From coffee and beer to pasta and seafood, the Ocean State offers up a bounty. For the foodies on your list — whether they live in-state or out — you don’t have to scour the globe for great locavore gifts. We’ve hand-curated some great options for you right here. Dig in.
CAWFEE & TEA
Yes you can always send syrup for coffee milk (or a coffee-milk scented candle). But here are some options for those who want an actual cup of joe:
- Bolt Coffee in Providence offers a wide spectrum of flavors, from Lites Out (their darkest roast, with notes of Tobacco, Burnt Sugars, and Dark Chocolate) to a light Ethiopian Adado with notes of Tangerine, Lemon Drop, Pine. Plus accessories like a stainless steel Kalita Wave Dripper. Or a Borosilicate glass tea brewer. 96 Calverley St, Providence. 401-214-9944
- PVD’s New Harvest Coffee offers a Steam Roller blend — Bittersweet chocolate toasted nuts, subtle lemon, and creamy cocoa — or a Winter Roast — dark chocolate with cranberry hints — and equipment like a glass Chemex brewer. 10 Sims Ave., Providence. 401-438-1999
- Locally roasted Dave’s Coffee bags Blind Pig (Cacao, Black Cherry, Walnut) Power Wagon (Black tea, cedar, chocolate, earthy) and more, along with house coffee syrup and merch from mugs to hoodies. 341 S Main Street, Providence. 401-521-1973
- For the tea fan: Providence-based Black Leaf Tea & Culture Shop, for anything from Sunday Morning — Lemongrass, Orange Peel, Spearmint, Chamomile — to Coco Bae — coconut flakes and cacao nibs. Plus accessories like a stainless steel mesh tea infuser ball.
- The Coffee Exchange offers an array of gifts for the home barista. (Only downside: you can’t smell the online store.) Give an aromatic bag of Colombia Fondo Paez, with flavor notes of green apple and dark caramel; a Honduran Comsa espresso roast with hints of dark chocolate and black pepper; or the Kid from Brooklyn blend for a full-bodied, winey flavor. Then go for the brewers and accessories, from a Primula Cast Aluminum Stove-top Espresso Maker to a Melitta Porcelain coffee-maker. Bonus: Rhode Island residents get $5 flat-rate shipping from this Providence shop. 207 Wickenden St., Providence. 401-273-1198
SWEETH TEETH
For sweets lovers on your list, you’ve got options:
- Ocean State Sweets, born in 2020, serves up some knee-buckling treats. Think buttery hot cocoa snowballs (the cocoa is baked in), chewy fudgy double-chocolate brownies, caramel chocolate chip brownies, sugar cookie bars; magic cookie bars with coconut, butterscotch and walnuts; hot chocolate fudge loaded with marshmallows. This is Rhode Island’s Willy Wonka. (And if you’re going to a holiday party? Three words: Dessert Charcuterie Board.) 334-462-9461
- Aleppo Sweets in Providence will ship anywhere in the United States, and offers baklava a dozen ways, from crushed pistachio lady fingers, to chocolate or vegan baklava. 107 Ives St., Providence.
- For the toffee-fanatic, Anchor Toffee offers a 6 oz. tub of toffee (think: pint-of-ice-cream size) wrapped with a bow. They have their own take on turtles, “Leathernecks,” made with dark chocolate, vanilla-salted caramel, and in-house dry-roasted pecans, almonds, or cashews. Other sweet treats includes “The Schooner” gift box — choose from almond, butter, coconut, coffee, peppermint or pumpkin spice — “The Sailor’s Sampler,” and yes, copper-kettle-cooked New England saltwater taffy. 8 Bowen’s Wharf, Newport, 401-619-1044; and 10 Sims Ave., Providence. 401-439-1517
- No stocking is complete without chocolate: Seacoast Sweets makes homemade chocolate patties, like peppermint, s’mores or peanut butter. 310 Knollwood Ave, Suite 2, Cranston. 877-503-4477
MAIN COURSE & GIFT BASKETS
You can’t exactly mail-order a home-cooked meal, but you can treat your pal to dinner from afar:
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- Gift them a dinner to their fave RI eatery (glean some ideas here) or give them the taste of Rhode Island with a Rhode Island Red Food Tour. As their website describes: “Each all-encompassing tour ventures off the beaten path to five to six independent eateries, where you will sample creative foods featuring local ingredients, learn about the chef’s background and food philosophy, and discover the history and culture woven through the city’s food scene.” Perhaps a Providence Downcity tour, or a tour of Newport neighborhoods. 401-684-1110
