Poco Dolce. I picked up a beautiful box of Poco Dolce chocolates at Cheese Plus recently. Each chocolate is individually wrapped and in great flavors such as burnt caramel, Aztec chile, ginger, and almond. I highly recommend them as a hostess gift.
The Sips
San Francisco has some really fantastic, locally produced alcohols. I love giving them as gifts because they are delicious and people love getting something specific to San Francisco. I love when my gifts have a story, and all of these liquors do.
Hangar One. By now, chances are that you have heard of Hangar One, and know that we at Bay Area Bites love our Hangar One. This Alameda based company is the local rockstar of vodkas, earning nationwide recognition for good reason. The straight vodka is delicious, and the flavored vodkas are compelling.
Junipero Gin. This gin is produced by our local distillery, Anchor Steam. I have had this gin around the house for the past year or two, and the most common comment I hear is "I don't usually like gin, but I really love this one." It's a delicate gin that's great on its' own or in cocktails.
No 209 Gin. This gin is a newcomer to the San Francisco liquor scene, and is quickly gaining recognition for being an "adult gin with an adventurous attitude." I've had it, and love the herbal flavor. It also has a great story: No. 209 Gin is the only gin which is distilled over water -- on Pier 50 here in San Francisco. Distillery 209 is owned by Leslie Rudd, the owner of Rudd Vineyards and Winery in Oakville.
The Spices
This year, my stocking stuffers will include fun spices from our local growers and companies.
Tierra Vegetables. Lee James and her brother Wayne are farmers in Healdsburg. You may know Lee as the "pepper lady" who is at the Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market. Wooden crates full of fresh peppers don her booth in the fall, during the height of the pepper season. They also produce some delicious spice packets which are always a hit in my family. My favorite is the harissa mix and the smoked onions, which are a great stocking stuffer for vegetarians.
Happy Quail. Happy Quail Farms is the brightly adorned pepper stand that can be found at several Bay Area farmers' markets. They create some very reasonably priced hot dried pepper mixes. I use the smoked pimento pepper throughout the year, and am looking forward to giving them as gifts this year.
The Occasional Gourmet. These small spice packets can be found at some local area stores, and combined together into a set would make a nice stocking stuffer for friends who cook. I love the tagine mix and the taco mix. You can read more about the Occasional Gourmet here.
