The Taste of Luxury

Leave it to Lydia Shire to add a little luxury to your seasonal gift-giving. The award-winning chef, currently of Scampo and Towne (but notably of beloved spots like Seasons at the Millennium Hotel, Biba and Locke Ober), may be known for her elaborate, over-the-top dishes but when it comes to holiday treats, she likes to keep it simple. All she wants for Christmas is a tin of Osetra caviar from Portland’s Browne Trading Company.

Widely recognized as one of the country’s top caviar purveyors – and among the first to adopt sustainable practices – Browne Trading sources the best-of-the-best farm-raised caviars from all over the world, from Florida all the way to China. Shire is particularly fond of the Galilee Prime, which hails from Israel, but given Browne Trading’s exacting standards, you can’t go wrong (this handy caviar-buying guide from owner Rod Mitchell will help, too).

It might be a little late to have them pack it on ice and deliver it to you or your giftee (though their retail store is open for business if you’re within driving distance), but you can still place an order for a tin or two as an opulent post-holiday present. It’ll pair nicely with New Year’s Eve bubbly, adding more than a little luxury to the beginning of 2013.