Thanks to all of our Customers and Fans

As of this month (October 2010) Sano Villa is closing its doors.

It's with mixed feelings that we've decided to conclude this endeavor but other initiatives won out the attention and resources of our founders and team members.

We've all learned a lot and made many friends along the way. From our fellow Food Venturers at NASFT to our buyers in Manhattan and California and especially all of our many health-conscious customers,
we thank you all for your support. The experience and networking made it all worth while.

-The PistachiOats Team and Sano Villa family.

Continue to Get in on all the Goodness life has to offer...

In the Fresh

We're doing business a little differently.

When it comes to food, quality is what we most value.  And for us, a quality food is one that is fresh, (meaning it has no artifical preservatives), natural, (meaning simple), and nutritious (meaning...I think you got it).  In this world, we've all been taught that we can't have everything and that compromises must often be made.  We take great pride in the fact that we use absolutely no preservatives in our cookies, which presents us with a number of challenges.  For one, our cookies have a hard time maintaining their quality over long periods of time.  But, really, the best way to enjoy our cookies (or any food) is when it's at its freshest.

And so, the compromise our modest company is making, so that you can enjoy our cookies at their best, is this: our cookies will be made fresh for every order.  What this means is that unless a market will stock fresh cookies on a weekly basis, we will no longer have our cookies in stores.  What this also means, and specifically for you, our valued customer, is that when you order, your cookies will be baked fresh and sent right away.  Since we'll be baking orders as they come, you can expect to receive your order in up to 10 business days (which ain't bad if I do say so myself).

I'd also like to take this opportunity to let you know our prices have dropped!  You can now purchase a bag of PistachiOats for $3.99.

We're happy about the changes and when we're happy we like to celebrate by giving.  In the spirit of our health, happiness, and generosity, we'd like to now share with you the fresh, natural, nutritious taste of PistachiOats that inspired us to share it with the world in the first place.

So, don't be shy.  If you want some of this, send us an email, pistachioats@sanovilla.com,  with an address to which we can send you some cookies.  Let us know what flavor you'd like - dark chocolate chip, blueberry, or original - and we'll get your order going.

About the Pistachio Nut Recall

The recent pistachio nut recall has been issued toward Setton Farms Distribution and is not an all-encompassing recall.  Our pistachio nut supplier is Trader Joe's, and they have advised the following:

At this time, Trader Joe's Pistachios are NOT subject to the recent pistachio recall. We are keeping a close watch on any new developments and are gathering valuable information from our suppliers to ensure the safety of all of the products sold in our stores. Please know that if we had any reason for concern about any of our products, we would immediately pull the product from our shelves and inform our customers of our actions and the reasons for them. Nothing is more important to us than the safety of our customers and crew, and the quality of our products.

Our Sano Villa Family holds Trader Joe's in the highest regard and trust that they continue to supply us with good and fresh product. We trust them so much that we continue to indulge in pistachio nuts and PistachiOats despite current concerns.

You can find out more information about developments in the pistachio nut recall here.

Coming Soon - Butternut Market in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn

It was a beautiful, crisp, and sunny autumn day in the streets of the welcoming Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn.  The Shops of Lewis Avenue (SOLA) association were afforded the perfect day for its celebration of existing and up-and-coming neighborhood shops.  Among the "soon to bes" was our friend, Ardenia Brown, who is working hard to establish the first specialty and natural food store in the Bed-Stuy area.  And she was graciously welcomed by neighbors excited to have a local health food store.

Named "Butternut Market", the store is scheduled to open this coming November.  Not only will you be able to get your healthy groceries and fresh produce from Butternut, you'll also be able to enjoy healthy and gourmet prepared foods.  For our fans in Brooklyn, PistachiOats will also be available at the Butternut.

The SOLA Festival had music, free goodies, food, and a whole lot of love.  It was a wonderful experience being a part of a community that believes in itself and its people and is determined to preserve and stimulate its growth.  We've found a wonderful friend in the Bed-Stuy community and we look forward to our continued connection with our new neighbors.

