Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Foodie Gift Ideas

Are you guilty of last-minute shopper syndrome? Do you finish your Christmas shopping at 11:59 p.m. on Christmas Eve, risking getting locked overnight in a mall parking lot? Are you, at this very moment, thinking that two days is pleeeeeenty of time to find a thoughtful, romantic gift sure to express your undying love? If you answered “yes” to any of those questions we’re here to help. We’ve put together a mini list of unique Valentine’s Day gifts that we’d love to receive and, lucky for you, are still available for purchase. Forget the box of chocolates, get those credit cards out and get shopping; you can thank us later.

1. Wine Riot 2011 Tickets

On March 25 and 26, Wine Riot is taking over Santa Monica Place, pouring more than 250 wines from regions all over the world — think old-world wines from France as well as new world wines from Chile, Greece, Australia, New Zealand, etc. Not only can you sip and swirl your way through the event, you can take Wine Riot’s crash course seminars and learn what to drink with your Thai takeout, or which up-and-coming local wineries are worth watching. When you get hungry — or need to sober up for the drive home — grab a variety of  reasonably priced food pairings in the Artisanal LA pop-up, chill on the Tasting Lounge’s comfy couches and enjoy some wineaux-watching. The perfect gift for lush lovers, like us. Tickets are available here for Opening Night: March 25 from 7-11 p.m. ($60), Wine Riot #1: March 26 from 1-5 p.m. ($50), and Wine Riot #2: March 26 from 7-11 p.m.

Good times in Wine Riot's Photo Booth (Credit: Flickr/TheSecondGlass)

2. Bakelab’s Pink Coconut Clouds & Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cookies

Kristin Feuer, Bakelab’s owner, and one of our favorite LA pastry chefs and Artisanal LA vendors, is our go-to source for irresistible big ‘n chewy cookies, fluffy pink coconut clouds and dense chocolate brownies. But this weekend she’s making dark chocolate truffle cookies sandwiched around a raspberry creme filling. While today’s the last day to order the limited-edition Valentine’s Day box filled with four of the truffle sandwiches, we can’t imagine anything better than her pink coconut clouds with chocolate cake filling as a romantic alternative. They’re both pink, bursting with rich chocolate and undeniably delicious; three of our prerequisites for Valentine’s Day gifts. Order them here.

Bakelab's Dark Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cookies (Credit: Bakelab)

3. Crème Caramel LA’s Caramel Custards & Bread Puddings

Head to this Sunday’s Melrose Place farmers market in WeHo from 10am-2pm for a romantic stroll, grab some flowers and stock up on goodies from Crème Caramel, a sticky sweet addition to LA’s artisanal dessert scene, and, you guessed it, another Artisanal LA crowd favorite. Their speciality crème caramel comes in original, chocolate and café flavors, while the bread pudding comes in original, chocolate and — get this — caramelized bacon. Caramel for her, bacon for you. Does it get any better than that? Actually, it does. Crème Caramel offers a Drive By Desserting service to help you avoid the farmer’s market crowds. Just email your order to cremecaramella@gmail or tweet to @CrèmeCaramelLA half an hour before you want to pick up your order, wait for your confirmation and the Crème Caramel team will walk your order to your car. Done and done.

Crème Caramel's Bread Pudding (Credit: Flickr/Cathy Danh)