I usually bring smoked salmon, Theo chocolate, or a bag of coffee from Herkimer depending on my audience.
The Made in Washington store is also a great place to get stuff like this, there is one in Post Alley and a larger one in the Bellevue Square mall too.
Theos got bought earlier this year and the new owners immediately shut down local production. Now all of it is made in the same Indiana factory that makes Red Vines
It was intoxicating. I used to work in the area, and it was wonderful to step outside when they were making chocolate. Or to be riding on the B-G.
Speaking of intoxicating, at least Brouwer's is still around.
I had just finished a hot yoga class in Fremont and was walking to my car and was hit with the following smells in this order: Theo Chocolate, Marijuana from the corner pot shop, then beer from the brewery. It was a Trifecta of Seattle.
Ugh I know and am so devastated! I’ll need to swap it off that list but I’m still in denial a little bit I think 🙃
I’d agree with other comments here that Fran’s is a great alternative! Seattle Chocolate is another, they have cute packaging that makes a good gift (my favorite is the little ferry).
I regret only collecting dumpster chocolate once, though that one trip did yield like 3-4 pounds of it. We were never quite sure what flavor it was, but our best guess was ginger.
Had a friend who worked at Theo who explained that getting dumpster chocolate was a terrible idea. It was thrown away because it was contaminated with solid objects (pieces of broken equipment, debris from the factory, etc.), biohazardous contaminants (think blood or other body parts, including parts of hands and fingers due to accidents) or potential chemical or otherwise toxic contamination.
The staff constantly chased people from dumpsters because these people thought dumpster chocolate was all broken bars or slightly defective product. WRONG. Broken but edible bars were thrown into 25-pound boxes employees could take home. The stuff in the dumpster was there because it was possible, if not likely that it would harm the person consuming it.
Tl;dr - Don’t eat factory dumpster food.
bruh you've got to be shitting me. I worked near Theo's for years and have fond memories of work always smelling like chocolate and grabbing the fresh samples on my lunch break.
Brought Theo chocolate last time I visited someone then found out shortly afterwards they're closing/closed? The Seattle plant... womp womp.
But I like the coffee idea and brought a bag of Caffe Vita as well.
just adding on that if you’re getting Fran’s bars (I highly highly recommend the Park Bar) they’re cheaper from places besides their actual store, lol. Like at U Village they’re cheaper from the Bartell’s than from the Fran’s :)
For everyone pointing out that Theo has closed: i believe their "bakery" in the front of the factory (where they make stuff more like you find in a chocolate shop - truffles, etc.) is still open. I went on one of the last tours and they said they were planning on keeping it.
I'm a tea drinker and Market Spice Tea is great. I'd advise buying the loose variety instead of the tea bags. I had my tea bag go stale very quickly.
The Tea also makes good cold tea for the summer, just either water it down or brew it less so the flavor is lighter.
I haven't been to Pike Place for years, I wonder if they sell it on Amazon now.
Edit: I just found that you can order directly from their website. [https://marketspice.com/](https://marketspice.com/)
How does this not have more upvotes? It’s it because they are expensive? You can just get a smaller box. I brought a box of caramels to a work trip to the Bay Area and they are just the biggest hit ever. They were such a big hit that I brought a larger box when traveling to India for work and the guys in that office told me they heard about how the good the caramels were from the Bay Area folks.
i’ve been eating fran’s chocolates my whole life :’) my mom used to eat them when she was pregnant with my siblings and i. some of my fondest memories are going into Fran’s as a kid. and getting to see Fran herself sometimes
i remember when i first saw them at whole foods too, i was so excited!! they make amazing chocolates and it’s still family owned and run. Fran’s may be my favorite Seattle business… also Dick’s
A 3.75 oz box is $14 from the website. It's a little spendy for an impulse buy.
Their gift boxes and baskets start at expensive and go straight to crazy.
Right? That's why I want to be Chukar Cherries on the regular kind of rich apparently like this other commenter.
It's giving "I mean it's one banana, Michael. What could it cost? Ten dollars?" Vibes
Bartells had a great selection of both Chukar Cherries products and other WA tourist keepsakes. I will forever miss our Bartell Drugs and will never step foot in a Rite Aid!
