2017 NYC Foodie Gift Guide

This is not a sponsored post 

I thought it would be a fun idea to do some gift guides this year. We are going to have one for foodies and a regular gift guide for 2017 and I hope they give you some ideas for your holiday shopping. I really love giving gifts, I like to really surprise people with unique items. I really feel with the internet, there is no reason for a boring gift. It shouldn't exist! Here are some items for the foodie friend or family member that will make them very happy Christmas morning. 

Our friends at L.A. Burdick have the most amazing chocolates, including these mice! For the chocolate lover, they will be thrilled to receive any gift from this shop. They ship from their website, along with some chocolate penguins and snowmen! A very unique gift! 

Eataly is the Italian dream for the foodie lover. Even if you cannot get there in person, they offer gift baskets online. Another fun idea is to purchase one of the cooking classes for someone as a surprise. The big thing lately is not purchasing "things" but "memories" and that would be something very memorable. 

For the coffee lover, Irving Farm Roasters has coffee subscriptions  which would make me very happy! With the popularity of iced coffee (I drink it all year) an Iced Pour Over Bundle is a very fun item for the java addict! Irving Farm Coffee Roasters was founded in 1996 when David Elwell and Steve Leven opened a much-needed neighborhood café in Gramercy Park. Fast-forward twenty years, and now Irving Farm is one of New York's most beloved hometown roasters with seven cafés, a bustling wholesale business, the only SCAA-certified Training & Education Loft in NYC, a brand new Roastery & Tasting Room, and a green coffee buying program led by Dan Streetman that focuses on direct relationships with farmers, sustainable practices, and a philosophy of quality over quantity.

The beer lovers have the amazing Brooklyn Brewery which has cool merchandise on their website for sale. You can also purchase a tour of the brewery as a gift, one memorable experience! The brewery was open in 1988 and has become one of the best breweries in the country. 

Another great coffee item, my personal favorite, New York Gourmet Coffee, which has every flavor of coffee available in Decaf. It is so hard to find lots of flavored coffee in Decaf, and these folks do it right! They do have non-flavored coffee and flavored regular coffee available. Josh, the owner, is the nicest guy and I am always happy to recommend his coffee to everyone! 

Our friends at Fat Witch Bakery ship most of their items from their website. Their brownies are like fudge, what a great gift for your friends and family! Gift boxes and gift tins (which are great keepsakes) are available,  logo mugs are fun and you can even send a Fat Witch cookbook! 

Fishs Eddy is a most excellent and fun shop! Whimsical designs, vintage pattern kitchenware at very affordable prices. Very unique gift ideas, great for the hard to buy person, and will give them a good laugh as well! I prefer purchasing online so I don't have to carry the items all through the city. 

Jacques Torres is known as Mr. Chocolate for a reason! His chocolates make a fantastic holiday gift. The hot chocolate and wicked hot chocolate are most memorable drinking by the fireplace on a winter night. The chocolate chip cookies are to die for as well as the mudslide for the chocolate lovers. My favorites are the chocolate covered cornflakes and cheerios. They make such a unique gift for folks young and old! 

Baked by Melissa is just a really fun, fun gift for anyone! They make fantastic mini cupcakes, muffins and french macarons! They offer shipping on their website, and whomever receives these will be very happy, and will probably not want to share! My faves are the cupcakes and macarons, but the muffins are tasty too! 

Being the foodie that I am, I do have quite a cookbook collection. Bonnie Slotnick Cookbook shop has been in the city for a long time and features vintage and out of print cookbooks for purchase. If you need to buy for someone who already has many cookbooks, this could be a great experience to find something they do not have. I have a few vintage ones that my Mom had, and they are so fantastic inside, very different from what we know today. A true gem of a shop, located at 

28 East Second St.

New York, NY 10003

212-989-8962

bonnieslotnickbooks

@earthlink.net email inquiries

For those wine lovers, how cool would it be to make your own wine at home? Brooklyn Brew Shop features beer making kits as well. These kits start at $40 and go up to $70 which is a pretty nice price range for gift giving! 

