I can't bring sunshine - what else?

February 17, 2012 10:28 AM

I'm visiting an old friend in Seattle this weekend, and I would like to bring her a little something. What would be a good gift to bring from Los Angeles?

My friend is not very girly, so soap/other girly things won't really work. She's a bit of a hippie and not very materialistic, and really hard to shop for.

Oh, and another caveat: I'm leaving tomorrow morning, and I'm working today. What can buy tonight? Good LA specific baked goods? Some kind of booze?

posted by ablazingsaddle to human relations (11 answers total)

What part of LA are you in?
posted by roger ackroyd at 10:34 AM on February 17, 2012

I work in Burbank, I live in Echo Park, and I have a car and would be willing to go as far west as Fairfax.
posted by ablazingsaddle at 10:38 AM on February 17, 2012

Personally, I think booze would be a great gift, especially if you can bring something that is hard to find since our liquor stores in WA state tend to not have a great selection. But, are you flying? If so, you'll have to put it in checked luggage and make sure it's nicely padded.
posted by joan_holloway at 10:42 AM on February 17, 2012

Not really an LA thing specifically, but does she like spicy-sour Mexican snack foods? I always bring bags back from Chicago & LA b/c they're harder to find elsewhere (DC, you culinary wasteland, I'm looking at you). Mmmm, Sabritones.
posted by Westringia F. at 10:44 AM on February 17, 2012 [1 favorite]

Failing some extra sunshine, what about a big bunch of tropical flowers?
posted by jquinby at 10:49 AM on February 17, 2012 [1 favorite]

Citrus is in season. And the Echo Park farmer's market is this afternoon/evening.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 11:02 AM on February 17, 2012 [3 favorites]

A bag of fresh local lemons or oranges or avocados ('cados are hella pricey here) would be nice.
posted by The otter lady at 11:37 AM on February 17, 2012

Peaches! Seattle peaches suck, especially in wintertime.

(And, contra jquinby, don't bring sunshine -- true Seattleites will recoil, hiss, and burst into flames.)
posted by The Tensor at 12:32 PM on February 17, 2012 [1 favorite]

The lemons suggestion is awesome. Particularly special would be Meyer lemons, which can be hard to get outside of CA.
posted by kms at 2:22 PM on February 17, 2012

One other thought - is she a coffee fan? LA has great coffee roasters. The new hotness is Handsome Coffee Roasters and there is also Intelligensia.
posted by kms at 2:28 PM on February 17, 2012

Coincidentally, my boss just brought in a bunch of lemons from her lemon tree.

Lemons+canter's hamentashen (my mother's suggestion) it is! Thanks guys!
posted by ablazingsaddle at 2:29 PM on February 17, 2012