A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

Now that we don’t live in the city, I almost never get to the South End. I mean, when I WAS in the city, I barely got there…

Leah and I met for lunch at Coppa (we had a Gilt City voucher to use), and I decided to drop in to some of my favorite shops. First up, Olives and Grace. You can’t help but love Sofi. Make sure to follow her on Instagram. I picked up this adorable Boston tea towel by Claudia Pearson (and picked up one for Leah too!).

There are so many things to choose from, it’s hard to control myself. There are gifts for the foodie, for the local, for the bar, for men, for babies and for the home. A new addition that I love are Seacoast Sweets. Kirstyn Pearl makes these homemade patties (peanut butter, peppermint, s’mores, and coconut) in Newburyport, MA. They are your favorite classic candy – but elevated in flavor! Check out the website for fun tastings and a chance to meet some of the makers.

I also stopped in to Formaggio Kitchen. I didn’t have a cooler with me, so I had to pass on buying cheese 🙁 , but managed to walk out with a few good finds. This great little shop not only has some delicious treats, but you can pick up some take home meals for the week as well. This week’s menu included BBQ pulled pork, Thai peanut chicken, lasagna bolognese and a grilled salmon. I like to take my time and browse every inch of the store.

I’m a big fan of the Generous brand, they make delicious little bite sized cookies. I think their packaging is adorable and love the Stella Stracciatella flavor. This time, I picked up the Sylvain Speculoos cookies and really enjoyed the flavor.

Tomorrow I am heading to the New England Made Giftware and Specialty Food Show. I’m looking forward to discovering some new brands to introduce to you just in time for the holidays. The show is for buyers and not open to the public, but you can read all about my finds a little later on this fall. I’m excited to revisit some old favorites like Anchor Toffee, Stonewall Kitchen, Atlantic Saltworks, McCrea’s Candies and The Salty Cottage. And I’m looking forward to meeting some new friends to – Black Dinah Chocolatiers, Cape Cod Sweets, Safe Harbor Confections, Goose Pond, Chatham Pottery and The Poppy Seed, to name a few. For a full list of vendors, check out their website. These brands will be coming soon to some of your favorite local shops.

Where are your go-to spots for local, handmade gifts? I love Olives and Grace, Duck Soup, and Greentail Table to name a few. Leave me a comment and let me know where I should be checking out!