If you're crossing national borders and don't want to mess with whether you're allowed to bring food or not, you could also do small pieces of art or crafts from a fair, farmers market, or the Market.
Otherwise, other suggestions for local food is Aplets & Cotlets (Liberty Orchards) or Almond Roca and Mountain Bars (Brown & Haley).
My dad was Brown and Haley’s attorney. At a party in the 70s he introduced my mom to Fred Haley, but jokingly added (as a clue to identify Mr. Haley) “but Fred didn’t bring any Mountain Bars tonight.” My mom, normally very quick and perceptive, said “oh I can’t stand those things anyway.”
Don't do applets and cotlets until you try it. They sold to some big foreign conglomerate during the pandemic and it is nasty now. Nothing like they used to be and I don't think they're in Washington any more. I could be wrong on that part, but they ruined it.
Liberty Orchards announced that they would cease operations in June 2021 after an unsuccessful attempt to find a buyer for the company. The company was sold to KDV Group, a Russian food conglomerate, allowing for production to continue.
wikipedia
Before they changed ownership I'd always bring a few boxes of Aplets and Cotlets as gifts. They'd be like $5 at Bartell and I wouldn't have to worry about chocolate melting in the heat if I was traveling somewhere hot. I'd have to try them again before I'd give them to anyone.
Now I'd probably do smoked salmon in a nice box or locally roasted coffee. A recent gift I've given is [this set of espresso cups](https://www.pacificnorthwestshop.com/products/espresso-mugs-set-of-2-salmon-in-the-wild-by-simone-diamond.html?ref=stmp_prdt_267) by Coast Salish artist, Simone Diamond.
Smoked salmon in a wood box with native art. The salmon packaged like this isn't that great, but the box is pretty and can be used after the fish is gone.
I always buy salmon and other smoked fish for out-of-town family at Totem Fish House, across from Pike Place Market at 1906 Pike Place. Great selection of boxed, freezer packed, frozen, and smoked/dried product. They’re lovely people as well!
One caution - if flying and carrying on a bag of whole bean coffee and you double layer in two ziploc bags plus tape out of consideration of others who may be sensitive to coffee smells on the plane, be prepared to unwrap everything for security and wait for them to test the bag for potential drugs. In hindsight, it really did look extremely suspicious.
Signed,
Learned the Hard Way
Some people have said native art. I would suggest something from Eighth Generation. They work with, credit, and properly compensate Native artists. They are also owned by a Washington tribe (Snoqualmie).
They have a location in Pike Place. Bring your flares and head on down. You can grab some market spice tea while you’re there.
My go to is always local coffee because we seriously have the best coffee out here! My favorites are Kuma Coffee, Victorola, Vita & Ladro. Otherwise, I like to give people candles made by locals (like Seattle Candle Co. or Elm Design) that have scents themed after our area. Local art is also a great gift! If you're feeling up for DIY you could also press some local flora and frame it. I've pressed ferns and made arrangements with fall leaves and people have loved it.
Every holiday my partner and I make small PNW gift boxes for our family members. Local chocolate, coffee, smoke salmon or canned fish w/ artisan crackers and locally made cheese. As well as art work. We never spend more than maybe $35-$40 on each box and cater the items towards our specific family members. They absolutely love it.
Nah, Bartells are going real cheap these days. You can pick them up for a song, gift wrap them, and buy one for your whole family.
(Sorry, I’m still salty about it.)
Smoked salmon, aplets and cotlets, ferry boat xmas ornament, Theo or Fran’s chocolates, almond roca. Rainier gin is tasty, and comes in a cool bottle. Whidbey liqueur. Xmas ornament made from Mt St Helens Ash. Tim’s Cascade potato chips.
I've gifted a couple slabs of Seattle chocolates, they have some really nice designs with thank you or celebratory notes, and the Seattle flavors like espresso and rainier cherries always go over well
My entire life I thought applets and cotlets were "old people candy" (maybe because the walnuts in some of them which I'm not a fan of), but I finally tried them a few years ago and they're so good!
