sea-salted caramels. This is not just any old salt. To get an idea of the depth of Fran's sourcing, I talked with Alison Lea-Wilson from Anglesey, Wales, who, with her husband, makes Halen Mon brand sea salt.

"The Atlantic Ocean in our area is called Menai Strait," said Mrs. Wilson. "There's no heavy industry to pollute the water. To pipe the water to our place, we have to pay rent to the Queen, thousands of pounds a year, because she owns the shore, you know. We filter the water through a mussel bank, a sand bank then carbon filters. Then it's concentrated from three percent to 11 percent, and evaporated in tanks under heaters. Salt crystals form on the surface, then sink from weight. Harvesters then scoop crystals out of the water. Now here's the wee bit others don't do. We rinse the salt crystals. No, they don't dissolve because the washing brine is so concentrated it won't accept more salinity. Then the salt is drained, dried and packed, all by hand. It's expensive to make."

Halen Mon vanilla, smoked, herb and plain sea salt is used at El Bulli in Spain, The Fat Duck in London and the French Laundry in Napa. And as a topping on Fran's Sea-salted Caramels.

Where: Mon Aimee Chocolat (about $12 for 7 pieces) or www.franschocolates.com (which sells them for $22 for 15 pieces or $48 for 35 pieces, plus $10 to $14 for two-day shipping).

Artisanal Premium Cheesecake. The best new product award is given to one that was introduced in the year since the last fancy food show. This year's winner, Artisanal Premium Cheesecake, is a New York-style, 7-inch-wide and 2-inch-deep cheesecake made from all-natural ingredients with no preservatives. The cake is unlike the typical New York-style cheesecake. Its cream cheese filling is light and fluffy, its crust is pecan shortbread, crunchy pecan praline pieces are swirled throughout and it is topped with pecan-praline. It's Chef Terrance Brennan's No. 1-selling dessert at his restaurant, Artisanal Fromagerie & Bistro, in Manhattan. The cheesecake is not available in Pittsburgh, thank heaven.

Cyprus Halloumi Cheese. This cheese won no official awards, but it won over my taste buds. A woman in the booth was grilling the cheese and talking a mile a minute. "Halloumi is the traditional white cheese of Cyprus and has been produced for centuries. It's semi-hard and prepared from sheep's, cow's or goat's milk. Grate it over pasta, put cubes on a kebab, fry or grill it. No matter what you do, it always retains its shape and texture." Wonderful.

At home, heat olive oil in a skillet and fry 1/3-inch-thick slices of halloumi cheese until golden, a couple of minutes. Add to a warm mixture of sauteed red pepper slices, crushed garlic cloves, a couple of tablespoons of capers, some seeded black olives and some chopped fresh mint and flat-leaf parsley. Season with salt and pepper and serve with warm pita or fresh crusty bread. Serve as a hearty appetizer.

Where: Salonika in the Strip District (which has it for $6.45 per pound), Whole Foods Market and most cheese sellers. (The operational word is Cyprus.)

Sweetfields SweetCrystal Crystallized Edible Flowers. "Waiter, there's a pansy in my soup." Or a viola in the champagne. Or a snapdragon on the buttercream. Gorgeous, organically grown edible flowers -- also rose petals and rose buds -- are glazed or crystal-dusted. The elegant, delicate-looking blossoms are harder than a strong potato chip, will float for hours in drinks (think punch) and are nonperishable. They taste subtly of fruit. Brides will go crazy for these. I want some for a fancy girlie party.

Where: www.sweetfields-.com. (Starting at about $19 suggested retail for eight mixed flowers.)

Chocolate. My editor says I can only use one exclamation point a month. Too bad. I'd be into double digits if I fairly described Fritz Knipschildt's Chocolate Truffles. Each has a creamy, suave truffle center with beguiling flavors enrobed in lovely, lovely chocolate. Knipschildt's won a SoFi for packaging, another strong suit for the line. The winner was a tiny egg box wrapped in a brown chiffon-y ribbon holding a dozen chocolate "quail eggs." Take one as a hostess gift to ensure a return invitation. (About $30.)

E. Guittard is the go-to brand for single origin varietal chocolates. New this year, a 91-percent pure extra dark chocolate bar. "Nocturne" is as complex and nuanced as an old wine. Guittard sundae syrups are a must in the pantry for ice cream or lattes. I favor the caramel, but milk and dark chocolate are excellent. (About $4 for a 2-ounce bar.)

Where: Mon Aimee Chocolat.

Rao's Pasta Sauces. When I was tired of tasting all the sweets and condiments at the show, I stopped at this booth to pig out on a triple sample. Out of the jar, into the pot, Rao's sauces can beat homemade, depending on who's home, of course. New in the line this year are dry pastas, vinegar, tomatoes and extra virgin olive oils.

The sauces are the result of the popularity of Rao's Restaurant in East Harlem in Manhattan, open since 1896. Rao's is almost impossible to get into. This famed Italian eatery has only about eight tables, and you can't get a seat at one of them unless you are "invited" by one of the table's "owners." And don't think that calling up for a reservation years in advance will help; according to insider Michael Ciravolo, "You got a better chance of getting hit in the butt by lightning" than ever getting a seat, even by phone. That's part of the charm, they say. No, I've never been. Still trying.

Where: Most Giant Eagle supermarkets, McGinnis Sisters Monroeville. (About $9 for a 24-ounce jar at www.raos.com.)

Duchy Originals. Duchy products get my personal "Best of Show Award." The line was established by HRH The Prince of Wales (yes, that one) in 1990 to promote organic food and farming and to help protect and sustain the countryside and wildlife. Since the launch of its first product, the traditional Oaten Biscuit, the Duchy (pronounced dutch-y) Originals brand has grown to become one of the United Kingdom's leading organic and natural food and drink brands. Across the pond, buy preserves, condiments, chocolates, pasteurized but not homogenized milk, regional cheeses, soups, sausages, teas and more, about 200 products. Only the biscuits, jams and teas are available in the United States. More products will be released in the fall, according to Alexandra Sofis, the United States merchandising director. Ms. Sofis, of Mt. Lebanon, is based at the Duchy office in Berkeley, Calif.

"The reception of these products has been phenomenal," says Erik Bruun Bindslev, international brand manager. "The prince speaks with the voice of many people. His message is 'We have to find a balance in our lives that is sustainable in all ways.' "

Prince Charles doesn't need the money (as apparently the Queen does for piping her seawater to the aforementioned salt works). All profits generated from the sales of the products are donated to the Prince's Charities, and so far, that's about 6 million pounds.

Where: Mon Aimee Chocolat (which sells the shortbreads and preserves for about $13).