New Finds In Our Store for May

by David on May 7, 2013

Chelsea Market Baskets was made for Mother’s day, with our continuing search to find wonderful tasting classics and new products from near (Brooklyn!) and far, that can be presented in a creative and fresh way. Some of our newest finds that may become part of our gifts in the future and are now available in the store, and can make a Mom smile and feel appreciated.

Marshmallows – which include Baru Marshmallows from Belgium that are covered in dark chocolate and topped with dried raspberries ($3.99), Mallow Tree Marshmallows ($8.50) our own import that includes five flavors in tall non-breakable jars, the favorites in the store so far are the Raspberry Coconut, Cocoa and Vanilla and Mixed Fruit.mallow-marshmallow-april2013

And for a mom who likes strong flavored marshmallows we have Wondermade Marshmallows ($8.95) which are made in Orlando, Florida and come in Bourbon and Guinness flavors!

wonder-made-marshmellows

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Tote-ally Great Gifts for Mother’s Day

by Elizabeth on May 2, 2013

Welcome back to the CMB Blog! April absolutely flew by in a whirlwind: the store launched an in-store Beer and Cheese Happy Hour on Thursday nights, David travelled to California and China looking for and designing baskets for Holiday 2013, Jessica was accepted at University of California: San Diego, and Tina got married!

April was also a chance for us to create several new gift baskets and fill the pantry with recently arrived new products, including three Mother’s Day gifts that will delight your mom or the special mother-figure in your life on May 12th, 2013. One thing especially great about all of these gifts is that they each come with a tote bag, so, long after the contents have been consumed, your gift will be used and appreciated: now that’s a tote-ally awesome gift!

La Colombe Coffee Tote If your Mother’s Day celebration begins with breakfast (possibly in bed!), start with a wow factor: 12 ounces of freshly ground beans from La Colombe in our La Colombe Coffee Tote ($36)! La Colombe’s Corsica is a full-bodied, rich coffee that is the best-seller in our store, and served by some of New York’s finest restaurants, like Daniel and Le Bernardin, so your mom will feel special and invigorated! If you prefer to take your coffee in the afternoon, we’ve also included an assortment of Shortbread House of Edinburgh Shortbread Fingers. These buttery cookies are handmade in Scotland, and the assortment includes the classic Original as well as Shah Ginger and Chocolate Orange varieties. Of course, seeing that it is an international holiday, if you wanted to enjoy the shortbread for breakfast on the 12th, we certainly wouldn’t stop you! The jute-woven Chelsea Market Baskets rice tote that holds these CMB signature items is durable and natural with a purple contrast stitching that adds a fun pop of color. For a coffee drinker, this is a great gift to say “thank you!”

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The 10 most common jobs in the United States A recent article in The Atlantic compared the 10 most common (and 10 least common) jobs in America today, and unsurprisingly, Administrative Assistants account for close to 3 million American workers! With Administrative Professionals’ Day coming up later this month- Wednesday, April 24- CMB has pulled together a selection of gifts that elegantly say “thank you” to the men and women who daily who help keeping offices running efficiently and often go unrecognized for their efforts.

Carla Hall Gift Box

  •  Carla Hall’s Gift Box ($29) first appeared in our winter 2012 catalog and its assortment of sweet cookies and savory snack bites lend themselves nicely to hiding in a top desk drawer for a mid-afternoon treat. Ms. Hall skyrocketed to fame during the 5th season of the cooking competition show Top Chef where she proclaimed to cook everything with love. That love, and punches of flavor, come through in her Alchemy Petite Cookies and will convey your appreciation! [click to continue…]

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Where to Eat in the West Village

by David on March 23, 2013

This is based on my monthly column in the WestView News, a paper that serves as the voice of the West Village. In April, we  are launching “WestView Picks,” a personally curated list of restaurant recommendations, along with recommendations from readers. In this article I mention well known chef’s restaurant picks  from a recently published book.  I include surprisingly high- and low-brow recommendations, and all of them are accessible to the general public (reservations and feedback is encouraged!).
WestView News Banner

As someone who is often asked, where should we eat…as a community service and to help highlight what I think is food to spend good money on, we are putting together a list of where to eat in the West Village. These are not meant to be the most expensive places but the best in terms of experience and value. New York is a town of great food so we are lucky to live in what is considered the best place to eat in the United States according to the DailyMeal.com. In a recent listing 9 of the top 16 restaurants in USA are in Manhattan and another is Blue Hill at Stone Barns and just north of the city. [click to continue…]

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A Field Guide to Easter Eggs at CMB

by Elizabeth on March 11, 2013

Searching for the perfect Easter basket contents? Every year, CMB carefully selects chocolates and candies that we think will make your Easter basket sing with sweetness! Here are some of our favorite Chocolate Easter Eggs of 2013…we like to think this list is Easter Bunny-approved!

A Hazelnut Truffle-Filled Egg From Germany

German Praline Chocolate Eggs From Germany, we are bringing back the popular Gut Springenheide Chocolate Eggs ($4.50 each, 3 for $12, or buy on-line at our website 6 for $29) in bright solids, pastels, bold stripes, and retro polka dots. Since they were such a hit last year, we learned even more about the process to make a chocolate truffle encased in a real egg shell. The family behind Gut Springenheide makes many egg-based products like creme brulee and realized they could do something with the remaining shells: the eggs are emptied and the shells are sterilized (to meet FDA and USDA standards), then they are filled with a liquid blend of milk, dark and hazelnut chocolate to create a delicious truffle! After they are set, the shells are then decorated in a variety of vibrant colors and patterns that make them irresistible! We also learned the easiest way to get to the truffle inside: chill for 15 minutes, then crack open. These are truly entertaining and delicious chocolate eggs for children of all ages to enjoy on Easter morning. [click to continue…]

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Teas, Please: Everlasting Teas handpicked in Taiwan

March 7, 2013

Who doesn’t love a good story? At CMB, we first and foremost look for products that taste wonderful (if it’s supposed to be eaten, of course!) and a close second criterion for our buying team is the story behind an item. Luckily, in the world of artisan and small-batch producers, there are lots of backstories [...]

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