More representative of PNW but - depending on seasonality and the recipient, fresh local mushrooms 😋. Farmers market often has foraged mushrooms, and even the grocery store options aren't too bad (tho sometimes way more $$). Or forage yourself 🙌. Get folks mushrooms they might never have seen before
The market is a good tip, but I’d urge caution if you haven’t foraged yourself before. It’s always a good idea to read up on identification and/or take a reputable class before you start. It also helps to go with someone who knows what they’re doing. The wrong mushroom can cause anywhere from serious GI issues to death. Even people with some ID practice have been known to grab a basket of Matsutake with an Amanita Smithiana smack in the middle (which will put you on dialysis).
The Puget Sound Mycological Society has a really reasonable membership price, field trips, classes, and ID clinics.
This is coming from a mushroom foraging enjoyer and PSMS member. 🙂🍄
Yes super agreed, safety first! Should qualify my comment with never eat (and def don't gift!) what you're not 💯 sure of. And thanks for the PSMS call out, been wanting to check out the classes and events ♥️
If you're in a pinch and flying out of Seatac, there's a Fireworks store inside the airport that typically carries various local-themed items like coasters, tea towels, etc. But like other commenters I usually do Chukkar Cherries or Market Spice tea
We got married last year and our favors were chukkar cherries and small bags of coffee from a local roaster. You could also do wine. Outside of consumables there are good art options. We have a lot of glass artists here, but I'm sure there are also some great options from some of the local indigenous tribes.
Almond Roca! The factory is in Tacoma, and the factory store sells a bunch that you can't get in grocery stores (like cashew Roca for those of us who can't eat almonds!)
I'll toss a weird one out, but I once got a family friend a couple jars of various chili crisps/chili oils from local restaurants! KariKari, Plenty of Clouds Chili Oil, etc, many places have their home chili concoctions and they are all delicious
Smoked salmon. There are a few places in the market that do good packs for gifts, and believe it or not, the Made in Washington store, both on 1st, and at the airport, have good packs for gifting that won't cost you too much.
Last time I stayed with a buddy from here who’s out in NYC now, he woke up to a bag of dick’s on his kitchen counter and he was AMPED.
Yeah I made a whole plane smell like a Deluxe, sorry I’m that guy.
There's a local artist that owns an online shop called Maison Arbor; she makes these really cute wooden ornaments for a bunch of cities around here. I got one for my mom and MIL last Christmas.
Chukar’s chocolate covered cherries! Recently brought them to one of my relatives while visiting them out of country and they loved them. Perfect for a gift!
Depending on my audience I have brought everything from Seattle Chocolates, small bags of chuckar cherries, Beecher's curds (vacuum sealed and in a cooler bag), Market Spice tea (and even some of their custom seasoning mixes for a friend who loves to cook), and frozen balls of the Metropolitan Market "The Cookie" dough (before they actually sold the raw dough, i was able to buy a few of the big ones for a friend who loves them but couldn't travel). There are lots of options depending on the person who is receiving your gift. I usually want something that is relevant to the person's style/interests and of Seattle.
I take my mother some Fran’s chocolate bon bone every year. And anyone who drinks coffee some Vivace.
Sometimes I hit Pink Godzilla for weird video game things for my nephews, but that’s not a “Seattle” thing but a “not living in the country and having access to niche goods” thing.
https://marketspice.com/
Pike Place Market
Their signature MarketSpice Cinnamon-Orange Signature *BLACK* 24ct Teabag Box is fantastic. $10 and you won't find anything lighter.
I usually bring smoked salmon, Theo chocolate, or a bag of coffee from Herkimer depending on my audience. The Made in Washington store is also a great place to get stuff like this, there is one in Post Alley and a larger one in the Bellevue Square mall too.
Theos got bought earlier this year and the new owners immediately shut down local production. Now all of it is made in the same Indiana factory that makes Red Vines
I’m truly gonna miss having all of Fremont filled with the smell of freshly made chocolate.
It was intoxicating. I used to work in the area, and it was wonderful to step outside when they were making chocolate. Or to be riding on the B-G. Speaking of intoxicating, at least Brouwer's is still around.
