Amita - The Art of Gifts

This tiny 20-seat weekend supper club is on a quiet residential street in Wallingford in July. It is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights for "Supper Club," offering a single, communal seating and a themed four-course, prix-fixe menu that changes weekly. The chef chef/owner is Dustin Ronspies, builds a menu that features raw ingredients from local growers. He introduces each course and shares his breadth of culinary knowledge from travels wide and far.
On "Happy Mondays," things are more footloose; they don't take reservations and the menu features a variety of small plates at prices that average less than $10. The menu changes each week, and is accompanied with a moderately priced list of wines and beers to go with it. I've been there twice now, once for the prixe fix dinner and once dropping in on a lark on a Monday. You can't go wrong here -- a welcome change and an opportunity to meet and dine with some very interesting patrons.

Posted 11/23/08 | Report Abuse

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Amita the Art of Gifts is truly one of the most beautful and exceptional gift store. It's rare quality is founded by the owner who is filled with beauty, kindess, generosity of spirit and subtlest jewel- like qualities. It is obviously refected within all that she offers in her store, from the finest handbags and purses, jewelry, scarves and ornate trinkets that are displayed everywhere. The colors and light emanating from the displays will surely draw in your spirit and generosity of the heart as you enter the store. Please do go in, and enjoy.

Posted 01/29/08 | Report Abuse

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When shopping for something unique for a friend or loved one (or for myself) I always go to Amita's shop first. This tiny jewelbox of a shop is packed with special one-of-a-kind items hand selected with an eye for style, functionality and beauty. Handcrafted local items, imported scarves, gloves, leather goods, bags, glass, vases, tea cups etc. are carefully displayed, making it possible to actually see to advantage every item. Amita is helpful with ideas and it is rare that I leave without finding something I wish to purchase. The inventory is fresh, every changing and well displayed, which makes shopping a delight.

Posted 01/24/07 | Report Abuse

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This store is one of my favorite places to buy unique gifts for my friends (and myself!). The owner has a distinct palate for style, quality, and uplifted beauty. It's a place I go to get that something that looks beautiful and I know I won't see three other people in town with the same thing.

Amita carries the most ungeneric handbags, scarves, jewerly, candles, housewares--all packed into a little shop. You can spend a lot of time there just looking and taking it all in. It's a little difficult not to leave with more than you went for.

Many items are handmade by local designers, non-corporate, and very real at fair trade value.

Posted 01/24/07 | Report Abuse

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I just went in Amita today, and it seemed like a very nice little shop. Actually it is almost tiny, but they still have lots of interesting things there. The owner was very nice, and she even let me listen to an Indian CD that they had in the store. They have some things I haven't seen other places, like contemporary music from India on CDs.

Posted 11/30/05 | Report Abuse

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