Grocery store gift guide

Easy holiday shopping

Story by Mina Williams

Whether you are avoiding the mall mash or wanting to look as if that gift you are handing over to the hostess was planned last week, not in the last hour, help is at hand. Seattle's grocery stores hold a glut of gifts with a range of styles and prices that are perfect for Aunt Betty, the five year old next door or the parents of your current crush.

Consider the floral department. Most Seattle grocers have come to realize that their customers want more than the $10 bouquet of color sprayed mums and have installed specialists and designers. Some orders may need advance notice to create that perfect centerpiece using grandma's Waterford vase, however, there is a deep selection of pre-arranged gifts aimed to grace any holiday table readily available. For a more personal collection of floral fantasies, the in-store designers are more than happy to take your stem selections, trim them, bundle the lot and tie them up with a festive ribbon as if you had ordered the presentation the moment that "Open House" invitation hit your mail box.

Above: West Seattle Metropolitan Market

Wine is another gift classic that tags along to most holiday season activities. Where the mental block occurs is in the appropriate selection. If those trendy, spendy wine boutiques are closed, head for the supermarket. Select one store with a large wine offering and you will more than likely find not only a good selection, but a wine expert who can guide you through making a selection. Whole Foods Market has a list of their own in-store wine experts' "Top 10" wines. Central Markets market many offerings under the seal of approval from their wine department heads. Specialty glassware and barware can be found alongside the wine to accompany your choice.

Don't forget the allure of ale, beer, hard cider and stouts. Wine may impress, but brews will be appreciated. Many supermarkets have specialty and imported selections, along with Northwest microbrews that appeal to most palates.

The bakery departments offer up sweet treats ranging from cookies and cakes to creative breads, such as Metropolitan Markets' Brie and Brioche, that can serve as an edible centerpiece.

Gift givers with more creative desires past flowers and wine can get lost in the assortment of specialty and local foodstuffs in the grocery aisles. "What's better than a bottle of extra virgin olive oil or a bottle of balsamic vinegar from Modena," asks Ilga Westberg, marketing director, Metropolitan Markets. "Specialty condiments and local items are all great items to give alone or in a grouping." In coffee-crazed Seattle, special pounds of roasted beans would please most on the gift-getting list and so would an assortment of specialty teas or some of the new drinking chocolate.

Above: allegro coffee courtesy of Whole Foods Market

In the grocery store's house wares area, holiday and hostess gifts abound. Whole Foods Market is offering caviar servers and spoons. Other tabletop items including specialty salt and pepper shakers, napkin rings, serving utensils and plates make fantastic last-minute gifts for givers with mall-fobia. Snack boards and spreaders can be cleverly blended with soft cheeses.

Some grocery stores' assortments include bath and body care items including body butters, soaps and candles. Combine these personal items with tub pillows and loofahs for an in-home spa gift.

Once you have selected your grocery store gifts, amble over to the card aisle and snap up a gift bag or ask a store associate if they do any sort of gift wrapping. It is surprising how creative store associates can be when helping a customer in clear gift-distress. To fully service customers, some stores present fruit and nut baskets all wrapped and ready to go. Metropolitan Market has devised some ready-to-go Gift Kits of bundled goodies described by themes including "Baking," "Barbeque," "Kids Cooking," and "Salad" ranging in price from $19.95 to $79.95.

If all creativity fails, consider a grocery store gift card. Who would not want that? Or for those philanthropic sorts on your list, donate a grocery store gift card to a charity in their name.

Give the gift of good taste this holiday season. Wander the aisles of your grocery store with an eye for gifts: you have to be there anyway to get dinner, plus the parking lot is not as crowded as the mall's.

Mina Williams is a freelance writer and the publisher of Northwest Stir, an online magazine for the Northwest dining industry.

Nov/Dec 2007