Where's the best place to buy snack/gifts?

[theFuj46]

I will be going home for a bit and need to buy some gifts for family and friends. Ghiradelli seems a little too generic for me. Originally I was gonna get 4505 chicharonnes from the ferry building, but they seem like they would be crushed if I carried them on a plane. What type of fun snacks would be good? To give u an idea of what I am looking for: I usually get trader joes nuts and chocolate snacks. Theres no trader joes back in Hawaii so everyone loves there stuff.

[ML8000]

IF you go to the Ferry Bldg for random stuff, might check out Tcho for some chocolate. Otherwise I'd just hit up Trader Joe's. They have padded freezer bags, I'd just load one of those up and bring it along.

[Windy]

Tcho is a good idea. Not too expensive, packs flat, definitely local, nice packaging.

[pauliface]

It's not cheap, but I am a big fan of Minamoto Kitchoan. Pretty little japanese sweets and cakes.

[ceekskat]

Rechiutti chocolates are great (love key lime apples & fleur de sel caramels) but if you want something less expensive, I suggest See's candies. Some of our favorites are peanut brittle, chocolate lollypops (regular or mini) & the bridge mix.

[rubadubgdub]

I believe you can get See's at the airport if you don't want to spend precious time shopping. Their toffee is my fave.

[wally]

They have See's in Hawaii.

[theFuj46]

Like wally said, there are See's shops in Hi. Thought everywhere had them...

[rubadubgdub]

Ferry Bldg: Blue Bottle or Peet's beans for coffee hounds (also Sightglass, Four Barrel, Ritual, but you have to go around town to get these beans). Miette for cookies in tubes (salted choc shortbread is delish). Recchiutti is great chocolate and worth a splurge for the right person. Fatted Calf, Boccalone, Prather jerky, salumi. I would def take a chance on a few bags of chicharrones, everyone loves them.

If your pals love TJoes, there's no reason not to indulge them. I'm particularly addicted to their trail mix called Salty Sweet Nutty (it has peanut brittle for best energy!).

[theFuj46]

Those Salty Sweet Nuts are my favorite also. Until I eat all the peanut brittle and its just regular nuts. I checked a couple trader joes around my area and both didn't have them, hopefully they get them back in stock soon.

[grayelf]

The dark chocolate pomegranate seeds are a very good thing from Trader Joe's. Easy to pack too. They've had them at the TJ's nearish Fisherman's Wharf the last two times we've gone (April and November). And that TJ's is just down the block from Delise where you could stop and have a lovely Four Barrel coffee and a house-made pastry to recover from your shopping travails ;-).

[jsaimd]

If you head to BiRite you will have lots of options. You can also get things at Village Market and other locals in ferry building.

Happy Goat caramels. I like cc made caramel corn and caramels too. Hooker caramels. Other local chocolates - like poco dolce.

Rancho gordo beans eye of the goat beans. Pickles of all sorts.

Ferry building you can get Rechuitti chocolates

[Dustin_E]

lard caramels from boccalone in the ferry building.
chinatown or japantown has some random shops with fun stuff, too.

[Windy]

Farmer's markets are a great place to start (Ferry Plaza, Heart of the City, or Alemany). GW Ferreri now has a stall in the Ferry Building as does La Cocina.

Favorites: walnuts, walnut brittle, almond butter, alfajores from Sabores del Sur, maybe exotic mushrooms from Far West Fungi

Empanadas from Venga or Chile Lindo might survive packed in a gel pack. 4505 chicharones should be okay packed in a shoe or in bubble wrap.

Cookies are another thought, with all the bakeries in town making macarons and the like. Thorough Bread has macarons in tubes.

[hyperbowler]

Far west fungi has candy cap mushroom and walnut cookies. They're quite good.

[theFuj46]

I like the idea of the macarons. I assume Sabores del Sur is in the Ferry building too. I will check there again this saturday.

Also...chicharones in the shoe? How big are your feet?!!?!?!? I'm like a size 9, I don't think they will fit in mine. :-D

[rubadubgdub]

I don't know what others do, but I always pack a rather large "dinner or lunch" (grocery plastic bag) and tell the security people that's what it is. It allows me to handcarry baked goods and other delights onto the plane without having to put it in my luggage. This is in addition to my personal bag and my carry on bag. Works every time. I could see a bag full of those chicharrones. . .

[theFuj46]

yeah, but once on the plane I figure I would have to put them in the over head compartment. Its there that im worried about them getting smashed up. I left them in my backpack once for just an hour or so of walking and when I opened it up they were just crumbs left.

[ML8000]

C'mon brah...get some local kine luggage...i.e., a hard side cooler and duct tape. I see it all the time going and coming from Hawaii but it's checked on. Usually locals or expats hauling food.

[theFuj46]

haha, I wonder if that would work? theres no way I am gonna buy a cooler just to bring back chicharones. Was nice to just read your response though. Can't wait to get back home and stop having to speak like one haole.

[rworange]

How about just putting the chicharrones in a plastic glad container?

An old blast from the past that i recently revisited is just as good as ever ... XOX truffles
http://www.xoxtruffles.com/framepage.htm

A new flavor I liked was Spicy Cayenne Tequila. Citron/Lemon was great too.

[Windy]

Sabores del Sur is one of the La Cocina vendors. La Cocina has a stand in the Ferry Building. You can also buy their alfajores at a few stores in the city including Canyon Market in Glen Park. They're very very good.

The tiny bags of chicharones will fit in an open shoe. Bubble wrap might be easier.