2021 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE THINK OUTSIDE THE (BIG) BOX
Gift Guide by Krista Weaver
No global supply chain issues here — northern Michigan’s small businesses already have everything you need.
Private Chef
Enjoy the culinary flavors of northern Michigan right at home with the gift of a personal chef for a night. Available from Harbor Springs to Traverse City to Cadillac, local private chefs not only give the perk of a night off for your recipient but also an expertly prepared three or four course meal for an intimate dinner with family or friends. Prices vary based on the number of guests, number of courses, food preferences, and desired wine pairings, if any. On average, expect to pay around $45+/hour or $100+/person, depending on your menu choices and the chef’s billing practices. BUT, they clean up when they’re done, so totally worth it. Three to try: Nathan Knickerbocker’s Q&A Cuisine, Traverse City, qacuisine.com; Chef Sarah, Little Traverse, www. chefsarahmcd.com; Chef Andrew Schudlich, Leelanau, www. epicureculinary.com (pictured).
Style and Substance
What’s a home without a welcome spot to rest one’s feet and soul? To truly spoil your loved one(s) in 2022, Paul Czamanske of Underbark Furniture is your guy. With 45 years of experience. plus training at the London College of Furniture, his handcrafted mortise and tenon joinery furniture made in Burdickville is coveted by discriminating consumers everywhere. Using North American hardwoods (primarily black cherry, but he’ll work with whatever you request), his heirloom quality “New Mission” pieces are paired with buttery leather upholstery, making them the perfect NoMi-couture addition to any living, dining, or bedroom in the home or cottage. A stunning gift for the new homeowner, newlyweds, or empty nesters. Visit Underbarkfurniture. com or contact Paul at newmission@earthlink.net. Prices and lead times vary. $$$$
Custom Exotic Wood Golf Clubs
These aren’t your grandpa’s clubs. Handmade from Brazilian hardwoods like Ipe and Bocote, Jeff Eccleston’s Campfire Clubs are perfect examples of form meeting function. Not only are they totally playable, these putters and yes, even irons are totally displayable hung in an office or above the mantle. Fully customizable suede or leather grips are sewn with the thread color of your recipient’s choice, and putters’ soleplates can be hand-stamped with their name, a personalized sentiment, or significant date. Bust out your imagination’s A-game and contact Jeff for a gift certificate to work directly with your golfer and plan the custom design and club-fitting of their green dreams. Putters are a top seller with a 2-to-3-week lead time. $350+ jeff.eccleston@gmail.com, campfireclubs.com
Winter Fun Escape
Opened in 1939, Otsego Club was once a members-only winter playground for Michigan’s auto family elite. Today, open to the public since 2017, a day pass ($65) gives skiers access to 25 runs and five lifts; the resort also offers snowboarding, tubing ($10+), sledding, and cross-country ($15), and snowshoeing trails. Boasting panoramic views of the Sturgeon River Valley and the award-winning Duck Blind Grille, you have every reason to make a weekend out of it by booking one of the resort’s 80 guest rooms ($119+). Treat your favorite outdoor fanatics to a night or two here, and instantly become their favorite holiday travel agent. Gaylord. (998) 732-5181 or otsegoclub.com
20 • november 22, 2021 • Northern Express Weekly
Book of the Month Subscription
Be still our beating hearts! Gift a new book every month, individually chosen, by an expert bookseller based on your bookworm’s personal reading preferences! Brilliant Books Monthly is a one-of-a-kind personalized subscription service based on the recipient’s preferred genres, likes, and dislikes. There’s a version for every reader in your life, including kids, young adults, even those preferring audiobooks or large print. Unlike bigbox booksellers, Brilliant Books’ team of literati has their own areas of expertise and selection techniques. They even sweeten the deal with a super fun gift box of bookish goodies to tide your reader over until their first selection arrives in the mail. One year of hardcovers, $325, softcovers $225; six months of hardcovers, $175, softcovers, $115. brilliant-books.net
