Giardiniera would be good in this gift basket

Malort?

=R=

I lost a bet that I need to pay (by mail, which rules out some options) in Chicago foodstuffs to a downstate cousin. (When one of these bets goes the other way, I get a box of Taylor's chili from Carlinville.)

I haven't ruled out the tastesofchicago.com option, but because my cousin is a Cardinals fan and his wife is from Lincolnshire, the idea I like best at the moment is a box of Fannie May chocolates, because I could put a note to my cousin-in-law at the bottom of the card that my cousin would not fail to notice: "p.s., don't tell him that Fannie May is the official chocolate candy of the Chicago Cubs!"

Although you clarify in your first sentence, the thread title [didn't originally] specify you're looking for a food gift. My first instinct was a bundle of Benjamins in a brown envelope. It certainly says Chicago, it's easily transportable on a plane and doesn't break any TSA rules, and once in the hands of your out of town friends, they can buy their own damn food.

Buddy

Bari Giardinaire(my specific Giardinaire preference), Vienna neon green relish, Don Roth Blackhawk dressing. Instead of Fannie Mae, his wife may like Long Grove Confectionary if she's from Lincolnshire(they have an outlet store off Lake Cook in Buffalo Grove.)

mkess wrote:... Instead of Fannie Mae, his wife may like Long Grove Confectionary if she's from Lincolnshire(they have an outlet store off Lake Cook in Buffalo Grove.)

Ah, that's a good idea! I actually live closer to Long Grove than to Lake-Cook.

stevez wrote:Garrett's popcorn. A can't miss taste of Chicago. It's my go to Chicago gift and is always met with enthuiasm.

Seconding. We citizens may think of Garrett's as something for the tourists, and it is, but the premise of the OP's question is that the recipient is a "tourist," albeit of the non-traveling variety.

Plus it's really good.

riddlemay wrote:

stevez wrote:Garrett's popcorn. A can't miss taste of Chicago. It's my go to Chicago gift and is always met with enthuiasm.

Seconding. We citizens may think of Garrett's as something for the tourists, and it is, but the premise of the OP's question is that the recipient is a "tourist," albeit of the non-traveling variety.

Plus it's really good.

Agreed!

stevez wrote:Garrett's popcorn. A can't miss taste of Chicago. It's my go to Chicago gift and is always met with enthuiasm.

Garrett's is delicious, and now that they have stores at the bigger airport, it's easier than ever to pick up on your way out of town. The only caveat is that its quality declines rapidly within a few days, so you shouldn't buy it until the last minute, and the recipients need to consume it quickly for maximum impact. I find that their caramel cashew type is loved by more people than the cheese-and-caramel mix, but different strokes and all that.

My go-to gift that says Chicago consists of a box of chocolates from Belgian Chocolatier Piron in Evanston. Everybody I know loves it and eagerly looks forward to it when I visit. I also ship it to friends and family. Obviously, it doesn't work so well during hot weather and en route to hot destinations.