Everything slightly tacky and retro has gone through a cycle of cool–meatloaf, mac-n-cheese, cheap beer. If you grew up in the 1970’s you remember a little compartmentalized dish on the Thanksgiving table that contained crap you didn’t want to eat, the relish tray. Olives, little pickles, pimentos, mustard, giardiniera, what lived in the relish tray depended on what was living in the back of mom or grandma’s fridge. Keep the gherkins and lose the dregs, Boat Street’s pickles take the concept to a different level and can stay on the table from the beginning through the end of the meal, a dynamite accompaniment for cheese. Pickled figs in red wine syrup, golden raisins with mustard seed, and red onions in cider, the flavors are familiar yet far superior than anything that came from your family’s Knorr jars. So good, Boat Street’s pickled figs recently made an appearance on the Martha Stewart Show, as part of a cheese plate demo. Hey Renee, I’d kill for some pickled radish roses. Boat Street Pickles are a side project of Renee Erickson, chef of the Boat Street Cafe. They are available at the restaurant (3131 Western Ave. #301) and at local Metropolitan Markets.