Celebrate the season of giving with these palate-pleasing presents
Sure, the North Fork is home to a host of great restaurants, but did you know that it’s also home to some of Long Island’s best holiday gifts? The gourmand who has everything definitely won’t have everything from the North Fork: This we can promise. If you’re searching for the perfect present for the food and wine lover in your life, check out this helpful guide for buying your local, edible (and quaffable) drinks.
Chocolate for Everyone
If a box of chocolates feels like a pat holiday gift, that’s because you haven’t tested the waters at the North Fork Chocolate Company. Using Belgian chocolate and items from local farms and purveyors, this Aquebogue-based store sells everything from cookies to handmade chocolate bark. But one particularly fine gift for chocolate lovers everywhere is the bon-bon gift box, an assortment of 12 chocolate bon-bons, made from the world’s finest chocolate. Some items are available to purchase online, at www.northforkchocolate.com. But hit up the store in Aquebogue for the full roster of chocolates. Happy holidays, indeed.
Cup of Joe
In Southold, Jennilee Morris and Jess Dunne are dedicated to producing serious and well sourced coffee. Their small-batch, craft coffee is as popular as it is delicious — and you can purchase it for any coffee aficionado, either in the store or online. The Sanctuary Blend, which features Nicaraguan and Ethopian beans, is available in 12-ounce, 2-pound, and 5-pound sizes. The proceeds from this particular blend go to The Spirit Animal Sanctuary. If you don’t have time to make it to Southold, you can order the specialty coffee at www.noforoastingco.com.
High Spirits
Long Island Spirits, which is based in Baiting Hollow, is responsible for a few great liquor labels, including the Rough Rider line of whiskies, Sorbetta line of liqueurs, and LIV line of vodkas and gins. But the best representation of their Long Island-based spirits comes through in the Pine Barrens line. The cherrywood smoked single malt whisky, which is smoked over a wood fire, is a particularly compelling spirit. It’s a high-end, exceptional whisky, and it’s from right here on Long Island. Gift it to the Scotch lover in your life. Head to www.lispirits.com to see where you can find it near you.
Help with the Bird
You may not want to gift a fresh chicken for the holidays this year, but what about the chicken accouterment? At Browder’s Birds, in Mattituck, you can find more than just fresh, pastured birds. The farm also sells a fry kit (for the ambitious home cook), Lexington-style barbecue sauce, and a variety of brines and spices. Try an 8-ounce bottle of the dry rub for the grill, a traditional barbecue blend with a little bit of heat to it. Or opt for the roast dry rub, which is full of marjoram, rosemary, lavender, and sage. No matter what way you go, you can’t go wrong. Rubs, sauces, and fry kits are available through the Browder’s website at
www.browdersbirds.com.