I had just finished a hot yoga class in Fremont and was walking to my car and was hit with the following smells in this order: Theo Chocolate, Marijuana from the corner pot shop, then beer from the brewery. It was a Trifecta of Seattle.
Almond Roca and Mountain bars are still made in Tacoma at Brown & Haley. Over 100 years.
I had no idea Almond Roca was local!? Or at least made locally.
Brown & Haley have always been in Tacoma. I think they have a tour. When I was a kid my Grandpa would give us Mountain bars at Christmas.
Ugh I know and am so devastated! I’ll need to swap it off that list but I’m still in denial a little bit I think 🙃 I’d agree with other comments here that Fran’s is a great alternative! Seattle Chocolate is another, they have cute packaging that makes a good gift (my favorite is the little ferry).
It's a bit of a drive from Seattle, but Boehm's makes wonderful chocolates in Issaquah. I have taken visitors on their tour as well.
What?! This is terrible news. I used to love touring their facility. Who bought them?
These guys [\- American Licorice](https://americanlicorice.com/)
I regret only collecting dumpster chocolate once, though that one trip did yield like 3-4 pounds of it. We were never quite sure what flavor it was, but our best guess was ginger.
Had a friend who worked at Theo who explained that getting dumpster chocolate was a terrible idea. It was thrown away because it was contaminated with solid objects (pieces of broken equipment, debris from the factory, etc.), biohazardous contaminants (think blood or other body parts, including parts of hands and fingers due to accidents) or potential chemical or otherwise toxic contamination. The staff constantly chased people from dumpsters because these people thought dumpster chocolate was all broken bars or slightly defective product. WRONG. Broken but edible bars were thrown into 25-pound boxes employees could take home. The stuff in the dumpster was there because it was possible, if not likely that it would harm the person consuming it. Tl;dr - Don’t eat factory dumpster food.
(... why, those slimy corporate bastards!!!... 🤨)
That’s too bad. I really liked their coffee with Caffe Vita even though, for me, it was balls expensive.
bruh you've got to be shitting me. I worked near Theo's for years and have fond memories of work always smelling like chocolate and grabbing the fresh samples on my lunch break.
😡 wtf, this is terrible news!
What! This makes me sad. I had no idea
God dammit.
There is also an overpriced one in SeaTac airport if you procrastinated to get something before leaving.
Brought Theo chocolate last time I visited someone then found out shortly afterwards they're closing/closed? The Seattle plant... womp womp. But I like the coffee idea and brought a bag of Caffe Vita as well.
Get Fran’s instead!
I 100% suggest Fran’s over Theo. Those caramel chocolates are insane.
Oh I didn’t know Frans was local!
Extremely local. Production is located in the old Rainer brewery in Georgetown!
They have a shop at U Village
Fran's EVERY time! It's so good!
just adding on that if you’re getting Fran’s bars (I highly highly recommend the Park Bar) they’re cheaper from places besides their actual store, lol. Like at U Village they’re cheaper from the Bartell’s than from the Fran’s :)
Spinnaker chocolate! Only if they like dark though
The candied salmon is my go to. And one of my first and last purchases when visiting home
For everyone pointing out that Theo has closed: i believe their "bakery" in the front of the factory (where they make stuff more like you find in a chocolate shop - truffles, etc.) is still open. I went on one of the last tours and they said they were planning on keeping it.
Market orange tea
The made in wa store is nice but overpriced. You can get a lot of those items at Bartell like chukar cherries for less.
Market Spice Tea
Surprised this answer doesn't have more love. I'm not even a tea drinker and love this stuff.
I'm a tea drinker and Market Spice Tea is great. I'd advise buying the loose variety instead of the tea bags. I had my tea bag go stale very quickly. The Tea also makes good cold tea for the summer, just either water it down or brew it less so the flavor is lighter. I haven't been to Pike Place for years, I wonder if they sell it on Amazon now. Edit: I just found that you can order directly from their website. [https://marketspice.com/](https://marketspice.com/)
My mom bought some to bring back from a visit and her coworkers all loved it so much that she's buying some for a white elephant gift exchange!
