Local shopping is a gift to everyone

A few weeks ago, I made an offhand suggestion on the radio that (local!) restaurant gift cards make wonderful holiday gifts. Well, within an hour of that fateful broadcast, I was flooded with responses from listeners telling me how they loved the idea. In fact, a number of Cape Region businesses are buying multiple cards from multiple restaurants to create one-of-a-kind gift baskets for clients. After so many years promoting beach dining, I love it when I hit a nerve that directly benefits our beach eateries. 

So I figured I’d stick with the theme and write about “regular” gifts you can buy locally to wow your favorite foodies. Note the use of the word “locally.” Life has been difficult for our small businesses, so why not keep your money in town by supporting our entrepreneurial friends and neighbors? So here goes:

Think (waaayyy!) off the beaten path with a gift for your comic enthusiast who also likes to eat. Ogre’s Grove in Milton has access to a surprising selection of food-themed comic books and collectibles. One in particular is a series written by late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain with titillating titles like “Hungry Ghosts” and “Get Jiro: Blood and Sushi.” There are lots of surprises waiting at the tiny yet enchanting Ogre’s Grove. Just a bit north is the brand-new Farmacy Market in Milford. Entrepreneur Sherry Shupe (also of Fur Babies Pet Resort around the corner from Farmacy) and business partner Patrick Helmick have collected an amazing array of gifting goodies, from local artisanal cheeses to locally farmed beef to fruit and veggies quite literally fresh out of Patrick’s huge garden. You owe yourself (and your favorite foodie) a visit to Farmacy Market.

Kitchen & Company near Lewes is a home cook’s amusement park. Make him or her smile with a half-dozen quarter-sheet aluminum pans (oh, they’ll find a use for them!). And don’t forget the Silpats to go with them. Your home cook will know what they are. Just up the road a bit, caffeine lovers will be stimulated by an assortment of La Colombe coffees from Kaisy’s Delights. Make your gift the best part of waking up. While you’re there, treat yourself to one of their cold brews. Yum. And wait ‘til you see their new breakfast and lunch menu!

Personal experiences make great gifts. Snag your beloved a fun stroll through Beach Time Distilling in Lewes (next door to Keith Irwin’s Old World Breads), or treat your favorite foodie or foodette to a reservations-only Paella Feast at Café Azafrán on Baltimore Avenue. They happen weekly in the summer, but pop up from time to time in the off-season. An Azafrán gift card will do the trick.

Is the target of your affections a BBQ lover? Present a potpourri of smoky tastes with custom-made sauces and rubs available at Bethany Blues. Throw in some of Blues’ cleverly designed apparel. Speaking of spice, if your significant fresser likes it hot, then Peppers.com is the place to be. Chip Hearn (never without his sense of humor) has come up with … shall we say … adult-themed gift packs of selected hot sauces. Simply go to Peppers.com, click “gift ideas” and “gift sets.” They’ll do the work for you so no one will see you blushing.

Mauria Stein has downsized her Stuart Kingston Gallery, formerly on the Boardwalk, and she’s in a dealin’ mood! From beautiful carpets to unusual furniture to sparkling jewelry, you never know what you’ll find at her new spot in the Camelot Center. Speaking of distinctive gifts, Tideline Gallery on Rehoboth Avenue is overflowing with original artwork in all sorts of media. I’ve still got original pieces around the house that I bought long before I even thought of moving here.

Aladdin Market in downtown Rehoboth is packed with uncommon bites for the internationally inclined. My pick hits are the Beirut brand tahini (the best around for good hummus, trust me!) and the Sultan brand stuffed grape leaves (dolmas to the Greeks, warak enab to our Lebanese friends).

Hardships continue to be foisted upon our friends and neighbors who own small businesses, so let’s chip in to help the ones who have managed to keep the lights on. Your reward will be a treasure trove of distinctive goodies that you won’t find online or in box stores. What better way to wish somebody a tasty Christmas and a delectable holiday!