Linda's Kitchen Notes

How I Discovered Harry & David

I'll be honest — I'd heard the name Harry & David for years but never actually ordered from them myself. My sister-in-law sent me one of their pear boxes maybe ten years ago, and I remember thinking it was nice but pricey. Fast forward to last month: my neighbor Barbara mentioned she was ordering their gift baskets for her book club's holiday exchange. She couldn't stop talking about how "elevated" everything tasted. Her exact words.

So when I needed to send something to my daughter in Texas and wanted a gift for myself to review, I figured it was finally time to see what all the fuss was about.

First Impressions

The box arrived on a Tuesday afternoon, and I have to say — the packaging alone felt special. Not overdone or wasteful, just thoughtful. Everything was nestled in this pretty shredded paper, and nothing was damaged despite traveling across the country. The basket itself is actually reusable, which I appreciate. It's sitting on my counter right now holding my cooking magazines.

What's Inside and How It Tastes

My basket included their famous Royal Riviera Pears (four of them), Moose Munch popcorn, a summer sausage, sharp white cheddar, crackers, and these little chocolate truffles. I've been working through everything over the past three weeks, and here's my honest take.

The pears are genuinely exceptional. I let them ripen on the counter for a few days like the card suggested, and they turned into this buttery, almost honey-sweet fruit that I've never experienced from a grocery store. I actually called my friend Diane to tell her about them, which felt a little silly but they were that good.

The Moose Munch is addictive — my husband kept sneaking handfuls when he thought I wasn't looking. The cheese and sausage made a perfect little appetizer board when my neighbors stopped by unexpectedly last week.

What I Loved

• Quality you can taste: Everything felt carefully selected, not just thrown together to fill space. The pears especially are in a different league.
• Perfect portions: Enough to share or enjoy over a couple weeks, but not so much that things go to waste. At my age, I appreciate not having to rush through food.
• Presentation matters: When I sent one to my daughter, she immediately texted me photos. It looks impressive without being gaudy.
• Reliable delivery: Both baskets arrived exactly when promised and in perfect condition. That peace of mind is worth something.

What Could Be Better

• Price point: Let's be real — this isn't cheap. You're paying for quality, but it's definitely a splurge. I wouldn't buy this for myself every month.
• Cracker quantity: I ran out of crackers before I ran out of cheese and sausage. A small thing, but I ended up using my own Triscuits to finish everything off.

Final Verdict

After three weeks of actually living with this gift basket — sharing it with family, serving it to guests, and yes, enjoying quiet moments with those incredible pears — I understand why people are loyal to Harry & David. Is it an everyday purchase? No. But for holidays, birthdays, thank-you gifts, or treating yourself to something genuinely nice? It delivers.

My daughter already asked me to send another one to her mother-in-law for Christmas. I'd say that's a pretty strong endorsement.