Do you ever shop at PFI? I've not been, but I had dinner with friends earlier this week who have a home here as well as one in Seattle, and they spoke glowingly of PFI. In particular, the perfect black pasta they served as a primi . Then they showed me the buccatini (which I ogled so forcefully they sent me with home with a pound as well as a package of the black). These pastas are about two feet long and of the best quality, yet at PFI they're only $3.99 they said. That's a great price for a artisinal product--heck, the other day I needed a simple dried pasta for a pasta salad and where I used to be able to find either Di Cello, Ronzoni or Barilla on sale for about a buck a box any week of the year, the other day NONE were on sale, and all are now $2.99.
Must try PFI next time I'm down, but I wonder what gems they have that you might recommend too.