Festive and flavorful finds for your favorite foodies

‘Tiz the season to be … hungry! Gift-giving time is here, and if you’ve got a dedicated foodie in your life (and really now, who doesn’t?!), make the holiday season even more special with something he or she will truly love. Foodies don’t need ties or scarves - they’ll just end up splattering ‘em with gravy. And foodies often vary in size throughout the year, so please, no shirts or pants. Grab your credit card and follow my suggestions to make the holidays something you can sink your teeth into. 

Scamper, do not walk, to the unassuming Olive Orchard Tasting Room in downtown Rehoboth’s First Street Station. This tiny shop is a rollercoaster of tastes, with fused and infused olive oils (the real thing - not that diluted stuff from the grocery store) and flavored balsamic vinegars. Owners Eloi Cardoso and Dr. Curt Whitehair can put together a gift basket that will keep your beloved foodie tasting, marinating, flavoring and drizzling for months. My pick hits include the cinnamon pear dark balsamic, the basil olive oil, the lemongrass mint white balsamic, the champagne white balsamic and the dark chocolate balsamic. Drop in and taste around.

Just east of Indigo Indian Restaurant by the Rehoboth Boardwalk is the Spice & Tea Exchange. Owner Joy Quinn Whalen and her team are experts on all they purvey. From pretty much every spice known to man (buy as little or as much as you want), to infused salts and sugars, from high-end cooking accessories (your foodie will love a Himalayan salt block for tableside sautéing or chilling) to pre-mixed seasonings … it’s all there. Scoop up the combo pack of custom blends - each in its own grinder bottle. They’re the perfect stocking stuffers.

The Bronx-imported ingredients at Touch of Italy are so popular that they created a marketplace section in all the restaurants so you can take home imported pastas, handmade mozzarella, fresh Italian breads, condiments and more. They can also help you create a (refrigerated) gift basket with TOI’s legendary mains like lasagna, Mamma’s meatballs, hot Italian sausage, braciole and that famous eggplant stack - not to mention the mouthwatering Italian cookies and pastries. TOI’s cheeses, fresh marinara and bolognese sauces are also available for purchase - yet another reason not to buy your favorite foodie that necktie or scarf. Unless it’s red, of course.

Kitchen & Company near Lewes is a home cook’s amusement park. Make him or her smile with a couple of Silpat nonstick silicone mats, a half-dozen quarter-sheet aluminum pans (oh, they’ll find a use for them!) or a set of colorful “soft” cooking utensils to protect his or her go-to nonstick skillet. Just up the road in Lewes, caffeine lovers will be stimulated by an assortment of La Colombe coffees from Kaisy’s Delights. Pick up a French press while you’re at it and make your gift the best part of waking up.

One-of-a-kind experiences make great gifts. Snag your favorite dining aficionado an Eating Rehoboth tour gift card. Sip and bite at five of the region’s best restaurants plus a cool specialty shop – all in three hours! TripAdvisor rates the Eating Rehoboth experience as one of the most popular activities in Delaware. Gift cards are at EatingRehoboth.com. Another fun tour is the Dogfish Head Brewery/Distillery in Milton. They offer a variety of tours that can be booked online at Dogfish.com/brewery/tasting-room/tours.

Rich Steele’s reservations-only Paella Feast at Café Azafran on the ocean block of Baltimore Avenue is a one-of-a-kind experience that will make any foodie salivate. Snap up a gift card from the restaurant and your recipient can use it for the entire paella experience, minus gratuity and alcohol. Reservations for the next off-season feast may be had at 302-227-8100. 

Is the target of your affections a BBQ lover? Create a potpourri of smoky taste with custom-made sauces and spice rubs available at Bethany Blues. These locally conceived condiments are beautifully labeled and would look great in a gift basket. Throw in one of Blues’ cleverly designed shirts while you’re at it.

Of course there’s the gift that keeps on giving: A subscription to the Cape Gazette! My weekly column (you’re reading it now…) is in there every Friday. I’ll fill your significant foodie in on a bit of Rehoboth restaurant history and human interest stories centered on our vibrant culinary landscape. Add to the fun by grabbing a copy of Beach Paper every Thursday in season for my Steppin’ up to the Plate column. Your preferred gastronome will be on the leading edge of everything food and drink in the Cape Region. What a tasteful way to say Happy Holidays!