We wish we could be like Oprah and give the audience our “Favorite Things.” When we appear on Forbes’ billionaire list, we’ll make it happen Until then, you’ll have to cover the cost with the checks Santa hopefully left in your stocking.
All of this year’s picks just so happen to be Wilmington products/stores/etc. Don’t forget to shop local. It’s not just a statement, it’s a movement. Check out the grassroots campaign Buy Local ILM on Facebook and Twitter.
In alphabetical order:
Boca Bay, Brasserie du Soleil, Circa 1922, Grand Union Pub, Osteria Cicchetti
www.bocabayrestaurant.com
Ash Aziz is the Midas of restaurants in this town. Every establishment he opens is gold – from the food to the atmosphere. When we can’t decide where to eat out, we always end up at one of his places. Of course, then it’s tough to pick which one (maybe we need a rotation schedule). Some of our favorite menu items: everything on the Sunday Brunch (Boca Bay), Steak Au Poivre with Pommes Frites (Brasserie du Soleil), Tapas (Circa 1922), Papardalle Bolognese (Osteria Cicchetti) and the Carolina burger with pulled pork, vinegar slaw and pickles (Grand Union Pub).
Children’s Museum of Wilmington Family Fun Pass
www.playwilmington.org
If you have kids, this is a great place to take them. For less than $100, you can buy a pass to get you, another adult and your child(ren) in all year. Grayson’s grandparents got this for him this Christmas. He loves hanging out in the Toddler Gallery, and we get a hoot out of watching him “talk” to the other kids.
Crescent Moon
www.crescentmoonnc.com
Located in the Cotton Exchange downtown, Crescent Moon sells fine, hand-crafted glass and metal art. Their aim is to “to offer an affordable selection of fine handcrafted art glass by renowned artists in North America, and to make your art-collecting or gift-giving a pleasurable experience.” Mission accomplished!
DeMarco Studio
www.wilmingtonhealthcoach.com
We were fortunate to be invited to a five-course dinner prepared by chef extraordinaire Kevin DeMarco. I never knew healthy food could be so good! Kevin, who also happens to be a personal trainer, believes in the 60/40 Philosophy: 60% healthy eating and 40% exercise. We were so impressed with his food that our Christmas present to our parents was a gift certificate for a five-course meal prepared by Kevin.
Glynne’s Soaps
glynnesoaps.com
Soaps – for people and their four-legged best friends – lotions and more, Glynne’s products are all natural and earth friendly. They make a good bar of beer soap. Who knew hops could also be refreshing on the skin? They happen to use beer from one of our favorite downtown hangouts – Front Street Brewery – as well as from FootHills Brewery and RJRocker’s.
“How to Massage Your Pregnant Partner”
www.relax-productions.com
When we decide to have another Baby Bon, this DVD will be loaded in the player at all times. Gretchen Rivas, a local licensed massage therapist, teaches partners how to properly massage moms-to-be. Lower back pain, leg cramps, pounding headaches, etc. can make life pretty uncomfortable. Tylenol never did the trick. But the techniques Gretchen teaches can offer much needed relief. This DVD makes a great gift for you or for someone else.
Mama Lou’s BBQ Sauce
www.mamalousbbq.com
Never one to pass up BBQ, we know our sauces. While we like all styles – whether the base is tomato, vinegar, mustard, ketchup, a dry rub… – there’s one sauce that has made it to the top of our list. Mama Lou’s is sweet, spicy, smoky – it’s the best of all kinds in one bottle. You can find it at local shops, including Fire and Spice Gourmet in the Cotton Exchange.
The Metropolitan Opera Live in HD
uncw.edu/caic/events-cultural.asp
You don’t have to fly to New York City to see some fantastic operas. Just hop on over to UNCW to catch one of the last two showings of the season – Der Rosenkavalier or Carmen. The first transmission of this Peabody and Emmy Award-winning series was a condensed English-language version of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte on December 30, 2006. To order tickets, call (910) 962-3195.
Peaceful Beginnings
www.peacefulbeginningsnc.com
Amy is not only a good friend, but she also is a great massage therapist. My back and “arthritic” hands can attest to her skills (yes, I know I’m not even 40 and shouldn’t be dealing with these ailments). She also taught us how to massage Grayson – back in the day when he was immobile. We had no idea that baby massage techniques not only relax these little ones, but also relieve gas pains and help with digestion.
Sawgrass
When Rare Cargo closed shop, downtown was left without a place to find unique and affordable gifts. Then Sawgrass opened on Market Street and filled that void. Owners John and Val, who are both artists, keep the shelves stocked with cool finds – from jewelry and home décor to books and handbags.
South ‘n France Bon Bons
www.southnfrance.com
If you haven’t experienced the taste of these handmade, golf-ball sized chocolate drops of heaven, order some now! We always get the sampler because all the flavors are so yummy! Café au Lait, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Coconut, Fudge Brownie, Peanut Buttah and Pistachio. The bon bons alone are fabulous, but what really separates this product from any other containing chocolate are the owners of South ‘n France – Charlene and Pascal. Read their story here http://www.southnfrance.com/le_mariage
Spectrum Art & Jewelry
www.spectrumartandjewelry.com
Walking into Spectrum Art & Jewelry is like stepping into a museum – surrounded by color and beauty in the paintings, glass sculptures, jewelry and other pieces. The only difference is you can buy these works of art. Besides selling the creations of more than 100 American artists, the gallery, located in The Forum, also offers custom jewelry design, fine jewelry repair and monthly events.
Thalian Hall
www.thalianhall.com
Built in 1858, this still-working downtown theatre is a venue for plays, music, movies and more. The Cinematique series offers area residents a chance to see art house films that don’t make the rounds at our local movie theaters.
Vic’s Corn Popper of Wilmington
www.alwayscorny.com
For nearly 20 years, Vic’s has been popping some of the best popcorn you’ll ever eat! People ask why I carry such a big purse. Well, it’s so I can sneak a bag of Vic’s into the movie theater. We’re still working on our holiday canister filled with Half Salt, White Cheddar and Carmel.
