A Gift of Chicago Chow for an Ecdysiast

Next Saturday night I'll be in Seattle for a birthday party for Dixie (Josephine), a showgirl from The Sands, the daughter of my brother's live-in girlfriend. The event is going to be at a sushi joint, and I'd like to bring some Chicago-specific food item as a gift. Looking for ideas -- only limitation: has to be something I can take on an airplane without refrigeration.

So what kind of chow, from our city, can I bring to a girl like this?

First thing that comes to mind is cheddar popcorn. I like Gary Poppins, though I know there is another brand that many LTHers consider superior (and which I hope to try someday). But it's one of those things people line up for downtown. And it's easy to transport, doesn't have to go in your 3-1-1 bag, and doesn't need refrigeration.

Either that, or a gift-box of Chicago neighborhood blends from the Spice House.

Yes, Garrett's is vastly superior to Gary Poppins. The white cheddar-jalapeno gary poppins is pretty darned good, though.

she doesn't look like the cheese popcorn type, though.

i'd go with stuff from local distilleries. a few of koval and north shore distillery's selections, perhaps. maybe a selection from vosges, too.

gleam wrote:Yes, Garrett's is vastly superior to Gary Poppins. The white cheddar-jalapeno gary poppins is pretty darned good, though.

she doesn't look like the cheese popcorn type, though.

i'd go with stuff from local distilleries. a few of koval and north shore distillery's selections, perhaps. maybe a selection from vosges, too.

Well, I've only ever had the cheese popcorn, and I agree, it was pretty darned good. But I'll have to seek out Garrett's. Where might one find their popcorn? And do they have cheese? (I almost always prefer savory to sweet.)

As for recommending booze -- it's a real pain to transport if you're flying.

Too bad refrigeration is ruled out. No one has better beef than we have in the Midwest.

I still think neighborhood blends from The Spice House might work -- no trouble with the TSA, screams "Chicago."

Or forget actual food and take her copy of Low and Slow.

gleam wrote:she doesn't look like the cheese popcorn type, though.

Oh, she is, Ed, she is.

Good thoughts, guys. Some corn and some booze (which I regularly transport by air; no worries)

(CC: got your book today; focusing on the south).

I knew I could depend upon you all for direction.

As someone who spent a decade in the pacific northwest I would always ask visiting frien to bring giardiniera.
An assortment of ferrara pan from the factory can also be fun.

third coast foodie wrote:As someone who spent a decade in the pacific northwest I would always ask visiting frien to bring giardiniera.
An assortment of ferrara pan from the factory can also be fun.

I know Italian Beef is pretty much unheard of in the Pacific Northwest, so I guess I'm not surprised that they don't carry giardiniera either.

Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce?

Marshall Field's chocolates? (I know, I know, wherever they're made these days ... )

Bay's English muffins?

Depending on the airport you are flying out of, Garrett's for O'Hare, and Nuts on Clark (Chicago Mix is always a hit) and Potbelly's for some giardinera (they have it jarred and wrapped in cellophane for the plane-and it's good) for Midway. Make a trip to OFD for fritters?

Looking back on my years of living in Seattle, the one thing I wish I could have gotten there was a decent midwest corn fed steak. Unfortunately, that probably wouldn't pass your "no refrigeration" test. Barring that, I like the idea of Garrett's. Nobady doesn't like Garrett's Chicago Mix.

What about some locally smoked or cured meats? Paulina, Bobaks, etc.
Do you have access to any of that underground samizdat salami that was getting so much buzz a while back?

I know you said no refrigeration, but a soft-sided thermal lunchbag type thing with frozen ice packs wouldn't be that tough to carry onto a plane. (TSA--in it's convoluted logic--views frozen liquids differently than melted liquids, so ice doesn't have to fit the 3-1-1 parameters. But still, you could always buy ice at a restaurant after passing through security and get more on the plane from the flight attendants, if ncessary.)

Well if you do decide to bring some booze, you pretty much have to bring Malort.

I think Vosges truffles in their pretty purple box would be perfect for this young lady!

Regarding ice packs and air travel: about 2 years ago, TSA informed me that I could not bring one of those plastic ice packs filled with frozen blue gel on board in my carry on bag. It was a small ice pack (about 2" x 3").

mrsm wrote:Regarding ice packs and air travel: about 2 years ago, TSA informed me that I could not bring one of those plastic ice packs filled with frozen blue gel on board in my carry on bag. It was a small ice pack (about 2" x 3").

