last minute gift ideas

Gifts: Last Minute Panic Ideas

last minute gift ideas

Panettone makes a great gift

Local food gifts are your answer to the last minute panic of gift buying.  If you think local, like super-local, the neighborhood in which you live I’d wager that there is more than one restaurant, cheese shop, wine store, supermarket that sells packages of Cookies, Candy, Caramels, Granola or Jam, or even Duck Confit for example.

I’m sitting here at Republique eating a great bowl of granola for breakfast that is delicious.  They have pretty packages of cellophane bags filled with the stuff behind the cashier.  Buy 5 and throw them in people’s stockings.  Or bring a bag to a party instead of a bottle of wine.  I visited the Rockenwagner wholesale bakery a couple days ago and it’s like elf central.  They’re churning out fantastic Lebkuchen (a nut, fruit cookie with an addicting texture), stollen, panettone and granola too, most available at Gelson’s in addition to their own shops. Often we don’t purchase the little luxuries in life for ourselves.  And specialty food items are often those little luxuries.   Unless you’re an overachiever it’s too late to make your own goodies, package and label them for gifts.  So here are some broad ideas.  But don’t go out of your way if these suggestions aren’t near you.  Think of what’s close and share in the comments for others in your neighborhood.

Auntie Em’s
Clementine
Gjusta (Nicole’s Chocolate Granola Bar)
Joan’s On Third
La Brea Bakery
The Larder
Lincoln
Little Flower
Europane
Etchea
Proof
Republique
Rockenwagner
Squirl