Dorothy Lane Market has curated Ohio gift boxes and baskets made to envoke nostalgia that range from $50 to more than $150 that can be ordered and shipped directly, but there’s also fun to be had in picking what goes into such a gift and showing that extra bit of love and appreciation in the process.
Here’s a look at the ultimate list of items that should be under consideration for inclusion in a Dayton and Ohio care package this holiday season. They are packed with local flavor and sealed with a hometown kiss.
Creating an ode to the flavors of the Miami Valley with a gift basket bearing some of the foods we are best known for is sure to make that special someone feel the love.
Here’s what I would consider including in my keeping it local basket — some you’ll recognize right away, others you should get to know. All are from our town.
- The Pine Club House Dressing, stewed tomatoes and steakhouse sauce (https://thepineclub.com). You can also order dry-aged steaks and lobster boxes directly from the website if you want to make it a completely Pine Club holiday.
- Frisch’s Tartar Sauce (www.frischs.com). I didn’t really appreciate how much people loved this until I had friends who moved to Florida and asked me to ship them bottles.
- Woeber’s Mister Mustard Hot and Woeber’s Sandwich Pal (www.woebermustard.com). This Springfield, Ohio, company that’s been around since 1905 has everything you need for the sandwich lover in your life.
- Jump’s Gourmet Almonized Peanuts. These crispy crunchy peanuts are some of the best out there. Definitely worth including in any Dayton-inspired food basket.
- Esther Price Assorted Chocolates (https://estherprice.com). Try the new cashew butter supremes, between that and the Mike Sell’s chocolate-covered potato chips we’re in business.
- Mamma DiSalvo’s Authentic Italian Sauce (https://mammadisalvo.com). Include some bread from Good Hands Bread Co. (www.goodhandsbreadco.com) and specialty and flavor-infused olive oils and balsamic vinegars from Olive Tree (www.olivetreedayton.com) and you have yourself a winning combination.
- Mikesells potato chips (https://mikesells.com). Pair this with some buckeyes, pecan pralines, bourbon cherry cordials with Watershed Bourbon from Columbus or peppermint bark from Winans Chocolate and Coffee (www.winanscandies.com) and you will look like a genius.
- Boston Stoker Highlander Grogg Coffee Beans (https://bostonstoker.com). If you can get it, look for their bourbon barrel aged limited selection of Ardi coffee beans aged in bourbon-soaked barrels direct from Dayton Barrel Works Artisan Distillery. The product is sold in 8 oz. jars and the third and final batch will be available sometime around Dec. 12 for order. Get this fruit-forward bourbon coffee treat before it’s gone!
- Dorothy Lane Market Original Killer Brownie Bars (www.dorothylane.com). Because no Dayton basket is complete without it.
Credit: Contributed
Credit: Contributed
- Mutt’s sauce, www.muttssauce.com. This sauce has gone crazy thanks to sales on QVC and incredible moments of national exposure. This is a local company owned by Air Force veteran Charlynda Scales, who decided to bottle her grandfather Charlie “Mutt” Ferrell’s sauce he created to use at every meal. Get ready to fall in love and start planning meals around it.
- Grab a bottle. Head to a local brewery like Eudora, Toxic, Branch and Bone, Warped Wing or Yellow Springs to pick up something fresh for the beer drinker in your life. For liquids packing a bigger punch consider buying a bottle or two from Belle of Dayton or Buckeye Vodka. Local beers and bottles of Bad Juans are available at most local grocery stores, which makes shopping and gift buying a two-for-one proposition.
- Include a special surprise from somewhere local that you may not know about. Some Dohner Maple Syrup (https://dohnermaple.com), or some tasty holiday teas from The Golden Leaf Tea and Herb Company in Tipp City (www.thegoldenleafonline.com) or some Kouign Amann from Boosalis Baking and Cafe (www.facebook.com/boosali). There are so many local businesses that have wonderful food items for sale that can be included in a holiday food basket, so get creative!
- Top it all off with a gift card ... to Marion’s because if you’re going to stick with that classic Dayton theme you need some square-cut pizza slices in your life.
Contact this contributing writer at alexis.e.larsen@hotmail.com.
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