Afternoon Tea is a wonderful experience especially in New York City. You can give your family or friend a gift card to take them to Afternoon Tea! This falls into the "experiences" part of a gift, which I feel are so much better than "things" because it is a memory they will have forever! I cherish the monthly teas my Mom and I attended as they bring back such happy memories. You can check out my top 10 Afternoon Teas in the city to make your choice. The Plaza and The Peninsula are my two absolute top faves! 

Momofuku Milk Bar birthday cake truffles are one heck of an experience. These make a fabulous gift, and you can have them shipped from the Goldbely website. The assorted cookie tin is a good pick as well, and for the chocolate lover they have chocolate malt cake balls. Goldbely has many items from New York City available for shipping to make a food lover so happy on Christmas Day! 

Last, but not least, the wonderful food tours that New York City has to offer makes one heck of a great gift experience. I remember all these tours I have taken with such fond memories and a really great time in the city. Here are some of my favorites that offer gift certificates or you can make your own within a card and take your friend/family member on a food tour of a lifetime: 

A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours

Like a Local Tours

Ahoy New York Food Tours

Sex and the City Tour with Magnolia Bakery Cupcake

Cloud 9 Living New York Food Tours

I hope I have given you some ideas you may not have thought about for the upcoming holiday season. If you have any questions about shopping in the city for your favorite foodie or gourmet, feel free to send me an email. I will gladly help out any way I can. 

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My 12 Go-To Spots in NYC

As much as I tell you to visit different places when in New York City, I do find certain places that I tend to go to on a regular basis when I am there. I usually get a bus in for the day, and the bus leaves me off around Madison Avenue and 48th Street. I tend to patronize places in that area for the convenience of it all. When you do find a place you like, say for dining, you feel comfortable going back because you know it’s wonderful. I do like the idea of walking in a place and knowing exactly where everything is, where to go and what to do. It just feels nice.

Le Pain Quotidien is for sure one of my faves. They have many locations in the city, and they are great for breakfast, lunch, dinner or a snack. Sometimes I don’t want to spend a large amount of money for dinner, or I just want something light, this is always a fantastic choice. I prefer this to say, Starbucks, because I have a Starbucks in my hometown, and I like to visit different places when in the city.

The Food Court at The Plaza Hotel is a place I visit pretty often. I love The Plaza, it’s so gorgeous and has so much history. I have had afternoon tea many times at the Palm Court, never been disappointed. The Food Court is so fun, I love all the selections, but prefer it on a weekday than the weekend, weekends are just so crowded. I like the newer places they have added, and still need to actually try a few of them yet. A nice varied selection of food items from caviar to pizza to crepes. My kind of place!

TopShop is a favorite shopping place. I was thrilled when they opened on Fifth Avenue, because the other location in Soho was not as convenient. They do sell online, but it is fun to pop in and see what new items they have available. I like this store because it's original, based in the UK, and they are not in too many US places. 

The Pomme Palais in The Lotte New York Palace hotel is a gem. The pastry and savory foods are to die for, and it’s a good place for me to grab a bite while waiting for my bus home. I also like to use their bathrooms, you must remember to use the hotel lobby bathrooms when needed. They are always going to be clean and you don’t have to worry about it at all. The crab cake sandwich is oh so tasty and a St Honore makes you grin from ear to ear.

Christie’s is one of my favorite places. A total gem of an auction house, so much history, and it’s FREE! The location in Rockefeller Center is very convenient, and you never know what you will find when you pop in the place. One time I went in, they were doing the auction for Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, I had the opportunity to see a stuffed Trigger! It was pretty darn amazing, and I was able to take photos as well which was even more awesome! I attended the historic Elizabeth Taylor auction at Christie’s, and it was something I will remember forever. It was epic, classic and just over-the-top. We had to pay to attend this one, it was well worth it, and I wished I had bought a second ticket to go one more time. The folks who work at Christie’s are some of the nicest people; they do not make you feel uncomfortable while admiring the historic items on display. If you are a jewelry lover, you can see some most amazing displays of gems, they almost look too much to be real!

