This feature was made possible through a partnership with the Milwaukee Public Market, which is celebrating 20 years of making community in our awesome city.
If you’re a local, you probably consider the Milwaukee Public Market, 400 N. Water St., a great place to eat and drink. And if you’re a visitor to the city, it’s both a convenient spot to grab a taste of the city as well as a few souvenirs to bring home.
But it’s also a lovely place to pick up local stocking stuffers and gifts for a wide range of folks on your list. These are just some of the great things I found as I perused the market late last week!
And, when in doubt, a gift card to the market is always a great gift. They can be purchased at the market offices or online and used at all vendors inside the market and to pay for cooking classes and Market merchandise.
For the chocolate fiend
Tabal is a local chocolate company that uses sustainable practices, including the bean-to-bar method of production, to transform some of the world’s most flavorful cacao into craft dark chocolate. Thanks to a partnership with Freese’s Candy Shop, you’ll find a number of their products at the market, including their delicious chocolate bars ($9 each) in flavors like Salted Coffee and Blood Orange. These would also make great stocking stuffers!
For the more casual chocolate lover, a box of Freese’s homemade turtles might be just the thing. These classics are sweet, salty, gooey, and delightful, with chewy caramel and crisp pecans wrapped in milk or dark chocolate. They are available for $29.99 per pound, which will get you about 16 turtles.
For those “thank you for hosting” moments
The holidays are filled with parties, and if you’re like me, you want to bring a little something to give to the person hosting the gathering. But often it’s a last minute decision. The market makes that easy.
Head to Marius Bell Floral (just inside the back door of the market) and pick up a beautiful fresh bouquet of flowers. Almost everyone appreciates a fresh arrangement for their home, and Marius Bell puts together uniquely beautiful combinations for around $40.
A bottle of sparkling wine from Thief Wine is also a great idea. They have a fantastic selection of options and remarkably educated staff who can assist you if you need ideas. I love bringing great wines that are also creatively branded, like this “Do Epic Sh*t” Sparkling from Browne Family Vineyards in Washington State. Not only is its label literally sparkling, but it’s a fun wine that’s also serious enough to please more traditional sparkling wine lovers. With green apple on the nose, it’s a fruit-forward wine that gives pears, dried mango, citrus, yeast, lemongrass and a nice mineral character on the palate ($21.95). I also love that its message is to celebrate life’s moments and treat every day like an adventure.
For the popcorn lover
Imagine this: your favorite popcorn lover in their coziest sweater, an absolutely massive bowl balanced on their lap, friends gathered around the living room and a movie queued up (or a fire crackling in the background). Now add a box of popcorn seasonings that transforms plain kernels into something worth fighting over…