Restaurant Recipe Gift Guide Holiday Best of CT 2016 Holiday Gift Guide For The CT Food Lover April Guilbault December 01, 2016 Festive Foodalicious Finds ...and FAAABulous ones, we might add! For friends, family (this alliteration is getting fun isn’t it?), and frenemies alike. We have scouted and compiled a list of great gadgets, unique tableware, fun and memorable experiences, sugary sweets, and superb savories for all of the gift recipients in your life this season. So have fun while shopping! Buy one, buy two, buy with that perfect person in mind and think of the smiles and happiness you are sharing with them. How perfectly fabulous, right?Here are 20 local CT gift ideas for your favorite food lover.Churncraft www.churncraft.comGo old school but with a modern butter churn! Start with heavy cream and before you know, you have both butter and buttermilk for all of your buttery baking and cooking needs. You’ll get all churned-up (har har har) with this fun yet fruitful process. Also available for purchase is a butter wrapping kit, wooden butter paddles, and porcelain butter ramekin so you are fully outfitted for your new culinary hobby. Aitoro 401 Westport Avenue, Norwalkwww.aitoro.comGood food and music: two important ingredients for any divine gathering. Head to Aitoro for both! The world-famous Big Green Egg natural charcoal-fueled ceramic domed cooking system lets you prepare the most delicious main dishes, sides, pizzas and even desserts, quickly, easily and flawlessly! Grill, roast, smoke, or bake to your heart’s content. It is available in 7 sizes and is constructed from the finest materials, blending ancient tradition with modern technology. Check out the grilling tools, baking stones and other custom “eggsessories”, too. Also putting a spring in your step will be the Sonos wireless home audio system. Now you can play rich, beautiful music throughout your home – or in individual rooms. Dining room! Kitchen! Patio Crank up the Sonos. Choose from a variety of your favorite services, including Pandora, Spotify, Amazon Cloud Player, SiriusXM and more – all controlled with a simple remote or from your smart phone. Compact, attractive, affordable and easy to set up. Your new year will be filled with good food and good tunes.The Perfect Provenance 47 Arch Street, Greenwichwww.theperfectprovenance.comThe Perfect Provenance is a new luxury lifestyle store & cafe that has something for everyone on your gift list. A gallery for the senses, they invite you to visit and to select the perfect gift for the home, fine jewelry, men's & women's fashion and more. Join them for a perfect lunch or dinner at their Cafe 47 and enjoy the culinary mastery of Chef Arik Bensimon. They offer gift cards for both the store or Cafe 47. Artisan/L'escale www.artisansouthport.comwww.lescalerestaurant.comwww.thedelamar.comThis holiday season give the gifts that create memories-gift certificates to experience the award winning cuisine of Executive Chef Frederic Kieffer at the farm-to-table Artisan Restaurant, Tavern, and Garden in Southport, CT and the French-inspired L’escale Restaurant in Greenwich, CT. Luxurious and truly special meals that will put a smile on everyone’s face. For the ultimate pairing, add on an overnight stay at either of the sumptuous Delamar Hotels and/or a Spa at Delamar gift certificate. A little luxury is a good thing.Baked and Sauced www.bakedandsauced.com Spike up your Holidays with a...get ready for it...rolling bar and bake shop. Oh yeaaaah!Dessert on the table usually means the party's winding down, but not when you spike up your holidays with Boozy Cupcakes from Baked And Sauced! They turn your favorite holiday cocktails into beautiful & delicious artisan cupcakes (Maple Bacon Bourbon or Pina Colada cupcake, anyone?). With liquor in the filling and the frosting (so it doesn't bake off), you'll not only get the taste but the kick, too! Sink your chompers in and bliss out to these boozy, bold delights. Baked And Sauced’s cupcakes, mini-pies, brownies and bars are the perfect thing to take your home or office holiday party, family get-together and New Year's Eve celebration and dial them up a few notches! Serving all of CT with free delivery anywhere in Fairfield County (ask about our 1968 Vintage Airstream for your spring or summer 2017 event, too). They have a full liquor license and bring the party to you. Email info@bakedandsauced.com for more info and to place your order today!Maple Craft www.maplecraftfoods.comThere’s maple syrup, and then there’s Maple Craft syrup! And who doesn’t love...maple?? To top things off, it even is good for you, with 2/3 the sucrose as sugar, 54 important antioxidants, more potassium than bananas and more calcium than milk. We don’t even need to state how it is going to elevate and reinvent your favorite recipes, beverages, and comfort foods. Your Christmas morning pancakes will never be the same. Based in Sandy Hook, this syrup will turn you into a bonafide tree hugger. Maple tree, that is. Try MapleCraft Award-winning Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Syrup or their flavored Organic Salted Caramel, Apple Cinnamon or Pumpkin Spice Maple Syrups-so many uses, so little time. For a ready made gift, they have Make