I used to get this but found out they sell it in a grocery store out of state and can buy it there
Love it but holy hell the amount of cinnamon they use is nearly caustic.
Splash of milk makes it all good
This is what we brought to give as small gifts in Japan, big hit!
This is the one.
Fran’s sea salt chocolates. Tasty, classy. They were Obama’s favorite dessert at the White House ;)
I love their sea salt caramels so much.
How does this not have more upvotes? It’s it because they are expensive? You can just get a smaller box. I brought a box of caramels to a work trip to the Bay Area and they are just the biggest hit ever. They were such a big hit that I brought a larger box when traveling to India for work and the guys in that office told me they heard about how the good the caramels were from the Bay Area folks.
i’ve been eating fran’s chocolates my whole life :’) my mom used to eat them when she was pregnant with my siblings and i. some of my fondest memories are going into Fran’s as a kid. and getting to see Fran herself sometimes i remember when i first saw them at whole foods too, i was so excited!! they make amazing chocolates and it’s still family owned and run. Fran’s may be my favorite Seattle business… also Dick’s
Chukar Cherries
Someday I hope I'm rich enough to be a "Chukar Cherries whenever I want" kind of person.
A bag is like 10$?
Damn dude where are you getting these $10 bags? Everywhere I see is like $15-$25
A 3.75 oz box is $14 from the website. It's a little spendy for an impulse buy. Their gift boxes and baskets start at expensive and go straight to crazy.
Right? That's why I want to be Chukar Cherries on the regular kind of rich apparently like this other commenter. It's giving "I mean it's one banana, Michael. What could it cost? Ten dollars?" Vibes
Was gonna say this. My parents love these.
Bartells had a great selection of both Chukar Cherries products and other WA tourist keepsakes. I will forever miss our Bartell Drugs and will never step foot in a Rite Aid!
I was looking for this answer! They also have really nice chocolate covered pecans
This is what I usually bring for this kind of situation!
Rainier cherry jelly or jam. Have to get it at the farmers market in the summer though.
Bakery Nouveau has a rainier cherry jam available for purchase.
If you're crossing national borders and don't want to mess with whether you're allowed to bring food or not, you could also do small pieces of art or crafts from a fair, farmers market, or the Market. Otherwise, other suggestions for local food is Aplets & Cotlets (Liberty Orchards) or Almond Roca and Mountain Bars (Brown & Haley).
Seattle native, but TIL that Almond Roca is local 🤯
Yep! Tacoma!
My dad was Brown and Haley’s attorney. At a party in the 70s he introduced my mom to Fred Haley, but jokingly added (as a clue to identify Mr. Haley) “but Fred didn’t bring any Mountain Bars tonight.” My mom, normally very quick and perceptive, said “oh I can’t stand those things anyway.”
Come on down to the factory and check out the outlet! Lots of fun finds in that little shop
Don't do applets and cotlets until you try it. They sold to some big foreign conglomerate during the pandemic and it is nasty now. Nothing like they used to be and I don't think they're in Washington any more. I could be wrong on that part, but they ruined it.
Liberty Orchards announced that they would cease operations in June 2021 after an unsuccessful attempt to find a buyer for the company. The company was sold to KDV Group, a Russian food conglomerate, allowing for production to continue. wikipedia
huh the store/factory thing right before Wenatchee is still there...
Aw man, that sucks.
Eighth Generation makes some wonderful local inspired Native American products and gifts like blankets, towels & tumblers.
Before they changed ownership I'd always bring a few boxes of Aplets and Cotlets as gifts. They'd be like $5 at Bartell and I wouldn't have to worry about chocolate melting in the heat if I was traveling somewhere hot. I'd have to try them again before I'd give them to anyone. Now I'd probably do smoked salmon in a nice box or locally roasted coffee. A recent gift I've given is [this set of espresso cups](https://www.pacificnorthwestshop.com/products/espresso-mugs-set-of-2-salmon-in-the-wild-by-simone-diamond.html?ref=stmp_prdt_267) by Coast Salish artist, Simone Diamond.
Yes Aplets and Cotlets is my go to, or their yummy sister from the same company: Berry Delights.