- Treat them to fresh olive breads, Vermont cheddar cheese sourdough, focaccia, cinnamon buns, danish, lemons cakes, or soft raisin breads from Seven Stars Bakery. In Providence at 103 Point St., 820 Hope St., and 342 Broadway; also 20 Newman Ave, East Providence, and 1255 Reservoir Ave, Cranston. 401-521-2200 (all locations)
- You can have seafood shipped fresh to their door via Matunuck Oyster Bar — from an Oyster Starter Kit, to a Shellfish Feast. 629 Succotash Road, Wakefield. 401-783-4202
- For the native Rhode Islander who moved away, send them the taste of Federal Hill via Venda Ravioli. Perhaps a Slate basket: Truffle Marcona Almonds, OLLI Salami, Olives, Olive Tapanade, and Flavored San Pellegrino. Or the Sunday Dinner package: 2 pounds of homemade cavatelli, 1 quart of homemade marinara sauce, four homemade meatballs, and ⅓ pound grated Parmigiano Reggiano. 275 Atwells Ave., Providence. 401-421-9105
- Stock Culinary Goods in Providence has a gift basket for every type of foodie. A Rhode Island Condiment Gift basket includes Dave’s Coffee Syrup, The Backyard Food Company Dilly Beans, Rhed’s BBQ Sauce, Newport Sea Salt, Ocean State Pepper Co. Spice Blend, Ellie’s Jam and Bayberry Garden Smoked Maple Hot Sauce. Their Rhode Island Goods Gift basket includes Borealis Coffee, Seacoast Sweets, Ocean State Pepper Co. Seasoning, Newport Sea Salt, Anchor Toffee, Rhed’s Hot Sauce, Little Rhody Beekeeping Honey, and Charlie’s Sugar House Maple Syrup. 756 Hope St., Providence. 401-521-0101
- Dave’s Fresh Marketplace has a great selection of Rhody-centic gift baskets. The “Sweet RI” has RI Rocks, Del’s and Popcorn; “The Nor’easter” includes Del’s, Aquidneck honey, Ocean State Pepper, and Downeast Coffee, the “Ocean State” is packed with Del’s, Wrights Farm Fudge, Autocrat syrup, and more.
HOLIDAY SPIRITS
For spirit-, beer-, or wine-lovers on your list, you’ve got choices. Here are a few highlights; you can find an interactive map with more options on our RI Food & Dining page.
- Rhode Island Spirits Rhodium line includes organic and gluten-free gins vodkas and liqueurs. 59 Blackstone Ave., Pawtucket. 401-856-4111
- The Industrious Spirit Company in Providence “produces sustainably sourced vodka, gins and bourbons at Providence’s first distillery since Prohibition,” according to their website. You’ll find everything from a Blue Velvet Bourbon Whiskey to Ostreida Oysters Vodka. 1 Sims Avenue #103, Providence.
- At White Dog Distilling in Pawtucket, you can find anything from Puppy Bourbon to Lella’s Limoncello moonshine, infused with lemon zest, sugar and water. 560 Mineral Spring Ave., Unit 2-116, Pawtucket.
- Newport Vineyards offers a variety of wines in their online shop, from In the Buff Chardonnay (un-oaked, fruit-forward, guava) to their Cab Franc, (raspberry fruit leather, smoky, anise) or a Pinot Noir Dry Rosé (fresh strawberry notes.) Specialty wines include Mr. Green (fizzy and dry, made with Rhode Island greening apples) and Rhody Coyote, (a hard apple cider made with Rhode Island apples.) They also have a line of beer: Taproot Brewing Co., made at their farm brewery, with packs available for pick-up. 909 East Main Road, Middletown. 401-848-5161
- Carolyn’s Sakonnet Vineyards in Little Compton is a long-time Rhody wine staple. Perhaps a bottle of their award-winning White Lotus, or 2014 Siren, with (pineapple, grapefruit, a hint of lime.) 162 West Main Road, Little Compton. 401-635-8486
- Portsmouth’s Greenvale Vineyards offers an “orange wine” — a 2021 Pinot Gris Ramato, “made by allowing the juice to have skin contact prior to fermentation to provide color to a normally white wine. Aromatics include guava, passion fruit, and dried mango, with refreshing flavors of honeysuckle, peach, and apricot.” They also have whites, reds, and estate-grown Vermouth. 582 Wapping Road, Portsmouth. 401-847-3777
- At Long Live Beerworks in Providence, you can order cans to pick up. Perhaps PVD Pils Italian-style Pilsner, or, the collab we didn’t know we needed: Friendsgiving, a pastry Stout collab with PVDonuts. 40R Sprague St., Providence. 401-213-9830
Lauren Daley can be reached at ldaley33@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @laurendaley1.