Food & Drink Gifts [Archive]

Janey

06-09-2006, 05:48 PM

We are always trying to think of new and different food type gifts to send FIL & StepMIL for various holidays. They seem to like consumable gifts -- they are older and have all the 'stuff' they could possibly want. Food gifts show them we're thinking about them, give them something new to try, and are usually something fun that they wouldn't get for themselves.

I thought it might be a good idea to get a list of Food Gift Places together, so if anybody else is looking for a food gift, they can check the thread out and find something good. Here are a few we've used in the past...

Gift Certificates to various restaurants.
Penzey's Spices (http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/shophome.html) - Super cool gift boxes of various spices & spice mixes.
B&B Pecans (http://www.pecangifts.com/about.htm) - tins of super yummy pecans. Chocolate coverd, sugared, glazed, roasted, regular. Yum!
Made In Washington (https://www.madeinwashington.com/index.cfm) - Gift baskets, Smoked salmon, seafood, gourmet condiments.
Harry & David (http://www.harryanddavid.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BECHomePageView?storeId=10051&catalogId=10002&langId=-1) - you know the one.

Any others that anyone wants to add?

ejs

06-09-2006, 09:09 PM

We gave our parents these for the holidays and they LOVED them!

www.lobstergram.com

You can buy a package for someone, but the recipient can make changes to the package if they like. Our families said the food was of excellent quality, the tools and accessories were great, and the instructions were very fun and easy to follow.

apoppy

06-10-2006, 07:48 AM

I've used the following places for food gifts. They all have great customer service and I've never had a problem with shipping (a biggie for me when sending food):

Nueske's (http://www.nueskes.com/) applewood smoked meats and other gourmet foods. We always send hams and bacons, although they have a lot of other things too.

Junior's Cheesecake (http://www.juniorscheesecake.com/). Great if you know someone who lives out in the boonies without access to good cheesecake (the horrors!)

Andre's Confiserie Suisse (http://www.andreschocolates.com/phist.htm). A wonderful chocolate shop in Kansas City. Yum!

ee_chick

06-10-2006, 10:47 AM

I put together a grill basket as a housewarming gift last week. It had rubs & marinades, cedar planks, flavored skewers and a grilling book. It was mostly consumable, and it seemed to be a hit.

southhavenjen

06-10-2006, 11:51 AM

My favorites:

www.cherryrepublic.com

http://www.americanspoon.com

Both are companies that sell Michigan-produced products - jellies, jams, salsas, etc. in beautifully packaged gift boxes. I really enjoy both companies' products, their philosophies, and they good they do in their communities.

Missy2U

06-12-2006, 07:07 AM

Carson's Ribs (http://www.ribs.com/)
Eli's Cheesecake (http://www.elicheesecake.com/)
Giordano's Pizza (http://www.giordanos.com/)
Gino's East Pizza (http://featuredfoods.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/a-store/c-GinoAns_East.shtml?L+scstore+ftvp5679ginosffd6e9d6 )
Popcorn Factory (http://www.thepopcornfactory.com/popcorn/welcome.asp?section=0&firstEntry=Y&cm_mmc=Tagged-_-NA-_-NA-_-NA&cloneb=)
All things Frango (http://www.fields.com/gifts/OnlineShopping/FL?Dsp=3&PCR=7:100184:102721:103072&c=1)
Vienna Beef (https://secure.imtco.com/viennastore/index.php?)
Portillo's (http://www.portillos.com/portillos/look/)
Chicago Steaks (http://www.chicagosteaks.com/)

They're all out of Chicago, but would have some pretty wide appeal, I would think. :)

Edited to take out one of the links that was wrong - Uno's doesn't do mail order.

Janey

06-12-2006, 08:26 AM

You can order a pizza online and have it delivered to Arizona??

(And, psst, Frangos are actually from Seattle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frangos). ;) We used them in our wedding favors. And yes, they are awesome!)

Missy2U

06-12-2006, 09:20 AM

You can order a pizza online and have it delivered to Arizona??

Yup. You sure can! And thanks for the info about Frango - I did not know that! :D

Janey

06-12-2006, 10:15 AM

That is amazing! I've never heard of such a thing. What a great boon for people who move away from Chicago and still crave the pie!

These have been such great suggestions. EJS, the LobsterGram is sooooo cool! I'm going to have to try that sometimes.

Missy2U - Something sort of funny: Because of all of the recent name changes that the west coast Frangos have gone through, they were selling boxes at about $3/ea right around the time I got engaged. I bought about 50 boxes, to use as favors, hostess gifts, etc. We still have about 15 boxes of upstairs that have not been opened. I sold a few of them for a friend to take to Japan as hostess gifts (they were a Huge Hit!)... but that leaves about 12 up there. I'm scared to open them... cause once a box gets opened, it's gone in less than 24 hours. :p

Missy2U

06-12-2006, 10:38 AM

Oh now, MrsHill, you've gone and done it!

Now I'm craving chocolate! (http://www.fanniemay.com/)

You're lucky you can keep them around for 24 hours - in my house, it's closer to 24 minutes.

