Make sure gifts are tasteful
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I AM a huge fan of the restaurant gift certificate as a Christmas present. Almost everybody has a favourite spot at which to eat, so it’s a virtually foolproof gift, and restaurant gift certificates have worked especially well in our house as presents for teachers and grandparents. Last year, BJ gave one of his grandmothers a certificate he made himself, which entitled the bearer to lunch with him at Il Mercato: easy to wrap and guaranteed to please ( the gift, not the boy). A gift certificate allows you to spend exactly the amount of money you’ve budgeted, and if you have Christmas company staying with you for an extended period, a meal voucher is a surefire way to get them out of your house, at least for an evening. With that in mind, here are some recommendations: Five Fishermen ( Argyle Street, 422- 4421): Kath’s sister arrives tonight from B. C. for the holidays, and she won’t be out of the airport before she’ll be talking about a visit to the Five Fishermen, her favourite restaurant in Halifax. She’ll definitely order seafood, but you don’t have to limit yourself. We went to the FF for our anniversary in June and I had a wonderful meal of lamb. The restaurant also won recognition from Wine Spectator for its wine list in each of the last two years. Jean’s ( Spring Garden Road, 444- 7776): An especially appropriate selection for Saint Mary’s and Dalhousie students. The Chinese combos at Jean’s are good, cheap and huge — big enough to eat lunch in the restaurant and take the leftovers home for supper. Way above average egg rolls and ginger chicken. Taj Mahal ( South Street, 492- 8251): If you have relatives coming to visit from a rural part of the province, send them to Taj Mahal for a meal they can’t get in Oxford or Bridgetown or Iona. Once they’ve had their fill of turkey and leftovers, you can show off your fancy city eating skills by recommending the murg malai tikka lucknowi to your country cousins. French Quarter ( Market Street, 425- 2988. You have to get a French Quarter gift certificate at Taj Mahal as both restaurants have the same owner.): If I was looking for a gift for someone from Clare or the Cheticamp area, this is where I’d send them so they could experience chef Sam Jaggi’s take on Cajun cooking. Creole jambalaya and Cajun lamb chops are a long way from rapure and fricot, but the French Quarter offers a meal they’ll remember. Celtic Corner ( Alderney Street, 464- 0764): At $ 3.50 a glass ( the proper glass, too), possibly the best place to get a Stella Artois in town. A good choice for someone living in Dartmouth or for visitors who’d like to take a ferry ride to get to their meal. Mollyz Diner ( Gottingen Street, 405- 3376): It’s the pig- out time of year, so why ease off when it comes to Sunday brunch? If you’re a student or anyone on a tight budget, a Mollyz gift certificate would be a smart purchase for, say, your parents or the parents of your significant other. The interior of this spot is so funky, they’ll never notice you only had to spend 20 bucks or so to send them out to eat. Avon Emporium ( Summerville, Hants County, 1- 877- 875- 2805): If the weather stays mild, a trip to Avon Emporium for the killer seafood chowder will impress anyone, visitor or local. The famed Sunday brunch is on hiatus until Mother’s Day, but there are themed eating events in the interim. You can arrange to have an Avon Emporium gift certificate delivered by calling the number above, but tell anyone you send there to make a reservation and ask for directions. ( bspurr@herald.ca) BOURGEOIS GOURMET |
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