Kitchen Doors: ’Tis the Season to Support Local Businesses
The holiday season is an excellent time to support local businesses and buy unique gifts for colleagues, family and friends. Here are some ideas from Local First Arizona members.
See Salt
Founded by a mother and daughter in 2013, See Salt offers organic finishing salt in several flavors with French fleur de sel as the base. See Salt’s fleur de sel, which means flower of salt in French, is hand-harvested off the coast of Île de Ré, France, which is famous for its salt marshes.
Ideal for holiday gifts, See Salt variety packs are $38 and contain three 1.5-ounce jars. The French Kitchen Staples variety pack includes Signature Fleur de Sel, Fleur de Sel + Herbes de Provence ideal for vegetables and poultry, and Fleur de Sel + Pepper.
The Citrus variety pack includes Fleur de Sel + Lemon, which can be used on everything from vegetables to seafood, Fleur de Sel + Cayenne/Lime, which offers a hint of heat and lime zest, and Fleur de Sel + Orange Bitters with cocktail bitters and a hint of ginger that complements dark chocolate and libations. See Salt also sells its salts individually.
Pie Snob
Pies are a perfect holiday gift for family, friends and hosts. Located in Arcadia, Pie Snob has a variety of festive pies ranging in price from $24 to $30. Favorites include pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and Pie Snob’s bestselling apple crumb pie with tart apples, cinnamon spice and their signature crumb topping. Unique flavors include green chili apple, chocolate pecan and pumpkin praline.
Sphinx Date Co.
An Arizona favorite for more than 65 years, Sphinx Date Co. offers locally grown dates, dried fruits, nuts and gift baskets featuring local products. Gift items include the Prickly Pear Gift Box ($45), including barbecue sauce and jelly, several baskets with Arizona wines and sweets, and the Grill Master Gift Basket ($69.95) with local barbecue sauce, seasoning and rubs, and Sphinx Date Co.’s own date hot sauce. Visit the Palm & Pantry store in Scottsdale to create a custom gift basket or order online to have items shipped.
Kettle Heroes
Based in Tempe, Kettle Heroes was founded in 2013 by two brothers who wanted to make a difference. The company regularly gives back to the community through donations benefiting a variety of charitable organizations. Featuring local, all-natural ingredients, Kettle Heroes popcorn and kettle corn flavors include caramel apple pie, pumpkin pie, prickly pear and aged white cheddar. Holiday gift tins are available starting at $39.99 with three flavors and can be shipped nationwide.
Ho-Ho-Holiday Dining
For those who want to leave the holiday cooking to the pros, options abound, from dine-in to takeout, from casual to upscale.
Chompie’s
A Valley favorite since 1979 with multiple locations, Chompie’s is offering Thanksgiving to-go meals as well as a la carte items for takeout and curbside pickup. Full meals start at $219.99 and serve 12 to 15 people, including a whole oven-roasted turkey, homemade stuffing, sides, rolls and pies.
Whole turkeys, sides and desserts are available a la carte, including stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry relish, homestyle green beans, a variety of pies and pumpkin pie crème brulée.
Chompie’s will be open on Thanksgiving for dine-in service from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., offering a traditional meal with all the trimmings for $20.99 per person and $9.99 for kids under 10. Individual dinners are also available for takeout.
Hanukkah takes place December 10-18 and Chompie’s is offering a takeout dinner for eight for $219.99, including matzo ball soup, choice of brisket, roasted chicken or oven-roasted turkey breast with challah stuffing, potato latkes, and apple strudel and rugelach.
From December 20-January 1, Chompie’s offers a Chrismukkah feast for $22.99 per person and $10.49 for children under 10. The Chrismukkah feast includes challah rolls, pickle tray, choice of entrée, including buttermilk fried chicken, turkey, brisket or salmon, plus sides and dessert.
To view holiday menus, visit chompies.com.
Elements
Several of the Valley’s beautiful resorts offer high-end holiday dining. Elements at Sanctuary Resort in Paradise Valley is offering a four-course, prix-fixe menu ranging from a traditional turkey dinner with chestnut stuffing, mashed potatoes and cranberry-apple relish, to unique options such as roasted vegetable Wellington, grilled filet of beef, pecan-crusted swordfish, Moroccan spiced lamb shank and butternut squash ravioli. Decadent desserts include brownie pecan pie, pumpkin spice crème brulée and butterscotch cheesecake. The meal is $125 per person and $45 for children ages 6-12.
Another Thanksgiving option at Sanctuary is a private feast during a stay in one of the Villas at Sanctuary, the resort’s collection of luxury homes. Sanctuary will also offer special menus on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.
For more information and reservations, call 855.245.2051.
J&G Steakhouse
J&G Steakhouse at The Phoenician is offering a three-course Thanksgiving meal for $65 featuring turkey with the trimmings, including mushroom and chestnut stuffing and caramelized Brussels sprouts, and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. J&G will also be offering festive prix-fixe menus for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
For more information, call 480.214.8000.
Rita’s Cantina
Rita’s Cantina at JW Marriott Camelback Inn in Scottsdale is offering a three-course prix-fixe menu from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, including butternut squash bisque, oven-roasted turkey, grilled asparagus with shrimp and lobster gremolata and pumpkin tart with charred meringue. The cost is $75 for adults and $25 for children 12 and under.
To make a reservation, call 480.948.1700.