Metropolitan Museum of Art is a place I have been going since I was a little girl. I can never get enough of it, and now that I am actually press for the museum, it blows my mind! It is such an honor to be press for one of the best museums in the world. Every exhibit is done with total class and elegance. I was lucky to see the Alexandar McQueen exhibit here, it was really more like an art exhibit than a fashion exhibit. The above photo was taken from the roof, a place when it is a nice day, is a MUST see! 

City Lobster and Steak is a frequent restaurant due to the location. I am a HUGE seafood lover, and their choices are always very yummy. They also offer pre-fixe selections for lunch and dinner, which is helpful if you are looking for a better meal deal. They are pretty popular for those seeing a Broadway show, but I think once you have dined here, you will be back for more. Their salmon just melts in your mouth! My faves are the City's Lobster Chowder, New England Jumbo Seared Scallops and Housemade Profiteroles. I am officially hungry now.

Baked by Melissa is probably an obsession of mine. I guess I could be obsessed with worse things! These little cuppies are so darn tootin’ adorable! They make for a great gift to bring back to family and friends, which I do often. I like them because of their size, and they are such a nice small treat to enjoy. They have good taste as well, their February 2016 cupcake flavor is "Cannoli". Don’t be afraid to try the ones that are covered in chocolate, they are such a treat! I am going to be trying their new macarons soon, and cannot wait to tell you all about them. They have added more locations in the city, which makes it easier to pick them up to take home, or just eat while you walk around the city!

Grand Central Terminal is a classic New York City instutition. A great place for a bit of shopping as well as dining is why I love stopping here often. You will find wonderful choices for dining in the lower level, as well as the food market. The food market is great to purchase some items to take home, or back to your hotel to enjoy. I love the fact that you have all these top-notch selections under one roof, makes it easy for a group to dine if they are all looking for different cuisines. It’s a fun place to people watch as well, which I often do when just taking a break from walking all over the city.

Café Sabarsky – A MUST when you are in the Upper East Side, possibly visiting the Met perhaps. A coffee house as those found in Vienna, Austria. I am obsessed with anything Vienna, and I do need to visit there one of these days. This café is located in a museum, the Neue Galerie, home to the famous gold lady painting Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907) by Gustav Klimt . You can have breakfast, lunch or an early dinner here. The desserts are works of art, makes you feel bad eating them, but you must and the savory is pretty darn good too! The way they present you the coffee is first class. I can’t recommend this place enough and I am anxious to visit again very soon!

Sant Ambroeus is an Italian heaven. I first experienced this place in the Hamptons location. I had dinner with a few friends while on a day trip there, and it was just out-of-this-world! Everything here is done right. They have a few locations in the city, one is near the Met which is a great option for dining before or after your visit. You will find pastries here that will blow your mind, and are fantastic to take home, or give as gifts to family and friends. You can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner here and with the nice selection of locations, you have some flexibility. I know you will thank me for alerting you to this place! Your welcome!

Bloomingdales and 40 Carrots is probably one of my most FAVORITE places in the city! I have been going here since I was a little girl, and it is still magical for me when I walk in those doors! Bloomies to me just screams NYC, and nothing beats going to their flagship shop on Lexington Avenue. Their accessory, handbag, jewelry and shoe departments are probably my favorites. 40 Carrots has evolved since I started going there, but I still feel they should have made it much larger. It is so busy most of the time, better on a weekday than a weekend, but it’s worth it to wait in line to enjoy a meal. The yogurt is heavenly, and the peanut butter has to be my favorite. I like the salad trio which gives you chicken, egg and tuna salad to enjoy. The pretzel rolls just make me smile. Whoever invented the pretzel roll, I thank you from the bottom of my heart!

What are your favorite "go-to" places in New York City ? 

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Baked by Melissa French Macarons Review

I waited as long as I could to order these little guys! I am a HUGE fan of Baked by Melissa. I had the pleasure of working with them twice in the past to help promote their little cupcakes. It is so great to work with a company you already patronize quite often. They have been baking their adorable cupcakes for quite a few years, and they are oh-so-popular. I love giving them as gifts to friends, and try to take some home each time I visit NYC. When I heard they were going to make another product, I was so excited. I was thinking brownies, but when on January 14th they announced bite-site French macarons, I was too darn excited! 

