Image: Chocolate Arts
Tis the season to give decadent, unexpected and delicious gifts. Here are five gifts from Kitsilano restaurants, cafes and artisan boutiques sure to please the foodie on your list.
5 Gifts for Foodies
1) Seasonal Chocolates from Chocolate Arts
Chocolate Arts owner Greg Hook is one of Vancouver’s earliest chocolatiers, opening his Kitsilano-based shop in 1989. Hook studied the chocolate arts Callebaut College in Belgium and the Ecole du Grand Chocolat in France. His seasonal chocolates have a devoted following. For Christma 2013, expect sophisticated offerings such as gingerbread caramels, eggnog truffle cups, Okanagan cherry bombs and amaretto pistachio chocs, alongside playful “lumps of coal” and cute penguins filled with minty marshmallow fluff.
Chocolate Arts, 1620 West 3rd, (604) 739-0475, Chocolatearts.com
Image: VOCC
2) Vancouver Olive Oil Company Sample Sets
All olive oils are not created equal. Get educated by he folks at VOOC and then share your knowledge with friend or loved one by selecting oils for a VOOC sampler. You can choose from the freshest extra virgin olive oil from countires including Spain, Tunisia, Italy, Chile, Argentina and Australia, as well as oil produced in California.
Vancouver Olive Oil Company, 2571 West Broadway, (604) 737-7171, vooc.ca
Image: Beaucoup
3) Beaucoup Bakery Jam
A lovely jar of Beaucoup’s house-made jam in exotic raspberry violet or delicate orange grapefruit makes for a lovely hostess gift. The recipient can use it for holiday brunches or in his/her own baking.
Beaucoup Bakery, 2150 Fir St, (604) 732-4222, Beaucoupbakery.com
Image: O5
4) Bittered Sling Extracts
When a chef and a mixologist/sommelier team up to create a line of small-batch bitters, you know your cocktail is going to become a full on sensory experience. Our favourite is the Sius cherry extract made from Bing cherries grown in Osoyoos, BC. This ruby-red sweet and savoury extract is at its best with spirits like whiskey, slow-aged rums, and brandies.
O5 Tea Bar, 2208 W 4th Avenue, o5tea.com
Image: 49th Parallel
5) 49th Parallel Holiday Celebration Espresso
These Honduran beans make a complex cup of one of the sweetest espressos you’ll taste all year. Look for an intense fruit aroma, rich texture with flavours of caramel and pineapple.
49th Parallel Roasters, 2198 West 4th Avenue, 49thparallelroasters.com
Last modified: November 21, 2019