Life Sweet Gift Boxes (with either 2 or 4 bottles of your choice and organic buttermilk pancake mix) and for the cheeky syrup-lover, an “I’d Tap That” tee. Check out their website for ordering, recipes, or where to purchase locally. As an extra bonus, enter the words “SweetHolidays” at checkout and receive 10% off. How sweet it is!Fairfield Cheese Company 2090 Post Road, Fairfield154 East Putnam Avenue, Cos Cob www.fairfieldcheese.comGift Baskets for all the Foodies in Your LifeAt Fairfield and Greenwich Cheese Company, they are passionate about real food and it comes from the heart as well as the hands. With products from American craft producers and artisan cheesemakers worldwide, they forge relationships with small farms and producers to bring you the finest cheese and specialty foods available anywhere. People never forget receiving one of their gift baskets! Have a hard-to-shop-for person? Looking for the perfect corporate gift? You can’t go wrong with a gift basket of hand-selected cheeses and authentic, memorable goodies.Available in all sizes and prices for all the foodies on your list, these cheese-masters can customize a single basket, a bunch of baskets, or anything in between. Their corporate and business holiday gifts have been called “exquisitely unique”. Shipping is available. Frances Palmer Pottery www.francespalmerpottery.comBased in Weston, these handmade ceramics will make stunning and truly one-of-a-kind gifts. With colors of a limited palette (whites, blues, grays) you are sure to find vases (both classical and whimsical!), platters and cake plates with dots, flowers, ruffles and fluted patterns that will suit any style and decor. Organic and simple, these items will frame food and flora perfectly and will be enjoyed for many years and seasons to come.Fleishers Craft Butchery 580 Riverside Avenue, Westport160 East Putnam Avenue, Cos Cobwww.shop.fleishers.com/products/jerky-subscriptionThis holiday, Fleishers Craft Butchery has the ultimate meat lovers gift: The Jerky Club. Subscribe friends, family, colleagues (or yourself!) to receive monthly home delivery of 100% grass-fed beef jerky at an incredible price. Fleishers’ jerky is a healthy, convenient snack for busy parents, active outdoors people, and conscious meat eaters. Made with meat raised right – aka pasture-raised and 100% grass-fed beef without the use of hormones or unnecessary antibiotics – and WITHOUT MSG, gluten or preservatives, Fleishers' Jerky Club is undoubtedly the gift that keeps on giving. Get 25% off the normal retail price of three incredibly addictive flavors (Maple Pepper, Triple Chile and Pastrami) plus FREE SHIPPING to anywhere in the USA. Just select the amount of jerky, number of months, and desired flavors. You can also add a personalized gift message – hand-written, to boot! – to go on one of their adorable farm animal greeting cards. Purchase online or in stores today in time for the holidays! Garelick & Herbs Various locationswww.garelickandherbs.comGarelick & Herbs has just the right gift for family, friends, and clients and they will find the gifts that make entertaining a joy! Garelick & Herbs loves a good cheese board, (and have the cheeses to go on that board), small plates, and have the best curated antipasti around. They truly have fun hand-selecting a fabulous array of food items, hostess gifts and delectable foods - gifts you will want to keep for yourself (we won’t tell if you do)! The custom gift baskets make great corporate presents, from stunningly delicious antipasti platters, holiday cookie plates, and fantastic snacktastic combinations are sure to satisfy everyone. Peruse a plethora of stocking stuffers and just the right gifts for all eight nights of Hanukkah. Not sure what to get or want to let your friends choose for themselves? G& H offers gift cards, which are available in all denominations. Visit their Westport, Southport, New Canaan and Greenwich locations-filled with everything to celebrate deliciously. New Beauty Wellness www.newbeautywellness.comBetween your holiday shopping and errands, you are invited to take a breather and stop in to New Beauty Wellness for a complimentary wellness tea from the Vitality Bar by Naturopathica. It features specialty blended teas, handcrafted herbal tinctures and fortified honeys with nourishing ingredients like chamomile, lavender, ginger root, Echinacea, calendula and lemon balm. They have hand-selected these teas, tinctures and honeys for their healing benefits of reducing stress (yes!), enhancing energy (yes!) and promoting beautiful skin. Another holiday gift for you: enjoy 20% off* your purchase of Naturopathica teas, tinctures, honeys. New Beauty Wellness is a rejuvenation spa offering the latest proven beauty technologies and timeless, therapeutic, restorative body treatments. Gift certificates also available. Offer valid through December 24.Palmer's Market 264 Heights Road, Darienwww.palmersdarien.com Palmer’s Gourmet Gift Baskets are the ultimate gift,for your favorite food lover in need of a lift.They make them by hand and their elves will deliverwhy not be known as the ultimate gift giver!The baskets are customizable to your needscheck out their website to find a few leads.They’re special