Dream Swag Bags For Food-Lovers

The best part about being invited to an event often isn't the elaborate meals or the over-the-top decorations — it's the swag.

Yes, the swag — the gift bags, the freebies, the stuff you'd never shell out money for unless you had, well, money. After all the martinis have been drained and the last ounce of prosecco is gone, and after the foie gras has been served and the sea-salted caramel torte eaten, the party is over and the swag is doled out.

While awards shows and A-list events are infamous for insane amounts of expensive swag — some retailing up to six figures — we're taking it to the next level. After our imaginations did wonders with dream parties, we decided the fun couldn't be over just yet. 

What's in the ultimate food swag bag? Think about it — luscious truffles, mounds of the best cuts of meat, vintage reserve bottles, and epicurean adventures that you only see in books and movies. We're getting way ahead of ourselves, but we can dream, can't we? 

So we present a collection of what would be in our editors' dream food swag bags: 

"I'm attending an imaginary event that brings the sushi masters from all around the world to one place to provide a never-ending sampling of their fare. Everywhere I turn there's champagne, caviar, and uni, and on the way out the door I'm handed a case of Veuve Clicquot, a gift certificate to Masa, an all-expenses paid monthlong round-trip to Japan, and a 35 1/4-ounce container of Petrossian Special Reserve Ossetra Caviar." — Arthur Bovino, Executive Editor

"At this MoMA dinner party, everyone absolutely amazing is there: icons in literature, fashion, art, food, culture, etc. Now, for the gift bag. It's filled with all the luxe items around: champagne (obviously), rare scotch, diamonds, precious antique gems, first-edition novels, a watch, a French baguette, assorted olives, precious olive oils and vinegars, a couple of fresh tomatoes, assorted cheeses, basil, rosemary, and thyme." — Tyler Sullivan, Assistant Editor

"I'm obviously Anderson Cooper's date to the opening of his first restaurant. The restaurant is fusion, a blend of all the ethnicities (English, Dutch, Irish, Norwegian, Chilean) that made him the silver fox that he is. The ultra-fabulous swag bag includes:

• Stroopwafels from the Netherlands (I hear Gouda's Gilde is the best you can find)
• A bottle of Midelton (very rare Irish whiskey), complete with Waterford Crystal Irish Coffee Glasses
• VIP tickets to "Taste of London" — England's premier food festival, complete with Secret Garden Pass
• A luxury camping trip (for two) to the Lofoten Islands, off the coast of Norway
• Five — make that 10 — bottles of Cousino Macul Finis Terrae, one of Chile's finest wines" — Tim McGeever, Public Relations Manager

"So you were the only one who wasn't invited to the international culinary convention? That's OK, I'll share some of my swag bag with you. It includes: all-expenses-paid vacation vouchers, reservations at the most exclusive restaurants, and a lifetime supply of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, which are all better when they are shared with someone else, anyway. However, just a forewarning — I'm planning on hiding the bottles of prosecco, the jars of saffron, and boxes of the chocolate truffles from you. Sorry I'm not sorry." — Trish Clasen, Entertain Intern