And here's Ethel's Chocolate Bar (http://www.ethelschocolate.com/). We (collectively) killed a 48 piece box at the racetrack on Mother's Day. :D

Janey

06-12-2006, 10:42 AM

Missy2U ... if you are craving chocolate ... perhaps some luscious Fran's Chocoates (http://www.franschocolates.com/) would do you right. They're not cheap ... but ohhhhhbaby --- are they ever fine!

Rosebud

06-12-2006, 03:29 PM

I have a couple of favorites for you:

Fairytale Brownies (http://www.brownies.com/) - These are the best brownies EVER!!! I send them for gifts fairly often (and even to myself now and then) and they're AWESOME. (Oh no-- now I'm craving brownies...)

Wine Country Gift Baskets (http://www.winecountrygiftbaskets.com/) - A huge variety of wine baskets and products. I've used them a number of times and have been very pleased with their prices and service.

SpecialTeas (http://www.specialteas.com/Gift+Suggestions/gift_suggestions.html) - SpecialTeas.com is a favorite of tea lovers and they have some good gift options. I sent my mother a tea collection for her birthday and she raved about the flavors she received.

Fauchon (http://www.fauchon.com/index1.php) - I fell in love with Fauchon jams in Paris. Fortunately, you can order them online (as well as their specialty chocolates, coffee, tea and cookies). They have the cutest gift baskets.

Rosebud

06-12-2006, 04:00 PM

Some more ideas:

Aloha Island Coffee (http://www.alohaislandcoffee.com)

Sugar Bush Farm (http://www.sugarbushfarm.com/) (Vermont maple sugar candies, cheese, jams, etc.-- yum!)

Plush Puffs (http://www.plushpuffs.com/products) (Gourmet Marshmallows)

Dean & DeLuca (http://www.deandeluca.com/)

Mrs. Beasley (http://www.mrsbeasleys.com/) - The best muffin baskets ever! This is an L.A. company so I eat their products a lot. VERY good.

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (http://www.coffeebean.com/)- L.A.'s favorite coffee

ejs

06-12-2006, 05:32 PM

Wonderful chocolate from Victoria, BC:

http://www.rogerschocolates.com/

KrissyCat7

06-12-2006, 05:43 PM

The best pralines in the world
http://www.riverstreetsweets.com/

KNK81

06-28-2006, 01:35 AM

Missy2U - Something sort of funny: Because of all of the recent name changes that the west coast Frangos have gone through, they were selling boxes at about $3/ea right around the time I got engaged. I bought about 50 boxes, to use as favors, hostess gifts, etc. We still have about 15 boxes of upstairs that have not been opened. I sold a few of them for a friend to take to Japan as hostess gifts (they were a Huge Hit!)... but that leaves about 12 up there. I'm scared to open them... cause once a box gets opened, it's gone in less than 24 hours. :pOh.my.God. I love Frangos!! That was a cool deal you got there.

And there are some great ideas here. I have a housewarming/pre-baby party coming up next weekend and I just might have to try something here.

And have to add that I just love Coffee Bean! :)

isobel

07-18-2006, 08:51 AM

Cheryl and Co. (http://www.cherylandco.com/?rfr=2005100399) has the BEST cookies. Their frosted sugar cookies are addictive.

SingleWhiteFemale

07-18-2006, 10:26 AM

I absolutely love Edible Arrangements (http://www.ediblearrangements.com/default.aspx). I didn't want to send regular flowers as they die/he's not a flower person, but my recipient was borderline diabetic so chocolates were out of the question. The arrangements are very large--when I ordered from a NYC location (Bronx), I went with the medium sized arrangement (around $95) and it took 6 adults 2-3 days to polish the thing off.

http://www.ediblearrangements.com/images/arrangements/berry_chocolate_buy.jpg http://www.ediblearrangements.com/images/arrangements/delicious_party_buy.jpg

jimmysgirl424

07-18-2006, 11:19 AM

http://www.allenbrothers.com/findProducts.do?categoryId=103

This company does gift baskets and also gifts by the month. They specialize in aged beefs but also have appetizers, duck, lamb, pork, seafood, ready-to-eat dinners, poultry, desserts and lots of other stuff.

ETA: Can someone pretty please tell me how I make my link like the rest of the ones posted here? (in other words, how do I just type the name of the place and its clickable to the website?) :o

Janey

07-18-2006, 12:46 PM

JimmysGirl - type in "Allen Brothers" ... highlight over it with your mouse, click on the little "World Link" button above the post box... and paste your URL in there. :) That's the easiest way, though you could also do it manually by replacing these brackets with square brackets:

{url="http://www.allenbrothers.com/findProducts.do?categoryId=103"}Allen Brothers{/url}

SingleWhiteFemale - those edible arrangements are AWESOME!

Rosebud

10-17-2006, 11:33 PM

Saw something about these on TV and thought they looked yummy. They have gift boxes & ship!

Pete's Gourmet Marshmallows (http://www.petesgourmet.com/products.asp?cat=16)

Jennifer

10-26-2006, 11:25 PM

I received a box of Shari's Berries (http://www.berries.com) chocolate covered strawberries this fall - yummy - and amazing presentation!

