Tucked on Upper Main Street in Edgartown is the culinary delight we know as Soigne, owned and operated by Puppy Cavallo for the past 31 years. The joyful, food-obsessed store owner has curated treats and stories from his travels around the world.
On our latest visit, Puppy captivated us with stories of the Edgartown of yore, and the great Bob Carroll. Mr. Carroll was the reason Puppy went to UMass for hospitality. Puppy had started his food career at the Seafood Shanty, once owned by Mr. Carroll. Mr. Carroll took Puppy under his wing, and years later made a phone call which got Puppy into college, even after the admissions process had been closed. After Puppy graduated, he came back to open Soigne, where he’s been for the past three decades.
It’s a spot you must visit. Here are some food-inspired reasons:
- Hungry for lunch? Soigne has a full-service gourmet grocer that offers deli sandwiches, house-prepared salads, and entrées ready to be reheated.
- Planning a beach picnic? Stop in for a selection of cheeses from around the world and pair them with crackers and jams from culinary artisans.
- Birthday cakes! Order an extra-chocolaty cake from Puppy or better yet take home a stack of 32 brownies; they’re that good.
- On your way to a dinner party? Stop in for a nice bottle of wine at Soigne.
- Searching for a specialty ingredient? This place will have it. Heck, they even have Vegemite from Down Under.
If you have yet to discover Soigne, we recommend you stop in as soon as possible and chat with Puppy. Ask him questions about his travels, and make him show you his map of pushpins — everywhere he has visited. Talk about your favorite foods, what you’re planning on cooking, or even your tattoos. When we stopped in with a cheeseburger tattoo, Puppy showed us photos of his experience getting a tattoo by natives in Borneo.
Soigne is open from 9 am to 7 pm, seven days a week, 11 months a year, at 190 Upper Main Street, Edgartown. Puppy takes the month of March off to travel, explore, and discover new foods from around the world.