Dream Gift Baskets from the Experts

Specialty food retailers are masters at creating gifts for customers, but what would the experts choose for their own ultimate gift basket? We asked owners and reps from a few of our favorite shops around the country to list their dream components.—Julie Besonen

The Better Cheddar

Kansas City, MO
thebettercheddar.com

I would pick an assortment of things I love, both domestic and imported. My tastes are more savory than sweet and my favorite things for a gift basket are below.—Cheryl Harrington, Manager

Cypress Grove Chevre Dutch Midnight Moon aged goat cheese ($20; cypressgrovechevre.com)
 
English Blue Shropshire Cheese ($20.51; amazon.com)
 
Assumption Abbey Fruitcake, made by Trappist monks
($29.50; trappistmonks.com)
 
McClure's Garlic and Dill Pickles ($11.99; mcclurespickles.com)
 
Poco Dolce Bittersweet Chocolate Tiles topped with grey sea salt ($34; pocodolce.com)
 
Silverleaf hand-stuffed Blue Cheese Stuffed Olives ($13; silverleafinternational.com)

Hyde Park Gourmet Food & Wine

Cincinnati, Ohio
hydeparkgourmet.com

Receiving food gift baskets during the holidays is always a treat, and this basket would have lots of possibilities for a delicious evening at home. These are my top 10 choices, but if I could choose an 11th, I would add a delicious bottle of wine—a Dolcetto from Piedmont.—Evelyn Ignatow, Co-owner

Balsamic Vinegar from Fondo Montebello S.R.L. (prices vary; fondomontebello.com)
 
Pasta  Monnezza, a.k.a. Odds and Ends Pasta ($8.55; cheftools.com)
 
Laudemio Extra Virgin Olive Oil, from Castello Sonnino, Tuscany (prices vary; oliveoilemporium.com)
 
Gracious Gourmet Portabello Mushroom Tapenade ($9; thegraciousgourmet.com)
 
Veneto, Italy’s Sottocenere al Tartufo Cheese ($25; amazon.com)
 
Creminelli Italian Salamis (prices vary; creminelli.com)
 
Abruzzo Sugo al Pomodoro Pasta Sauce ($6.75; cheftools.com)
 
Panforte Nero/Margherita, almond and candy fruit cake from Siena, Italy ($29; italian-products.com)
 
Prato Belli Cantuccini Biscotti alla Mandorla from Tuscany ($17.60; shop.vendio.com)
 
Lettieri & Co. Antica Enotria Organic Cherry Tomatoes  ($12.72; shop.vendio.com)

Murray's Cheese

New York, NY
murrayscheese.com

At Murray's, our dream gift box has a selection of cheese, meat, sweets and crackers. When it comes to cheese, we like to dream big by picking at least four cheeses: one soft, one firm, one hard, one blue, with a mix of milk types, including goat, sheep and cow. Here are my dream gift items, which happen to be featured in our dreamy Premier Murray's gift basket. ($150; murrayscheese.com) —Rob Kaufelt, Proprietor

Haystack Mountain Haystack Peak goat cheese, Colorado
 
Brillat-Savarin triple crème cheese, France
 
Tilsiter table cheese, Austria
 
Colston Bassett Stilton blue cheese, England
 
Pecorino Foglie De Noce raw sheep cheese, Italy
 
Fabriques Delices Saucisson Sec pork sausage, Hayward, Calif.
 
Surry Farm Surryano Ham, Surry, Va.
 
Harvest Song Preserved Walnuts, New York
 
Pralus Mini Chocolate Pyramide, 10-pack, France
 
Z Sea Salt & Oil Crackers, New Jersey

Tony Caputo's Market & Deli

Salt Lake City, UT
caputosdeli.com

When I look for the best of the best, I try to avoid things that are 'new' or 'cutting edge.' While I do enjoy things like chocolates filled with yuzu and bacon, the classics are classic for a reason.—Matt Caputo, Director of Marketing

Chocolatier Blue assorted boxes (prices vary; chocolatierblue.com)
 
Tre Marie Panettone (prices vary; emporioitaliano.com)
 
Amedei Chuao chocolate bars, made with beans from Chuao, Venezuela ($13; worldwidechocolate.com)
 
Amano Dos Rios Dark Chocolate ($6.95; amanochocolate.com)
 
Domori Apurimac Peruvian chocolate ($6.95; atthemeadow.com)

0 comments