7 Mouthwatering Buffalo Food-Themed Christmas Ornaments at Vidler’s

September 27, 2023
Written by
Don Vidler
Loganberry

Have some last-minute holiday shopping left to do? Looking for something to get that Buffalo-born buddy who has everything? These Queen City food-themed holiday ornaments are easy to pick up and stuff in a stocking or pass out to your friends. (The disclaimer that they aren’t real appetizers is on you.)

These ultra-realistic ornaments are $14.99 each and celebrate the deliciousness of the holidays. As a bonus, they’ll make great conversation starters for holidays to come.


beef on weck ordainment

1. The beef on weck.

Pre-dating our famous Buffalo wings, (a Buffalo wing ornament, you request? Read on.) the beef on weck has been a long-standing tradition since both Schwabl’s and Charlie the Butcher began serving up this smash hit around 1837! The kummelweck roll was brought to the States in the late 1800s by a German baker from Bavaria. This bread roll is hard-shelled but soft on the inside, salty, and topped with caraway seeds, which distinguishes the beef on weck from any other roast beef sandwich. 


This adorable ornament both pays tribute to the kummelweck roll with a beefy interior and celebrates what might just be “Buffalo’s best contribution to the culinary world!”








2. The chicken wing.

chicken wing Ornaments

Ah, yes - the Buffalo wing.  If you’ve ever bitten into one of these deep-fried, hot and saucy wings, you know that it’s hard to eat just one. How many can you eat?  How hot can you stand them? Anchor Bar or Duff’s (heated argument optional)? Since their creation in 1964, this classic Buffalo culinary cornerstone has been consumed with and without a pitcher of beer at many a bar, football game, and pizza night. 


This ornament would be a perfect wing-lover’s stocking stuffer or a prize for one who has won the title of wing-eating champion. You could even get a box of ten for yourself and hand them down as family heirloom for generations. (Extra saucy for me, please.) Don’t forget the bleu cheese and celery!




butter lamb Ornaments

3. The butter lamb.

“A butter lamb? Isn’t that for Easter??”

This iconic Buffalo tradition started decades ago by Ma Malczewski can easily be found at the Broadway market and other local stores during the Easter season.  


The Butter Lamb traditionally symbolizes the sacrifice of the Lamb of God in the Eucharist, with a red ribbon representing the Blood of Christ. Unofficially, but just as traditionally, this sculpted slab of butter can be slathered on your pierogi (see #6) and fried to golden perfection.  Now THAT’s a Buffalo classic!


This cute little golden lamb would be a great addition to any Christmas tree, a stocking stuffer for someone who is delighted by the colors of spring, or just a little something for that one friend who has a thing for dairy sculpture.





4. The Loganberry.

loganberry Ornaments

Yes, loganberries actually ARE real berries.  They were accidentally created in the 1880’s in California as a hybrid between blackberry and raspberry.  Their deep, red color and slightly tart, sweet taste was immortalized with the well-known Buffalo-born refreshing beverage.

The ice-cold Loganberry drink, introduced at the now defunct Crystal Beach Amusement Park on the shores of Lake Erie, was sold at hot-dog stands to the park’s visitors between 1888-1989. Though the park has since closed down, the beverage lives on.  


Since the beverage is notoriously tough to track down outside of this region (Aunt Rosie’s, anybody?), this ornament would be the perfect nostalgic memorabilia for the Loganberry lover in your life!



kielbasa sausage Ornaments

5. The Polska kielbasa.

Maybe you met your spouse at a Dyngus Day celebration in Buffalo over a prize-winning kielbasa at the Broadway Market. What better way to immortalize your connection than to hang a sausage on the Christmas tree? Or maybe you’ve been eating this encased meat since your grandparents plated it with applesauce and just can’t get enough. 

Since 1884, Buffalo has been home to some of the titans of the meat industry like Anthony Szelagowski, whose famous line of sausage and smoked meats was taken over by Wardynski’s Meats in 2005. 


This ornament not only gives props to the famous Polish meat, but also to the historic potential for immigrants to come to Buffalo and make a name for themselves… or maybe even a sausage?










pierogi Ornaments

6. The pierogi.

This beautiful golden dumpling is a delightful creation paying homage to the Polish Buffalo staple.  Though the origins of pierogi are disputed and potentially go back beyond the 13th century, in the US this staple food was introduced during the Great Depression as a way to feed many people inexpensively. 

Since the 1960’s they are popularly found in the frozen section of the supermarket - and in Buffalo, you can still find them handmade in the traditional way.  


These ornaments almost look like Grandma’s hand-made pierogi and would make a great conversation starter for any occasion. (That conversation, we assume, starts with an incredulous, “Is that a pierogi?”)



Gołąbki Ornaments

7. The Gołąbki, or “gwumpki”.

During the 1880’s, a wave of Polish settlers created a “Polish colony” in Buffalo and brought with their rich culture some incredible dishes. This popular Polish dish with debatable pronunciation is made from boiled cabbage leaves wrapped around a filling of minced pork or beef, chopped onions, and rice or barley.  


Traditionally served during the Christmas holidays or during other festive occasions, these Gołąbki ornaments are the perfect filling (see what I did there?) for any Polish stocking or as a gift to memorialize your family heritage.


Immortalize Your Perfect Buffalo Feast On Your Christmas Tree With Vidler’s!
Whether you’re looking to commemorate Buffalo history, your heritage, or your favorite food, or you’re just looking to find a gift that is truly unique - you’ll find all that and more at this 5 & 10 store.

Come visit us at Vidler’s, The Stocking-Stuffer Capital Of The World, for your last-minute Christmas shopping!


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