Everything Jewish
6684 SW Capitol Highway, 246-5437, everythingjewish.biz. Because the Jewish calendar is based on
the lunar cycle, Hanukkah hops around year to year, sometimes falling
closer to Thanksgiving than to Christmas. This year, however, the
Festival of Lights takes place concurrently with the birthday of
historyâs most famous Chosen Person, allowing Jews and gentiles to shop
for each other in the same holiday-sales season. Everything Jewish,
located in a strip mall in the little-known Jewish enclave between
Hillsdale and Multnomah Village, is a completely self-explanatory
destination for Hanukkah gifts, from the reverent (mezuzahs, shofars,
kiddush cups) to the hottest in bat mitzvah fashion (dainty Star of
David necklaces) to the almost unbearably kitschy (a decorative plate
reading, âWhen life gives you potatoesâmake latkes!â).
Buy this: The Jewish editions of Apples to Apples ($28.95), Taboo ($34.95) or Candyland (Kosherland) ($15.95).
Annie Bloomâs Books
7834 SW Capitol Highway, 246-0053, annieblooms.com. You thought Powellâs was indie? Compared
with this neighborhood institution, open since 1978, Powellâs might as
well be Barnes & Noble. Bookworms out in Southwestâor those simply
looking to spread the bibliophiliaâwill find at Ms. Bloomâs, as at any
great local bookshop, unconcealed favoritism for Northwest authors and
volumes on our blessed region, plus cards handmade by local artists and
free coffee.
Buy this: "What the Village Is Reading"—i.e., anything from the bestsellers shelf.
Knack
7824 SW 35th Ave., 244-1614, knackpdx.com. Leigh Rosenwald, the owner of this eensy-weensy shop off
Multnomah Village's main drag, has a talent—a knack, if you will (won't
you? please?)—for catering to her target market. Rosenwald's "gallery
boutique," opened just last November, is "put a bird on it" embodied,
its scanty square footage chockablock with Portland-chic wares. The
locally crafted offerings include art, jewelry, cards and enough
aesthetically pleasing knickknacks to fill the pages of Readymade and
Real Simple, plus Dwell. As Knack splits the difference between art
gallery and retail store, so does its price range; for those spending to
impress this season of giving, Michael Arras' geometric wooden tables
($199-$575) are standout beauts.
Buy this: Kris Kreiter's block-printed kitchen towels ($14). Designs include a sardine tin, bacon and eggs, and a fish (but not a bird).
Johnâs Market
3535 SW Multnomah Blvd., 244-2617, johnsmarketplace.com. Wine lovers are called oenophiles, liquor
lovers are called alcoholicsâbut what do you call a beer aficionado? On
this issue, for once, the Internet is silent. Whatever you call âem,
get âem their holiday gift at Johnâs. With more than 800 kinds of suds
(not to mention 400 wine varieties) in stock, the longtime neighborhood
marketplaceâfounded by namesake John Feus, a Swiss immigrant, in 1923âis
the only place in Southwest you stand a chance at stumping your
beer-buff buddy. For the combined price of the individual bottles,
Johnâs will let you mix ânâ match specialty brews to create a
pretentiously obscure six-pack. While youâre there, think ahead for New
Yearâs: Johnâs probably has the best keg selection in town.
Buy this: Rogue's Santa's Private Reserve ($6.49)
Sweets Etc.
7828 SW Capitol Highway, 293-0088, sweetsetc.com. Few things allow you to tap into the
innocent pleasure of childhoodâa time before dental coverage was
something your HR director said was âunfeasible at this moment in
timeââas much as gleefully chowing down on candy classics like Airheads,
Hubba Bubba or Nerds. High-fructose corn syrup be damned! When you gift
somebody stocking-stuffers from this independent sweets emporium, you
stuff their stocking with that feeling. On top of the aforementioned
schoolyard standards, Sweets Etc. boasts an Anglophile-appeasing
selection of British candy (Yorkie, Lion, Aero) as well as a selection
of housemade chocolates.
Buy this: You will perhaps think it ridiculous to
call a chocolate bar a cult favorite, but the German-made Ritter Sport
is one (Its square shape has inspired a Ritter museum). Try the Dunkle
Voll-Nuss (dark chocolate with whole hazelnuts) ($4.30) and the Marzipan
($4.30).
WWeek 2015
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