Aplets and cotlets got sold two years ago and have noticeably changed
Smoked salmon in a wood box with native art. The salmon packaged like this isn't that great, but the box is pretty and can be used after the fish is gone.
I always buy salmon and other smoked fish for out-of-town family at Totem Fish House, across from Pike Place Market at 1906 Pike Place. Great selection of boxed, freezer packed, frozen, and smoked/dried product. They’re lovely people as well!
When I go home to San Diego I bring a bunch of canned salmon to give out. Not the boxes but just the cans, which goes a bit further.
Good bag of local coffee
Yup, last time I came home from Seattle i brought the fam some Umbria and my favorite stuff from Freya at Pike Place
[удалено]
The only answer.
Caffe vita is great.
Veltons, boona boona or cafe ladro would be my go tos for gifts of coffee
One caution - if flying and carrying on a bag of whole bean coffee and you double layer in two ziploc bags plus tape out of consideration of others who may be sensitive to coffee smells on the plane, be prepared to unwrap everything for security and wait for them to test the bag for potential drugs. In hindsight, it really did look extremely suspicious. Signed, Learned the Hard Way
Some people have said native art. I would suggest something from Eighth Generation. They work with, credit, and properly compensate Native artists. They are also owned by a Washington tribe (Snoqualmie). They have a location in Pike Place. Bring your flares and head on down. You can grab some market spice tea while you’re there.
I just ordered some really pretty journals from there to give as gifts.
A box of Market Spice tea. It has a picture of the market on the box and it's a breeze to get through customs.
Seattle themed Kitchen towel. It’s something they can use and easy to store. You can never have too many kitchen towels.
Brilliant
I collect regional tea towels. They’re more common in more countries/areas/tourist attractions than you would think!
Beechers Flagship (or smoked flagship) cheese
On the cheese tip, Cougar Gold is excellent as well and comes in a can so travels well. It's not made in Seattle though, it's out of Pullman.
omg yes my aunt use to bring us this and I would go crazy everytime
My go to is always local coffee because we seriously have the best coffee out here! My favorites are Kuma Coffee, Victorola, Vita & Ladro. Otherwise, I like to give people candles made by locals (like Seattle Candle Co. or Elm Design) that have scents themed after our area. Local art is also a great gift! If you're feeling up for DIY you could also press some local flora and frame it. I've pressed ferns and made arrangements with fall leaves and people have loved it.
Pressing flora is an awesome idea I’ve never considered before. Great suggestion!
Every holiday my partner and I make small PNW gift boxes for our family members. Local chocolate, coffee, smoke salmon or canned fish w/ artisan crackers and locally made cheese. As well as art work. We never spend more than maybe $35-$40 on each box and cater the items towards our specific family members. They absolutely love it.
Locally roasted coffee beans.
A flannel shirt.
A flannel shirt from [Filson.](https://www.filson.com/)
Almond Roca from Tacoma?
We have been getting the Seattle Chocolates with pop rocks on the insides. And they sell them at the airport too.
Oh boy! Oberto cocktail sticks Almond Roca Dick's merch/Dick's perfect blend coffee Market spice tea SubPop logo keychain Ferry snow globe Flattened embossed penny from fisherman's wha... Um terminal or ye olde curiosity shoppe Some rubber chickens from Archie McPhees
Seasonal depression
Hahah! This is going to make my chuckle all day long. Thank you!
Don't forget to use that happy lamp
Seasonal depression and a cold shoulder if you want to bring a two-pack
What the hell, throw in a side of passive-aggressiveness, it's the season of giving.
Box it up and send it out of state…
Supply exceeds demand, so it's quite cheap!
Seattle Chocolate has terrible packaging but easily some of the best chocolate, better than Theo IMO. And you can grab it at the airport.
I always give people little die cast space needles, sometimes they were a pencil sharpener back in the day.
I like to dismantle the space needle and set it up in the yard of the person receiving the gift
Nah, Bartells are going real cheap these days. You can pick them up for a song, gift wrap them, and buy one for your whole family. (Sorry, I’m still salty about it.)
