Looking to finish up holiday shopping before leaving campus? Armory Square has local stores filled with holiday gifts, or shop online for handcrafted products made in Syracuse. The city is home to dozens of small businesses that feature gifts for friends and family.       

Courtesy of Chocolate Pizza Company

Food 

Chocolate Pizza Company is well-known in Syracuse for its Chocolate Pizza and Peanut Butter Wings. The wings, made of potato chips covered in peanut butter and chocolate, are the “sweetest ‘combo’ anywhere,” said Ryan Novak, owner of Chocolate Pizza Company and Syracuse University alumnus, in an email. 

 The local chocolate hot spot, located in Marcellus, New York, has several holiday specials, including a Holiday Magic Gift Basket for $105. Customizable Chocolate Pizzas begin at $16.95. 

 Snow Buddies, snowman-shaped vanilla creme cookies covered in chocolate, could be stocking stuffers at $6.95 for three cookies. All items can be found online or at the Chocolate Pizza Company store in Marcellus.  

 

Haley Robertson | Staff Writer

Pastabilities, located on South Franklin Street downtown, sells jars of its famous Spicy Hot Tomato Oil as well as its handmade pasta.  

The Spicy Hot Tomato Oil, priced at $6.99, and pasta, costing $5.99, can be purchased at the restaurant or across the street at Pasta’s Daily Bread. A 2-pack of the Spicy Hot Tomato Oil can be purchased online. Pastabilities is offering free shipping for 12-packs of the sauce until next week Thursday.  

 

Courtesy of Olive on Brooklea

Olive on Brooklea is home to oils, balsamic vinegars and local art. Holiday gifts begin at $5 for 60 milliliter bottles. Michelle Watts, owner of Olive on Brooklea, recommended the small bottles for stocking stuffers. 

Some of the store’s most popular gift items are the holiday gift baskets and decorated totes, which begin at $12.95. Two-bottle sets, pictured above, sell for $9.95.   

 

Haley Robertson | Staff Writer

Modern Malt is offering a $15 bonus when you buy $50 in gift cards until the end of the year. 

The Armory Square restaurant is known for its all-day breakfast and milkshakes. Gift cards can be purchased in store or online.

 

Haley Robertson | Staff Writer

Fun Finds 

Midnight Sun, a boutique in Armory Square, offers jewelry, clothing and gifts. The plush animals sold there are handcrafted by women in Uganda through Project Have Hope. All proceeds from the $5-$10 stuffed animals “help women in Uganda get off the streets” by promoting their artistry, said Mecca Mozelle, an employee at Midnight Sun. 

 Mozelle also recommended buying mugs or wallets as gifts. The mugs cost $14, and the wallets, which have comedic sayings on them, sell for $5-$7. The store also sells Voluspa candles starting at $9. 

 

Haley Robertson | Staff Writer

Ish Guitars offers a ukulele group lesson, a lesson book and a tuner for $29 with the purchase of any ukulele. 

“Usually a private lesson is $40 an hour, so this is a fantastic deal,” said Jesse Wilson, store owner. 

Ukuleles sold at the store range from about $40 to $240. Wilson said the instruments make a great gift because they are easy to learn. Ish Guitars is also home to a range of guitars and accessories, which can be purchased in store at 410 South Franklin St. or on its website. 

 

Haley Robertson | Staff Writer

The Eureka Company is home to jewelry and homegoods, many of which are made by local artists. Solmate socks are a popular eco-friendly holiday gift for the whole family. The Eureka Company is also known for its wood products, ceramics and glass art. 

 

Haley Robertson | Staff Writer

Syracuse Soapworks, located at 226 Hawley Ave., features the products of more than 30 local artists. The store’s most popular gift items are the soaps, which start at $3.99. The customizable soap gift baskets sell for $30.  

The store also features local food, including Syracuse Salt Company’s hand-finished sea salt starting at $7. Sea salt flavors include sriracha, lemon twist, white truffle and rosemary.  

 

Courtesy of Jim Boettger

Overcast Design Cooperative is a Syracuse-based online business that aims to promote the work of local artists. Jim Boettger, Overcast artist and co-founder, creates glass sculptures, pictured above. They can be purchased through his Etsy website, called “majicmetals.” 

In addition to promoting the work of artists through their Etsy pages, Overcast Design also offers custom T-shirt screen printing, where the artists’ work is printed on organic cotton T-shirts. 

Haley Robertson | Staff Writer 

Fashion 

Jet Black Boutique in Armory Square offers high-end clothing and accessories. It recently started carrying vintage designer accessories from Gucci, Chanel, Prada and Louis Vuitton. Among items sold are a vintage Gucci cardholder for $425 and Alice + Olivia sunglasses for $275. 

For a gift that won’t break the bank, Jet Black offers Jonathan Adler candles that cost $28. The boutique also has sales racks with a wide variety of women’s clothing. 

 

Haley Robertson | Staff Writer

Accents of Armory Square offers a range of jewelry and accessories. Adjustable bracelets like the Wind & Fire ones pictured above, are one of the most popular items, said Bronce Bersani, owner of the store. These bangles are made from recycled materials.   

For men, Bersani recommended a Citizen watch that uses light as a power source, which sells for $200. Accents of Armory Square carries watches at 20 percent off the manufacturer’s list price.  

The store also offers accessories, including fair trade Altiplano scarves for $68. Bersani said the scarves are handmade out of organic bamboo fiber and are the best-selling scarves in the store. 

Published on December 7, 2017 at 10:47 am

Contact Haley: hrober03@syr.edu