We were in Minneapolis last summer. We took the train up, but flew back. We had a cooler with us on the way up with the ice packs. I stuck the thawed ice pack in my bag and didn't think about it when I sent it through airport security. I had no problems. Mr. X, however, was stopped and had to relinquish the jar of peanut butter purchased at Hell's Kitchen. I would have happily traded my $1 ice pack for his $9 jar of peanut butter!

Katie wrote:Sweet Baby Ray's barbecue sauce?

Marshall Field's chocolates? (I know, I know, wherever they're made these days ... )

Bay's English muffins?

Regrettably, taking Field's Frango mints to Seattle would be carrying coals to Newcastle. Frangos were created by Frederick & Nelson, a Seattle department store which Field's bought many years ago. The Frango recipe came with the business and Field's popularized the product in the Midwest.

The first four letters of the Frango name are an acronym for Frederick and Nelson.

You can probably buy Frangos at the Seattle branch of Macy's. If it's made with the original F&N recipe, it's better than what we have here, and you should bring some back to Chicago!

The GP wrote:

mrsm wrote:Regarding ice packs and air travel: about 2 years ago, TSA informed me that I could not bring one of those plastic ice packs filled with frozen blue gel on board in my carry on bag. It was a small ice pack (about 2" x 3").

We were in Minneapolis last summer. We took the train up, but flew back. We had a cooler with us on the way up with the ice packs. I stuck the thawed ice pack in my bag and didn't think about it when I sent it through airport security. I had no problems. Mr. X, however, was stopped and had to relinquish the jar of peanut butter purchased at Hell's Kitchen. I would have happily traded my $1 ice pack for his $9 jar of peanut butter!

After a public screw-up, TSA backtracked on its ice policy and now permits it through. You have Britney Spears to thank for that (if nothing else in life).

chgoeditor wrote: After a public screw-up, TSA backtracked on its ice policy and now permits it through. You have Britney Spears to thank for that (if nothing else in life).

Interesting, except that my ice pack was not frozen when I sent it through airport security.

The GP wrote:

chgoeditor wrote: After a public screw-up, TSA backtracked on its ice policy and now permits it through. You have Britney Spears to thank for that (if nothing else in life).

Interesting, except that my ice pack was not frozen when I sent it through airport security.

Oops...missed the word "thawed" in your post. (But doesn't that just underscore the ridiculousness of the rule? Your ice pack is perfectly safe when frozen, but a danger when thawed.

Double Pegs wrote:Well if you do decide to bring some booze, you pretty much have to bring Malort.

Some very good ideas all around. Current thinking (based largely on ease of access) is to pack a bottle of Death's Door Gin and pick up some Garrett's caramel corn at the airport.

chgoeditor wrote:

The GP wrote:

chgoeditor wrote: After a public screw-up, TSA backtracked on its ice policy and now permits it through. You have Britney Spears to thank for that (if nothing else in life).

Interesting, except that my ice pack was not frozen when I sent it through airport security.

Oops...missed the word "thawed" in your post. (But doesn't that just underscore the ridiculousness of the rule? Your ice pack is perfectly safe when frozen, but a danger when thawed.

I think it's because gel explosives don't freeze.

We still have no idea what danger the peanut butter presented.

Back to the OP, Garrett's and Death's Door is good. I'd throw in some Vosges as well.

The GP wrote:I'd throw in some Vosges as well.

I'd skip the Vosges becasue Seattle has Bean to Bar manufacturer Theo Chocolate in their own back yard.

The GP wrote:We still have no idea what danger the peanut butter presented.

When I first read that, I thought it was strange--I've brought all sorts of food on board and never had a problem. Perhaps the screener forgot his lunch

My sister in law was forced to give up the Nordic Creamery butter she picked up at Green City Market three weeks ago when flying home via O'Hare - which reminds me I need to figure out how to ship her some.

boudreaulicious wrote:

The GP wrote:We still have no idea what danger the peanut butter presented.

When I first read that, I thought it was strange--I've brought all sorts of food on board and never had a problem. Perhaps the screener forgot his lunch

I think it's probably one of those "when in doubt, confiscate it" situations. Different things make different screeners nervous. For example, I never set off the metal detector, but about half the time, I get held for a pat-down -- because I wear skirts. The women who come to do the pat-down are usually hugely apologetic, and one said it's just because it makes some guys nervous, because they just can't tell.

So there isn't always a solid reason something isn't allowed -- just something that triggers something for the screeners. All they have to be is uncertain. So I don't carry on anything that might even be borderline. It's just not worth the hassle.

I ended up getting the Death's Door Gin, which the nice man at Pastoral wrapped securely in cardboard and big strapping tap. It was totally secure in checked luggage and very much appreciated. I think the sinister-sounding name helped sell it to the young lady.

Appreciate all the input.

How was the show...er BD party?