and just what you needfor a friend or co-worker who did a good deed.But the party season has just begunwith so many hostess gifts, you won’t be outdone!Palmer’s will wrap all of your presents with a bag and a bow,as quickly as you can say ho! ho! ho!They have candies, cookies, cakes and pies….so many goodies, it’s a feast for the eyes!Yes, they’re a supermarket but oh so much more,you can do all of your shopping in just their one store!Shop for your flowers, fine foods and giftsfrom i95 exit 10’s a short trip!The Two oh Three www.the-two-oh-three.myshopify.comThis Connecticut-based lifestyle brand is a one-stop-shop for all of your holiday gift giving needs! The Two Oh Three is an emerging local brand selling high-quality Connecticut-themed products, apparel, and accessories. Their extremely popular products celebrate Connecticut and give customers of all ages a tangible way to “rock their CT pride”. Started by a brother-sister duo with a passion for their home state, The Two Oh Three believes that Connecticut is a small state with a lot to brag about.Their special edition Holiday Collection is called ‘Home for the Holidays’ and features a variety of locally designed products and accessories, ranging from festive hostess gifts to fun stocking stuffers— The Two Oh Three has you covered this season! From hand- painted ornaments to embroidered baseball caps, these gifts are as local as you can get. Show off your Connecticut pride this year, with a little help from The Two Oh Three! Le Rouge-Handmade Chocolates and Cakes by Aarti 190 Main Street, Westportwww.lerougebyaarti.comA hand-painted chocolate Christmas tree, Guinness hand-rolled truffles, chocolate cameos, Bags of English Toffee, Chocolate Gelt Coins, French Mendiants, hand-painted chocolate plaques...are you getting the picture that this isn’t your average chocolate shop? And for those who want to give an experience rather than just a gift, Le Rouge also offers chocolate making classes. Learn as you sip their signature hot chocolate. What a nice way to start a year!Olivette 1084 Post Road, Darienwww.olivettect.comSouthern Connecticut is not prime farmland for olives, but thankfully there is Olivette. This distinctive tasting room right in the heart of Darien offers a huge selection of olive oils and Balsamic vinegars. And with Olivette, you know you are getting the real deal; totally pure olive oil. And this is just the tip of the Italian iceberg! Panettone from two of Italy’s top bakeries, Habenero infused olive oil, Hickory Smoke olive oil, Passion Fruit, Mango, and Watermelon whole fruit white balsamic vinegars, salt rubs, and numerous gift sets.Paper Alley www.thepaperalley.comUp the cute factor in your gift recipient’s kitchen! Paper Alley specializes in personalized goods and a long list of them: laser-etched and hand-cut cutting boards personalized with names, artwork and beyond. There’s even a handy-dandy cutting board with a bottle opener built into the back! Or enjoy giving personalized lucite trays, custom coasters, ice buckets, placemats, cups & koozies, water bottles, travel tumblers, wine tags, melamine plates and platters. Who doesn’t love seeing their name and initials on all of their “stuff”? Red Bee Honeywww.redbee.comSend a special someone some sweetness (say that five times fast) each month with Red Bee’s Honey of the Month Club. A beautiful 11 oz. signature glass corked bottle will arrive each month containing pure honey, along with a Honey Tasting Scorecard, Honey Aroma and Tasting Wheel and Honey Color Chart. Flavors are surprises for the recipient! Choose from 4, 6, or 12 months of this golden goodness. or perhaps give the gift of cooking (classes)?... AMG Cateringwww.amgcatering.comInspirational, practical, and downright fun adult cooking classes! It is truly the gift that keeps on giving. These two-hour classes will have your special someone creating three to five dishes that you will soon be enjoying in your own home. Winter class offerings range from healthy winter meals, sushi & dumplings, a Valentine’s couples class (see, told you it would pay off), and a pre-Mardi Gras class to name just a few. There’s even one entitled the “No Experience Required Class”. Bingo.Chop Shop Cooking Schoolwww.chopshopcooking.comAttend Karen Brownlow’s cooking classes and you and friends will walk away with both a fun evening under your apron and some good ol’ instruction to create beautiful meals on your own. What could be a better gift...2 hours of fun *and* food! Learn how to make a myriad of hors d’oeuvres, party bites, gluten-free meals, international foods, or build your own class from the many selections. Choose between demonstration classes for up to 6 people or a hands-on class for up to 4. Cucina Casalingawww.cucinacasalinga.comHead to the Italian countryside right in the heart of....Wilton. Will wonders never cease?! Sally Maraventano has been teaching the art of homestyle Italian cuisine for 25 years and the fun continues in these hands-on classes. December classes feature lobster and shrimp dishes, and her Annual Antipasti Class for the holidays. She also hosts corporate classes, private classes, and kids’ classes. Book them quick and get everyone learning to cook this year! Brava, brava!
