Soon, the holiday season will have come and gone. But for those in offices throughout the Metroplex tasked with giving gifts to clients or fellow staff members, the search for That Special Something is a year-round proposition. What can you give that special client as a way of saying thanks? Fortunately, the Dallas/Fort Worth area is a veritable cornucopia of edible gift ideas, and I’d like to share three of my favorites, run by local companies, that work for any office environment while being unique and high-quality enough to really stand out.

1. FRESH FRUIT GIFT BASKETS. I highly recommend the gift basket from ORCHARD At The OFFICE, a Richardson-based organization which specializes in premium-quality office fresh fruit delivery. Their gift basket is a great deal: for $40 plus a $5 delivery fee, the recipient will receive a great wicker basket filled with a fantastic mix of delectable whole fruit with a handwritten note. The basket comes with all the classics you’d expect: Dole bananas, quality apples, citrus, a rainbow of pears…but what I really enjoy are the more exotic varieties they pop into the gift baskets, such as papaya, kiwi, and peaches. The Seckel pears in particular are a delight: they’re a little larger than a golf ball, with a skin that fades between green and red, and a sweetness which is elegant without being overpowering. It’s a great package that encourages healthy snacking, and as such is the gift that keeps on giving!
2. PREMIUM ROAST COFFEE. Our workplace has become completely sold on Eiland Coffee Roasters, another small company in Richardson which imports an amazing assortment of beans from all over the world, roasts them onsite, and packages them up to suit the palates of coffee cognoscenti throughout the Metroplex. Clay Eiland and his knowledgeable staff have the uncanny ability to turn virtually anyone into a coffee connoisseur with the purchase of just a couple pounds. It happened to me: a year ago I could scarcely taste the difference between any random Starbucks blend; now I find myself describing flavors of different cups with sentences featuring phrases like “notes of…”! You can stop by their location or have pounds of coffee sent as a gift. Check out their selection – I myself am partial to the Ethiopian (especially the Ardi) but have yet to make a bad purchase.
3. ARTISAN CHEESE BOXES. Most foodies, local or otherwise, are familiar with Scardello, an Oak Lawn staple featured on The Food Network. But their gift box selections sometimes go overlooked – which makes them a particularly unique gift choice. The small box will get you three ¼-lb pieces of handmade cheese (I myself am a huge fan of their mozzarella, which to me tastes like what might happen if milk were touched by an angel) as well as one accompaniment: antipasti, olive oils, a variety of beverages, and even “charcuterie” – cured meats and prosciutto. A big hit for one and all!

For more information on ORCHARD At The OFFICE, call 972.295.9091.

To learn more about Eiland Coffee Roasters, call 972.991.0100.

If you’d like to know more about Scardello Artisan Cheese, call 214.219.1300.