The flavor choices are: 

SUGAR COOKIE 

Shell: Pink and White

Filling: Sugar Cookie and Rainbow Nonpareil

Topping: Rainbow Nonpareil

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE 

Shell: Dark Chocolate

Filling: Chocolate Ganache and Sea Salt

RED VELVET 

Shell: Red Velvet 

Filling: Cream Cheese and Chocolate 

Topping: Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Drizzle

COOKIE DOUGH 

Shell: Cookie Dough 

Filling: Cookie Dough and Chocolate

Topping: Dark Chocolate Drizzle

SNICKERDOODLE 

Shell: White 

Filling: Sugar Cookie and Cinnamon

Topping: Cinnamon and Sugar

SALTED CARAMEL

Shell: Caramel 

Filling: Dulce de Leche, Chocolate Ganache, and Sea Salt

Topping: Dark Chocolate Drizzle

These gorgeous little guys are also GLUTEN FREE!! 

These are just unreal! The flavors are all amazing, I can't decide on a favorite! This was a great choice for Baked by Melissa, and I highly recommend you trying them. If you are looking for a fun gift for someone that is unique, this is it! You can choose the sampler like I did where you get all flavors, or the single flavors of each, 25 French macarons per package, cost is $20.00 plus shipping.

Please let me know when you try them how you like them, and if you did, What is your favorite? I just cannot decide myself, so I just need to have the assortment of flavors!

Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post. I happily purchased these macarons as I knew they would be amazing and wanted to share with my fabulous readers. I choose to promote on this blog products that I just am crazy over, and that are of the best quality available! Thank you !!

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Baked by Melissa Valentine's Day Assortment

Our friends at Baked by Melissa, the New York City-based bakery famous for its bite-size cupcakes, has created a Valentine’s Day Collection that will make February 14th a little sweeter. The Valentine’s Day Collection, which includes Peanut Butter Pretzel, Red Velvet Pretzel and White Chocolate Pretzel, is available for pre-order starting January 28th, 2015, and will be available in stores on February 3, 2015. A gift box with custom pink ribbon will also be available.

How adorable is this box? 

How fabulous do these little guys look? I think the chocolate peanut butter are my favorites. The crunch of the pretzel goes very well with the cake and filling of the cupcake. What a fabulous gift to give to anyone on Valentine's Day! 

WHITE CHOCOLATE PRETZEL White Vanilla Cake Bavarian Cream Stuffing Vanilla Icing White Chocolate Pretzel & Chocolate Drizzle Topping

RED VELVET PRETZEL Red Velvet Cake Cream Cheese Icing Milk Chocolate Covered Pretzel & Chocolate Drizzle Topping

PEANUT BUTTER PRETZEL Chocolate Cake Peanut Butter Stuffing Chocolate Icing Dark Chocolate Pretzel & Chocolate Drizzle Topping

SHIPPING AND DELIVERY: 
The Valentine’s Day Collection can be ordered online and via phone in increments of 25 or picked up a la carte in Baked by Melissa stores. Baked by Melissa ships nationwide and also delivers within the New York City area. Shipping orders must be placed by 3PM on Friday, February 13, 2015.

ABOUT BAKED BY MELISSA:

 In 2008, Melissa Ben-Ishay was fired from her job in advertising. Passionate about baking since childhood, Ben-Ishay decided to do what she loved and Baked by Melissa was born. Today, Baked by Melissa is famous for its signature, bite-size cupcakes. The bakery’s core product line, which is comprised of eight addictive cupcake flavors is available year round. In addition a Mini of the Month, Seasonal Collections and Holiday cupcakes are introduced as limited-edition offerings throughout the year. The brand’s website and a branded mobile application allow consumers to customize their cupcake experience with a Cupcake Creator, Cupcake Art and the ability to create their own assortments. Baked by Melissa operates 12 store locations, including a shop at JFK’s JetBlue Terminal 5, and ships nationwide. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend roducts or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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