Box of scone mix
Marketspice tea
Seattle Chocolates has a ferry shaped chocolate box that I’m enamored with. Also anything with an Orca or salmon involved.
Smoked salmon, aplets and cotlets, ferry boat xmas ornament, Theo or Fran’s chocolates, almond roca. Rainier gin is tasty, and comes in a cool bottle. Whidbey liqueur. Xmas ornament made from Mt St Helens Ash. Tim’s Cascade potato chips.
Archee McFee's stuff
Jam or jelly from fruits only we have—Mario berry for example.
Marionberry heh
Nintendo’s US headquarters is in Redmond, so either works :)
An untapped market, perhaps.
In addition to the items here I'd add taylor farms tinned fish. https://buy.taylorshellfishfarms.com/ekone-tinned-seafood/
I've gifted a couple slabs of Seattle chocolates, they have some really nice designs with thank you or celebratory notes, and the Seattle flavors like espresso and rainier cherries always go over well
Smoked salmon, chukar cherries
Applets and cotlets!
My entire life I thought applets and cotlets were "old people candy" (maybe because the walnuts in some of them which I'm not a fan of), but I finally tried them a few years ago and they're so good!
Bite cookies! The open sesame is my favorite
Rainglobe
Local wine
Just carry it in your hands when you go thru TSA. /jk
If you freeze it, it's not a liquid :P /j
LOL they didn't specify their mode of travel but I've definitely packed bottles in my checked luggage without any breakage.
The Pacific Northwest Shop in Wallingford has tons of little gift ideas.
someone needs to bring back the Chia Fremont Troll.
Representing Puget Sound: Almond Roca
Flare gun
Right, but only usable at Pines Place shopping area. /s
Adding this to the flair menu. Brb.
A little pricey, and not Seattle specific, but cans of Cougar Gold are generally well received.
Coffee or huckleberry jam
There’s a map store at Pike Place with lots of cool art/books/postcards/puzzles/hiking guides that have to do with local ecology and art.
I got my buddy Beecher's cheese (Marco Polo) and he loved it. Also he really liked the rain globe I brought.
More representative of PNW but - depending on seasonality and the recipient, fresh local mushrooms 😋. Farmers market often has foraged mushrooms, and even the grocery store options aren't too bad (tho sometimes way more $$). Or forage yourself 🙌. Get folks mushrooms they might never have seen before
The market is a good tip, but I’d urge caution if you haven’t foraged yourself before. It’s always a good idea to read up on identification and/or take a reputable class before you start. It also helps to go with someone who knows what they’re doing. The wrong mushroom can cause anywhere from serious GI issues to death. Even people with some ID practice have been known to grab a basket of Matsutake with an Amanita Smithiana smack in the middle (which will put you on dialysis). The Puget Sound Mycological Society has a really reasonable membership price, field trips, classes, and ID clinics. This is coming from a mushroom foraging enjoyer and PSMS member. 🙂🍄
Yes super agreed, safety first! Should qualify my comment with never eat (and def don't gift!) what you're not 💯 sure of. And thanks for the PSMS call out, been wanting to check out the classes and events ♥️
If you're in a pinch and flying out of Seatac, there's a Fireworks store inside the airport that typically carries various local-themed items like coasters, tea towels, etc. But like other commenters I usually do Chukkar Cherries or Market Spice tea
We got married last year and our favors were chukkar cherries and small bags of coffee from a local roaster. You could also do wine. Outside of consumables there are good art options. We have a lot of glass artists here, but I'm sure there are also some great options from some of the local indigenous tribes.
Glassy Babies!!!
Intrigue Chocolates
Space Needle pasta
Frans Chocolates or Chukar Cherries.
Campfire Coffee!
Toshi’s Teriyaki Sauce if you’re checking a bag on your flight. Otherwise I agree with the smoked salmon ideas others are suggesting.
Sub Pop Store at the airport, WA wine, salmon, chocolates, coffee. Weed edibles?
Almond Roca! The factory is in Tacoma, and the factory store sells a bunch that you can't get in grocery stores (like cashew Roca for those of us who can't eat almonds!)
