Atlanta Local Gift Guide #4 – Locally Produced Food
Posted by Cracker on December 10th, 2009Today’s local gift guide is probably my personal favorite. Har har. Yes, it’s obvious that I love food. Shush. But anyway:
4.) Locally Produced Food – Jams, jellies, salsas, sausages, cupcakes, beer, etc. Somewhere in your town somebody is brewing up something tasty right this second. Google, or head to a farmer’s market (sadly, usually closed during winter) or a locally owned restaurant. They can often put you in touch with the best local food vendors. And believe me – once you go local food, you never go back. (Whole Foods is another place to pinpoint who your local food vendors are, but try to buy straight from the source rather than through the mega-chain.)
Via Elisa – This company, with its shop right on Howell Mill Rd., makes kickass fresh, organic, handmade pastas. But be careful, after I had Via Elisa spaghetti with their brand of Passionately Perfect Tomato Sauce, I was ruined for all other pasta.
It's a stock photo. But don't worry, Atlanta Cupcake Factory's look even yummier
The Atlanta Cupcake Factory – I once had a friend drive in from miles and miles away just so we could make a special trip to the Atlanta Cupcake Factory. This place is locally owned and makes all of their cupcakes in small batches, which means that you never know what you’re going to find when you walk in every day. They also have limited hours (scrumptious things are rarely easy to obtain), so check the website before stopping by.
Local Honey – My mother once bought Senor a jar of honey from the Blue Ridge Mountains. Now he refuses to eat any other kind and jealously hoards the last little bit in a secret place. (It’s above the stove! It’s above the stove!) Check this list for Georgia honey suppliers, and feel free to add to the list if you know where we can get local honey closer to home. (…Not like that.)
Beyond these suggestions, try flea markets and local shops. Many sell locally made jam, jellies, barbecue sauces and other delights that will taste better than that mass-produced crap AND keep more money stimulating the local economy.
I try to only list companies I’ve had experience with, but if you have any more local food producers to recommend, by all means, let me know in the comments and I’ll add them to the list.
Next up Atlanta Local Gift Guide #5 – A Book by a Local Author.
Tags: Local Holiday Shopping
[...] 4.) Locally Produced Food – Jams, jellies, salsas, sausages, cupcakes, beer, etc. Somewhere in your town somebody is brewing up something tasty right this second. Google, or head to a farmer’s market (sadly, usually closed during winter) or a locally owned restaurant. They can often put you in touch with the best local food vendors. And believe me – once you go local food, you never go back. (Whole Foods is another place to pinpoint who your local food vendors are, but try to buy straight from the source rather than through the mega-chain.) [...]
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