Janey

10-31-2006, 08:03 PM

I received an Apple Crisp Gift Set (http://www.plentifulpantry.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=30&products_id=94) from Plentiful Pantry (http://www.plentifulpantry.com/catalog/) a while back. Because their crisps are "just add butter and water" boxes, it came in REALLY handy when I had unexpected guests yesterday. We whipped it right up and had great dessert! :D I just ordered a few more to keep in the house just in case.

Missy2U

11-01-2006, 07:26 AM

It's regional, but Lou Malnati's has partenered with some other Chicago faves and through Tastes of Chicago (http://www.tastesofchicago.com/) you can now order from:

Lou Malnati's Pizzas
Carson's Ribs
Vienna Beef
Eli's Cheesecakes
Portillo's
Wildfire Steaks

and have 'em shipped anywhere! My mom is SO gonna love this for Christmas!!:D They also have "of the month" clubs, and tons of combos! We got a catalog from them in the mail the other day and we're already starting to play Santa Claus.

rene'

12-12-2006, 02:54 PM

*Bump*

I am looking for some ideas for my Grandpa. He lives alone.

Any other ideas not already listed?

Rosebud

01-09-2007, 11:29 PM

jimmysgirl424

01-10-2007, 09:46 AM

I just saw a feature on Food Network about this company. OMG, their pretzels looked SO good. They're stuffed with all sorts of things... chocolate, cream cheese & berries, cheddar cheese & jalapeno, etc. They deliver via 2-day FedEx.

Kim and Scott's Gourmet Pretzels (http://www.kimandscotts.com/index.php?main_page=index)

Wow! Their pretzels made me want to drool! It looks like they are not only sold online, but also at places like Whole Foods. It listed about 10 different locations in my area to buy them. Which I might do because it says on their FAQ's that because they ship in dry ice, shipping costs are pretty pricey. Still, I bet its worth it. I'm such a sucker for good soft pretzel.

Rosebud

01-10-2007, 06:29 PM

Oh man.... I really shouldn't have known they were available in a store near me! Now I'm going to have to go get one... :D

jimmysgirl424

01-11-2007, 02:35 PM

Oh man.... I really shouldn't have known they were available in a store near me! Now I'm going to have to go get one... :D

If you do, give us a review afterwards!

SingleWhiteFemale

01-11-2007, 06:08 PM

www.gratefulpalate.com They've got the "bacon of the month" club!

jimmysgirl424

02-02-2007, 12:47 PM

Oh man.... I really shouldn't have known they were available in a store near me! Now I'm going to have to go get one... :D

I just moved and now there is a store less than 3 miles from me that is listed as carrying their pretzels! I just emailed them to make sure they have them.

Asha

02-02-2007, 12:51 PM

awhile back, maybe in the cc days someone was raving about some crab cakes you can have delivered. does anyone know what i am talking about? soon its my mom's bday, and she loves crab cakes.

thyme

02-13-2007, 12:48 PM

http://www.mackenzieltd.com/

I don't think this was it, and I haven't had their crab cakes, but other things from them have been spectacular.

Rosebud

10-16-2007, 10:45 PM

Wanted to highly recommend this as a food gift. Someone gave me some of this toffee for Christmas a couple years ago and it was AMAZING. I would never have considered myself a big fan of toffee before that, but now I absolutely crave this stuff.

Lula Belle Toffee (http://www.lulabelletoffee.com/catalog/home.php)

It comes in really pretty tins.

KrissyCat7

11-14-2007, 03:49 PM

How about Omaha Steaks? Has anyone given a gift from them?

rene'

11-16-2007, 08:56 AM

How about Omaha Steaks? Has anyone given a gift from them?

Anyone? I've ordered from Kansas City Steaks, but it looks like Omaha Steaks has a really good deal going right now.....

This would be for my Grandpa who lives alone.

Rosebud

11-16-2007, 11:31 PM

rene- There's a thread on Omaha Steaks in Cooking which should be helpful: LINK (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37977)

These food companies were profiled in InStyle Magazine this month:

DeLuscious Cookies (https://delusciouscookies.com)- They deliver boxes of gourmet cookies nationwide and cookies/milk baskets to the L.A./O.C. area. YUM!

Pretzables (http://www.pretzables.com/)- Gourmet pretzels and chocolate. (OMG, look at one of the photos on their homepage!)
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k284/rosebud03_2006/Misc/pretzels.jpg

rene'

11-19-2007, 02:30 PM

rene- There's a thread on Omaha Steaks in Cooking which should be helpful: LINK (http://www.constantchatter.com/forum/showthread.php?t=37977)

Thanks!

Janey

12-16-2007, 08:31 PM

Bump in case of last-minute Christmas gifts...

Rosebud

02-13-2008, 11:04 PM

This company delivers cookies nationwide, and they have specialty arrangements of holiday-themed cookies (like for St. Patrick's Day and Easter):

Grammawalt's Famous Gourmet Cookies (http://www.grammawalt.com/)

Rosebud

04-19-2008, 01:14 PM