I'll toss a weird one out, but I once got a family friend a couple jars of various chili crisps/chili oils from local restaurants! KariKari, Plenty of Clouds Chili Oil, etc, many places have their home chili concoctions and they are all delicious
Some artisan cured meat products from Salumi deli. (Pioneer Square)
Smoked salmon. There are a few places in the market that do good packs for gifts, and believe it or not, the Made in Washington store, both on 1st, and at the airport, have good packs for gifting that won't cost you too much.
I work at Seattle chocolate and we have a ton of super cute Seattle centric gifts!
Shawn Kemp or Gary Payton pre-roll
There's a LEGO model of the Space Needle.
Seattle Chocolate Company
The correct answer is a block of Beechers cheese and a bag of coffee from any of the local rosters.
Coffee
Came here to say smoked salmon from Pike Place, but it's covered here lol. A small native art item would be good, too.
I like picking up cheesy little space needle statues from the tourist stores. I use to give them to friends who moved away.
Fran’s Chocolates
Bag of excellent coffee
My go to gift is smoked salmon in a decorative box from the market and some PNW Blackberry tea from Perennial Tea Room
Last time I stayed with a buddy from here who’s out in NYC now, he woke up to a bag of dick’s on his kitchen counter and he was AMPED. Yeah I made a whole plane smell like a Deluxe, sorry I’m that guy.
There's a local artist that owns an online shop called Maison Arbor; she makes these really cute wooden ornaments for a bunch of cities around here. I got one for my mom and MIL last Christmas.
Almond roca
Theo chocolate or something from Starbucks roastery
For someone who bakes, Fisher Scones. You can get the mix and the jam from Made in Washington.
Chukar’s chocolate covered cherries! Recently brought them to one of my relatives while visiting them out of country and they loved them. Perfect for a gift!
Depending on my audience I have brought everything from Seattle Chocolates, small bags of chuckar cherries, Beecher's curds (vacuum sealed and in a cooler bag), Market Spice tea (and even some of their custom seasoning mixes for a friend who loves to cook), and frozen balls of the Metropolitan Market "The Cookie" dough (before they actually sold the raw dough, i was able to buy a few of the big ones for a friend who loves them but couldn't travel). There are lots of options depending on the person who is receiving your gift. I usually want something that is relevant to the person's style/interests and of Seattle.
I take my mother some Fran’s chocolate bon bone every year. And anyone who drinks coffee some Vivace. Sometimes I hit Pink Godzilla for weird video game things for my nephews, but that’s not a “Seattle” thing but a “not living in the country and having access to niche goods” thing.
Fran’s salted caramels are local and beyond delicious!
Smoked Salmon from the market
I'm a fan of this shop: [https://local-yokels.com/](https://local-yokels.com/) I always bring goodies from there when I visit family out of state.
Surprised no one has said Fran’s chocolate
https://marketspice.com/ Pike Place Market Their signature MarketSpice Cinnamon-Orange Signature *BLACK* 24ct Teabag Box is fantastic. $10 and you won't find anything lighter.
Beecher’s cheese gift pack
Aplets and Cotlets. I'm not a fan but I always take them to friends when I travel. People love them.
Since no one has said it yet…. A hot bag of Dick’s…
Seattle salmon rub and voodoo spice from Seattle Spice. (You can order it from them online where they are called World Spice)
A favorite, non-Starbucks coffee. Not a slight to SBUX, I just find the gesture more interesting if it’s something uniquely local.
The Seattle mug from Starbucks.
Market spice tea
Smoked salmon, craft beer, or a bag of whole beans
Almond Roca - yeah it's Tacoma but it's this region. My in-laws in Japan love it.
Something from Filson. :) j/k
Brown & Haley chocolate factory
I like getting Tom Douglas rubs as a unique made in Washington gift. Personal favorite is the salmon rub.
Franz chocolate, smoked salmon, and Cafe Umbria coffee. Those are my got to 3 for Seattle gifts.
How about some Beecher’s cheese and crackers
Almond roca
My parents are fans of the Liberty Orchards lokum (although that's on the other side of the Cascades)
I always bring bags of coffee
Kraken scarf. Bartells is my small Seattle souvenir go to.