Mixing Business with Pleasure

How a PistachiOats delivery made for a very nice weekend getaway

As we stepped off of the NJ Transit Train, we were immediately welcomed by a light and airy breeze that carried the scent of the salty sea. The train ride was long, taking us almost 2 hours to reach our destination of Asbury Park, NJ. Summer is swiftly coming to an end and we wanted to experience the pleasures of the beach before the autumn. Thinking about possibilities for a weekend getaway, we remembered the invitation extended to us from our friend and PistachiOats client, Patricia Patton, owner of Sea Greens in Asbury Park, NJ. I immediately contacted Patricia and asked for recommendations on places to stay and the best way to get there, to which she was most helpful. It was also about time for her re-order and so we decided to make the delivery a personal one and ventured off to Asbury Park.

We met Patricia at the Fancy Food Show in Chicago and have been in touch since. Patricia opened Sea Greens this summer and as we could see, business was doing well. The shop is located on the Asbury Park Boardwalk and offers all the healthy goodies you’d crave for after spending a long day in the sun and on the beach. Mom and I ordered “Veggie Shakes” which were delightfully light and fresh and were made with beets, carrots, and “cukes”. Ben had a fresh and all natural fruit smoothie. Visitors to Sea Greens can also delight themselves with a variety of fresh and healthy meals and snacks, including PistachiOats.

After dropping off our delivery of PistachiOats and enjoying our shakes and smoothies, we asked Patricia places she recommended visiting while in the Asbury Park area. She pointed us in the direction of Ocean Grove, a neighboring town to Asbury Park and we made our way accordingly. Strolling down the boardwalk, the open beach to our left and the beautiful wrap-around porch Victorian homes to our right, we savored each moment of quietude and peace we so seldom get to experience living in the city. We then made our way to downtown Ocean Grove and had a delicious meal at an Italian restaurant called, Isabella’s.

Our return train was scheduled to leave at 3 leaving us a few hours to roam the town. We made our way back toward the beach by walking along Wesley Lake admiring more of the beautiful Victorian homes. Finding our way back on the beach, we sat in silence, taking in the moment of utter contentment, soaking in the sun in all its glories.

We made our way back to the train station in silence, once again grateful for being part of a business that has found us new friends and exposed us to new places.

You can see more of our weekend getaway pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/PistachiOats/SeaGreensAsburyParkNJ.

And if you’re ever in the Asbury Park area, visit Patricia and enjoy a lavender lemonade and Belgian waffle while staring out at sea.

Pistachioats Debuts in Upper East Side

For PistachiOats fans of the Upper East Side, PistachiOats is now available at the Health Nuts on 2nd Ave, between E. 63rd and E. 64th Streets. This will be PistachiOats debut in the Upper East Side and if all fares well, we'll be sure to get it into more of your local stores. Until then!

PistachiOats Goes Green with Orange

New Packaging for the Environment

Sano Villa is dedicated to making environemntally friendly choices in all its endeavours, which is why deciding on an earth-friendly package is so important. For those who have been with us from the beginning, you'll remember our original bags were of a silver color and had stickers affixed to the front and back. To save on resources and to use fewer materials, we decided to go with a pre-printed version of our stand up pouches. Stand-up pouches are the ideal "go green" packaging as they use 75% less material than most traditional packaging.

The new orange package still has a resealable zipper for those of us who have the will-power to keep from finishing a bag in one sitting. Our bags are also made with a plastic polylaminate material, which keeps our cookies fresh for long periods of time and without contamination. The resealable zipper lets us reuse our beautiful bags as reliable storage containers for cereal, granola, nuts, and more.

Of course, we are keeping an eye out for packaging that is not only made efficiently and can be reused, but also for ones made with biodegradeable materials. If you have any suggestions, please let us know. Until then, keep on reusing your PistachiOats bags instead of buying new ziploc bags.