Deborah Miller, Deborah Beaty, Caroline Nichols, A Southern Season, Chapel Hill, NC
Customers are looking for ideas that help them spend less time in the kitchen and more time with guests. Some want simple and regional foods like barbecue, others look for more sophisticated options like sliced beef tenderloin or caviar. Our picks include:

• Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Garlic and Onion Jam
• North Carolina peanuts or pecans
• Carolina Cupboard Cheese Straws
• Wind & Willow Cheeseballs
• Caviar

Candace Hulbert, Provisions, Port Townsend, WA
Big antipasti trays that feed a lot of guests are very popular. Nuts, salami and cheeses are good plate fillers. Chocolate treats are also a nice touch. My picks include:

• Salumi Mole Sausage
• Marcona almonds
• La Panzanella Croccantini
• Provisions Chipotle Lime Dip
• Provisions Chocolate Brandy Pots

Dan Weiss, Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop, Philadelphia, PA
Cocktail parties are becoming less formal, more relaxed gatherings of food and friends. Customers seek out fine prosciutti, nuts and French double creme cheeses. My picks include:

• Fromage d'Affinois
• Prosciutto di San Daniele
• Wricley Nuts Butter Toffee Pecans
• Dalmatia Fig Spread
• Les Trois Petits Cochons Mousse Truffee

Caty Salas, The Spanish Table, Berkeley, CA
Stuffed olives complement a martini as well as make great appetizers. Customers also like to create cheese plates and serve tapas in small terra cotta dishes. My picks include:

• Anchovy, Lemon and Piquillo pepper stuffed olives
• Palacios Chorizo
• Marcona almonds
• Manchego cheese
• Cazuela plates

Sue Taub, Holbrook Cottage, Briarcliff, NY
Customers like snacks that complement party beverages. Dips served with corn chips and professional-looking appetizers with sweet or savory fillings are versatile and fun. My picks include:

• Sable & Rosenfeld Savory Party Cups filled with chevre and topped with Earth & Vine
• Red Bell Pepper & Ancho Chili Jam
• Urban Accents Karaoke Mix
• William Poll Potato Thins
• Cool Beans Roasted Garlic Dip
• Robert Rothschild Dirty Martini Cheese Ball

—Nicole Potenza Denis