Time’s ticking on gift-giving season. Impress and delight your favorite food lover by giving the gift of all things local — from small-batch artisan cheeses, beer and wine, to hand-crafted butchering boards and java gift packs, and even retro kitchen finds handpicked from our local suburbs. Explore our last-minute, easy-to-find recommendations below and give the culinary gift that counts!
Local wine and local cheese—the perfect suburban pairing. Pop by one of Brandywine Valley Wine Trail’s members and give the gift of your favorite local wine (we love Black Walnut Winery’s Black Tie Optional.) Lucky for locals, Chester County touts eight local cheesemakers whipping up their constant award-winning creamy delights from raw cow’s milk, sheep’s milk and goat’s milk. Consider Birchrun Hills Farm’s buttery Blue or Yellow Springs Farm’s black walnut-fermented Nutcracker.
Do you have a friend who “checks in” on Foursquare at every restaurant? What about a family member who is a domestic master chef or who brews their own beer in the garage? If you know someone who is obsessed with close-to-home culinary concoctions, Exit343’s handmade silkscreen prints and t-shirts may just be the perfect gift to round out your holiday shopping list this year. Also consider brightening up your friends’ and family’s homes—particularly their kitchens—with colorful prints from Yard Sale Press.
Iron Hill’s Bottle Reserve Gift Packs are the perfect choice for any beer geek. Consider the Señor Chocolatoro option, featuring a bottle of the limited-release chocolate stout and two etched Rastal glasses, or the Gold Medal lineup, highlighting four Great American Beer Festival medal-winners—The Cannibal, Russian Imperial Stout, Saison and Wee Heavy included. Victory Brewing Company’s retail shop is also a one-stop-shop for any brew-guzzler in your life. Give them a growler of their favorite brew, outfit them with awesome Victory apparel or give the gift that keeps on giving: a Victory gift card!
Soltane Breads and Spreads has packaged together all the essentials to brew professional coffee at home: two Beehouse pour-over cones, a hand-crafted double stand, a signature Soltane mug and a bag of direct-trade coffee beans from Stumptown coffee roasters. A perfect holiday complement to the java-infused gift pack is their wood-fired stollen, available in traditional or with marzipan.
Continued on page 2 …
Chef John Brandt-Lee’s Philadelphia Custom Block & Board’s custom-wood cutting boards and butcher blocks are made by hand in Chester County. With a simple goal to hand-craft the highest-quality boards using the finest woods and the strictest standards, any home cook will gush over this kitchen accessory. Visit them at their retail cart in the Exton Square Mall.
Small-batch artisanal shop, Éclat Chocolate of West Chester, continues to push the cacoa envelope with each new, always-original release. Impress friends by gifting the Anthony Bourdain- and Eric Ripert-endorsed bar named Good & Evil, or opt to present a sultry box of confections (our favorite is the Beer Lover’s Box, including Victory-infused truffles).
FreshVintage, West Chester’s hip home goods shop at Highland Orchards comes speckled with freshly-picked vintage hostess gifts, kitchen accessories and stocking stuffers. Spy one-of-a-kind barware, 1950s-inspired dish towels, food-scented soy candles, market totes and so much more.
Have your cake and drink it too with Full Spirited Flavours liqueur-infused cakes. Consider flavors like limoncello, amaretto, chocolate raspberry or mango coconut rum, and see why the local boozy baking ladies have received endless acclaim for their fine-tuned, petite cakes—and even television spots, as featured on the Rachael Ray Show.
Open up friends and family to a new world of culinary expertise. Gift certificates to the local cooking and baking courses with Ketmala’s Kitchen are ultimate food lover gifts, with each fun-filled cooking class focused on a hands-on, small group (or private) experience. Course themes have included artisan bread, French macarons, 30-minute meals, artisan dumplings and hearty soups.
One visit to the new LOFT at Knots and Weaves, and you’ll discover the lineup of lust-worthy, retro kitchen decor will impress any at-home chef. With new items coming in every day, especially the popular mid-century home décor pieces from neighbor Consign for Design, gift-giving has never been as original.
» More Main Line Today Dining News and Events
» Sign Up for MLT’s Free Weekly Dining Newsletter
» More Town Dish News and Restaurant Reviews
