Local Food-Related Gift Ideas?

[magpie-leah.livejournal.com]

Howdy everyone. I want to thank someone with a nice gift-basket-y food assortment from a local establishment. (Somerville or Cambridge would be awesome.)

My first thought was a dozen cupcakes from Kick Ass or some baked goods from Petsi Pies but I wonder if anyone has any healthier suggestions in case the people I'm thanking are not so much into all the sugar and flour of baked goods?

Thanks so much if you have any suggestions! I might just end up going the Harry & David route but I'd love to hear any ideas...

Comments

[narya.livejournal.com]

You might try pemberton farms. http://www.pembertonfarms.com/

[magpie-leah.livejournal.com]

Ooh. I didn't realize they did this. Even though the food items probably aren't local, it would be nice to purchase this kind of thing from them. Thanks!

[narya.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't really know where everything comes from but it's probably a step up from H&D.

[ron_newman]

I'd never heard of 'Harry & David' before this, but Wrentham or Lee are a long way to go from Somerville for something like this.

[narya.livejournal.com]

I think of them primarily as a mail-order place. When I was a kid, we'd always receive a bunch of their baskets from my parents' various business associates. They're definitely a good choice if you need to get something shipped across the country but it's less than convenient if you want to deliver something in person anyway.

[magpie-leah.livejournal.com]

They are like the "cream of the crop" for fruit baskets and "fruit of the month" gifts and so forth. It's really delicious and you kinda can't go wrong with them but for this particular recipient I know they'd appreciate something very local.

Looks like they are based in OR but they get their fruit from all over the country/world.

http://www.harryanddavid.com/

[magpie-leah.livejournal.com]

I actually didn't even realize they had storefronts. I just order from the online or from their catalog. Interesting.

[turil.livejournal.com]

You could go there and pick out some local stuff. They do carry a fair amount, I believe. Taza. Dancing Deer. Stacy's Pita Chips. And you could add some plants or seeds, too. (Johnnies Seeds are from Maine.)

[balsamicdragon.livejournal.com]

I made an excellent gift basket from Christina's spice store in Inman :)

[magid.livejournal.com]

Kick Ass also has local cheeses, pickles, honeys, and such like in the Dairy Bar. There's also When Pigs Fly next door.

[kjc.livejournal.com]

Don't forget Dave's Pasta in Davis Square. I don't know if they do gift baskets, but they have a wide variety of foods.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

Oh man. If someone gave me a gift basket of Dave's stuff I think I would have to be their love slave or something.

[jadelennox]

go to the farmer's market tomorrow, and buy delicious things -- berries, Taza chocolate, ginger goat cheese, etc.

[soft-shoulder.livejournal.com]

Ginger goat cheese?! This sounds divine. What rock have I been living under?!

[jadelennox]

it is divine! It is desert, delicious like candy, delicious warm or cold. The goat cheese people at the Davis Square Farmer's market sell it, although they often run out by the end of the market. If you have a schedule that would prevent you from getting to the Farmer's market until late, and you get there and they are all out, ask them to save you some of it the next week, and he will put in the cooler with your name on it.

[soft-shoulder.livejournal.com]

Wednesdays are farmers market? I'm embarrassed to say I haven't been yet. So busy with life. I'm not even sure where in the square it is ha.

[ron_newman]

It's in the Day Street parking lot. If you miss it, go to Union Square on Saturday morning for another market.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

Noon to six (so legitimately hard for busy people to get to). But yeah, the ginger goat cheese is something else. Also highly recommended: whatever Taza and Hi-Rise are handing out as samples (mmmm, pain d'epices); getting some beefsteaky heirloom tomatoes, the local mozzarella, and some When Pigs Fly bread (not at the market, but close!) and making grilled cheesed & tomato sandwiches (I will live on those for weeks once the tomatoes come in ;). And pepperoni rolls from uhhh whatever the other bakery there is (pepperoni rolls are this West Virginia thing, and up here usually the closest you can get is ham & cheese croissants (not the same at all), so their existence as the market is one big nostalgia-fest for me).

[whaler.livejournal.com]

Does edible arrangements count as a local business? There is one near inman.

[magpie-leah.livejournal.com]

So many good ideas. Thanks all!

Apparantly I'm hyper-focused on sweets because that's all I could think of for some reason! haha

[glen-highland.livejournal.com]

How about an Italian-themed gift basket from Sessas! Heh, that's what I would want ;-)

[duffless2323.livejournal.com]

I posted this a while back, but I have found that the grocery section of Sessas is full of old dusty and expired products. Personally, I would not go there for anything other than the deli counter.

[rahulbot.livejournal.com]

I always go with Taza chocolate.

[obie119.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I'd do Sessa's or the farmers market!
Penzey's in Arlington has pre-packaged fun spice-based gift baskets.

[greenlily.livejournal.com]

If creating your own gift basket doesn't appeal to you, I heartily second the recommendation for Edible Arrangements (http://www.ediblearrangements.com/locations/view_stores.aspx?ID=2) (180 Hampshire St.) Their fruit is tasty, and the arrangements can be pretty impressive.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

Savenor's does big baskets of meat.

http://www.savenorsmarket.com/onlinemarket/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=15

All incredibly tasty, with stuff they've cured and prepped on site, and house-brand things like their own bacon and grill rubs and stuff.

[blackdove24.livejournal.com]

a meat gift basket? what an odd yet delightful mental image.

also, curse you for mentioning this, because i have a feeling that my occasional cravings for huge hunks of hamburger are now going to turn to cravings for huge gift baskets of meat.

[thespian.livejournal.com]

let's face it, the concept of a Meat Basket is darned entrancing.

[blackdove24.livejournal.com]

especially since my conception includes monumental slabs of bacon and ribs and the like. goddamn, what a mental image.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

There are some great suggestions above (Taza!), but you may also know people who make things as a hobby if that sounds like a good option.

Heck, I certainly wouldn't complain if somebody wanted to pay me for some of my homemade jam, kraut/pickles, beer/wine, etc. :)

[fefie.livejournal.com]

I do this sort of thing a lot and get items from places already mentioned here, plus TeaZone. (Depending on the situation, I add a Somerville t-shirt too). I've often thought it would make a nice little business for someone to put together and sell on the web Somerville gift baskets.

Formaggio Kitchen

[fishkiss56.livejournal.com]

Formaggio Kitchen is another local store that would be a good place pick-up gift basket items.