PRODUCT: Burnt Caramel Chocolate “Cakes”

Here’s how to celebrate a chocolate lover’s special occasion: Send a box of cakes. Burnt caramel-filled chocolates decorated with cakes, that is. For years, San Francisco chocolatier Michael Recchiuti has featured the work of local artists on his acclaimed chocolate-covered burnt caramels (the caramel has a smokier flavor than conventional gourmet caramels). This special edition…
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PRODUCT: Perfect Polenta Cookies

Who wouldn’t want an invitation to the homes of Mary Ann McCormick and Nicole Nordensved? These mother-daughter bakers make such delicious cookies that friends and neighbors urged them to go into business. The result, Lark Fine Foods of Essex, Massachusetts, is dedicated to making “deliciously different artisan cookies for grown-ups.” Highly flavorful and not overly…
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RESTAURANTS: A Great Wine Pairing Dinner At The Capital Grille

There are more than 40 The Capital Grill restaurants in the U.S. We’ve only been to one, and it’s a class act. It has become our restaurant of choice when we’re going to dinner with people who want a steak-and-seafood evening with good wine. If this is up your alley, The Capital Grille is offering…
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PRODUCT: Java-Gourmet Coffee-Based Rubs, Sauces, Salts & Sweets

Sauces are just the beginning of the coffee- accented products from Java-Gourmet. Photo by River Soma | THE NIBBLE.   Java-Gourmet is the story of two Bostonians who relocated to the sylvan shores of Keuka Lake in upstate New York. Surrounded by natural beauty, they began to roast coffee to order, slowly air-cooling the beans…
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FATHER’S DAY GIFT IDEA: Premium Gin

We are big fans of Cold River Vodka and Cold River Blueberry Vodka, made by Maine Distilleries of Freeport, Maine. They’re artisan-made from Maine potatoes and are gluten-free, as well as very flavorful (we drink them straight up*). *The difference between straight up and neat: “Neat” means an undiluted shot served at room temperature; straight…
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