With the ongoing recession and the trend toward value and economy, Woman Around Town went in search of some Dad-themed gift items with “pop” (no pun intended) for the price and we found some sweet deals ranging in price from $9.99 to $49.95.
New York City’s Paper Coffee Cup
Leslie Buck, the father of New York’s famous blue paper coffee cup died in April at the age of 87. His legacy was an iconic piece of pop culture as recognizable to New York as the Chrysler Building or Andy Warhol. For New Yorkers, the cup, called “The Anthora,” is a part of daily life: simple, functional and classic. For non-New Yorkers, the cup’s familiarity can be credited to the thousands of film and television appearances it has made over the 50-ish years it’s been a part of New York life. The Grecian-inspired design with its golden phrase, We Are Happy To Serve You, above three steaming cups of coffee is now available in a heavy ceramic version complete with a realistic edge fold seam. The cup is 3 3/4 inches high by 3 1/4 inches wide, holds 10 ounces of coffee and is certified lead-free and eco-friendly (also, microwave and dishwasher safe). Available in New York City for $11.00 at Pearl River Mart (477 Broadway between Grand and Broome Streets, www.PearlRiver.com) or $11.99 at www.Amazon.com. If you’re having a New York-themed Father’s Day party, you can get a sleeve of the authentic paper version from the New York First Company ($36.00 for 100 cups with lids, www.NewYorkFirst.com). The website also carries a number of additional coffee cup-inspired items like Anthora cuff links ($49.00/set) or coffee coasters ($14.00 each).
Williams-Sonoma Meatball Grill Basket
Those long, late Sunday afternoon Italian dinners filled with homemade meatballs usually go on summer hiatus once grilling season begins. For a mid-summer treat, Dads will appreciate a change from the usual barbequed chicken and ribs dinner with Williams-Sonoma’s new Meatball Grill Basket. The stainless-steel basket holds 12 meatballs in neat little perforated wells which sit securely atop the fire while excess fats drips away. You’ll get a smoky flavor without the excess grease typical with frying. The basket has a removable handle for grill lid clearance and works equally with beef, lamb and poultry as well as garden vegetable mixtures. $49.95 at Williams-Sonoma stores or at www.WilliamsSonoma.com. Use your own recipe or one of the many meatball recipes available on the Williams-Sonoma website. We liked their recipe for Grilled Meatball Subs.
Garden Gnome Soap-on-a-Rope
S. Feldman Housewares, a combination housewares/hardware store, is a New York staple for city dwellers. The store has an unusual and intriguing variety of soaps-on-a-rope. We found a pig, a pink floral heart, a frog and a bunny. But our favorite and most Dad-appropriate soap-on-a-rope find was an adorable Garden Gnome, definitely for dads of a certain age who’ll appreciate the retroness of the gesture. The rather large, watermelon- imbued Garden Gnome is available for $12.99 at the Madison Avenue location (1304 Madison Avenue at 92nd Street) or online for $12.50 at www.unicahome.com and is a perfect summer-scented conclusion to a Dad’s Saturday afternoon of gardening in the country.
20th Century Fox and Warner Home Video Four-Packs
20th Century Fox is celebrating its 75th Anniversary with the release of quadruple-feature boxed sets of classic films on DVD. Although we liked the set containing An Affair to Remember, Leave Her to Heaven, A Letter to Three Wives and Peyton Place, it’s probably a bit too girly for an older Dad or Granddad, who would appreciate one of the other classic sets like the one which contains Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, Little Miss Broadway, My Friend Flicka and Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines. There are several combinations to choose from and each disc is the same (with all of the extras) as the individual releases. Until July 10th, Target will offer the Fox sets for $9.99 for each four-pack so buying more than one won’t exactly break the bank considering what you’re getting for the price. For hardcore guy flicks, Warner Home Video has put together a classic Clint Eastwood Dirty Harry collection (four films on two discs: Dirty Harry, Magnum Force, The Enforcer and Sudden Impact). For the best selection of titles, go directly to a Target store (though the Clint-pack is also available at www.Target.com for $8.99).
Rice to Riches Rice Pudding
The best, richest and tastiest rice pudding in the world lives right here in New York City. Each day at Rice to Riches (37 Spring Street between Mott and Mulberry Streets), 21 freshly concocted flavors fill the shop’s space-age rice counter (flavors change with the season). The all-natural, preservative-free puddings are made fresh each morning, on-site. We’ve had the Coconut Coma, Old Fashioned Romance (traditional), “Category 5” Caramel and The Milk Chocolate Always Rings Twice. We still don’t have a favorite (we’ll let you know once we’ve eaten our way through all 21 flavors and variety of toppings). We spoke with Anna, a manager who told us her favorite is the Almond Shmalmond and when in season, the raspberry and banana flavors. If you love your Dad, you’ll buy him a SUMO of rice pudding to celebrate Father’s Day. Rice to Riches will ship the pudding anywhere in the United States via overnight delivery (call the shop at 212-274-0008 for more information on shipping and delivery). The rice pudding is served up in space-age flying saucer-like containers designed especially for the shop. Each colorful container comes with a pudding shovel to make consumption smooth and easy. SOLO (serves one) at $6.75, EPIC (serves one or two with one or two flavors) at $8.50, SUMO (serves five) at $22.50 and MOBY (serves 10) at $40.00. Rice to Riches is open daily, Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm and on Friday and Saturday until 1:00 am. Visit the website at www.RicetoRiches.com.
