My most fond holiday memories include festive gatherings with family and friends and most importantly, food. I remember my excitement as a child, racing to the front door, when my mom’s friend Peggy brought over her annual homemade candied pecans. Our neighbor followed suit with freshly home baked English muffins that we would promptly butter and toast with wild abandon. Each delivery was an important part of ushering in the holidays, bringing signs that Christmas was almost here!
Not all of the best food gifts were homemade. The Charles Chips (which I’ve seen recently at Fresh Market) were a delight, delivered in their trademark oversized tin can. And the jumbo-sized Hubs Virginia peanuts (meant for my dad) never went to waste. And for many of us, as much as we would love to bake holiday treats for all our friends, it’s just not possible. So, I called Maria, owner of Meyer Provisions, to ask for her suggestions. She shared, “During the holidays many customers come in for the farm fresh eggnog, foie gras, duck pate, caviar. Also, popular are our candy/cookie tins from Denmark and France, farm fresh flowers and items for the charcuterie boards. Some folks are finding one item that they love, like Fox and Otter pickles (acknowledged by Garden & Gun), Rancho Gordo beans, Bon Bon sweet treats, Coops hot fudge, to name a few, and are buying 10-15 of the one item to give to large groups of friends or co-workers. We want gifting to be effortless and fun, so we’ve made dozens of gift baskets. All different kinds, such as; sweet treat baskets, savory baskets, tin-fish baskets, meal staple baskets, spice assortment baskets, hot sauce baskets.”
As you get your gift list together, remember the local vendors who offer tasty treats for family, friends, neighbors and hostesses. We are, after all, one of the best food cities in the country! Here are my recommendations and additional suggestions from local shops:
Piedmont Pennies, Maisonette
Legally Addictive, Chez Nous
House Made Cheese Straws, Chez Nous
Hubbard Peanuts, Martin’s Wine Cellar
Crabmeat Cheesecake, The Commissary
Stuffed Figs, Keife
English Toffee Cookie, Green Fork
La Cà dal Non, 25yr or 100 yr aged Balsamic Vinegar, Keife
Pistachio Spread, Keife
Bon Bon Sweets, Provisions
Coop’s Hot Fudge, Provisions
Other Favorites Include:
Cheese of the Month Club, St. James Cheese Co
Sweet Heat Mix, Costco
Savory Classic Party Cracker Seasoning, Judy
Sourdough Loaf, Boulangerie
Cherry Ginger Granola, Boulangerie
Sale & Event Picks:
Dec. 11: Fine Jewels & Icons of Fashion Auction, Neal Auction
Dec. 11: Joansie Trunk Show, So Susu
