Welcome to Table Scraps, a monthly series on the growing problem of food-related waste and what some eateries, officials, farms, institutes, and everyday people are doing right. This isn’t a guilt trip, just a way to unpack initiatives attempting to reduce kitchen waste and food loss. We’re exploring backyard composting to city programs, restaurant tips to technology, and anything related to this global issue. Heat up those leftovers, and settle in.
In my memory, it was around 2018 that people started talking about how plastic straws kill turtles (or something) and that the right thing to do was to switch to reusable ones. That included paper straws (useless, but whatever), metal and silicone straws, biodegradable straws, even edible straws.
It s tough to choose gifts for people who’ve decided to spend most of their time at home. Odds are, they’re not looking for statement jewelry for fancy events, and they’ve probably stocked up on loungewear already. So we’ve put together some other options you can find at local shops around town, assuming you tackle your list before the good stuff is all gone.
Bar Basics
Whether they’re into cocktails or alcohol-free fare, friends always appreciate gifts that make drinking feel a bit more fun. We love the cocktail and rocks glasses at Frances, and the chrome bottle openers and corkscrews at the museum store for Phoenix Art Museum. For the bartending novice, the store at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts has a set of four glasses printed with tips for mixing four popular cocktails, from Bloody Marys to Mojitos.