First stop at Carew was Churchill's Gift Shop and Tea Room.  As the name suggests, this is a place where you can pick up some gifts or have a hot drink and a bite to eat.  The crowded tea room is proof of the quality of the food and drinks.  As for the gift shop, it is stocked with 120 varieties of tea, British snacks (the Guinness Christmas puddings were tempting), and special-order tartan clothing from Scotland.  My wife asked me to leave while she bought something - I have a feeling that a can of haggis will find its way under our tree.

Next we headed to the second floor and the I Love Cincinnati Shop.  This is another place whose name pretty much captures what you'll find inside: all things Cincinnati.  There are touristy chotchkies, sportswear for the City's pro and college teams, chili seasoning packets and the like.  It's a great shop to put together your own "Taste of Cincinnati" gift basket for out-of-town family and friends.  We bought some cute UC gear for my little niece and nephew to wear for Orange Bowl viewing.  As a bonus for you sports lovers, there's an in-store big screen TV to keep you up-to-speed on the latest from Cincinnati's teams. 

Speaking of which...the sidewalks on 4^th Street were crowded with disappointed Redskins fans so we ducked into a store, UNHEARDOF, that we coincidentally had never heard of.  With the appearance of a piece of NYC or LA right here in the Midwest, UNHEARDOF stocks too-cool urban clothing and shoes.  I'm more of a bourbon and bluegrass kind of guy, but if you have friends who are always looking to the coasts for the latest fashion you won't go wrong here.  Plus, nearby is the Jordan Valley Restaurant where you can get quick, budget-friendly, Middle Eastern food.  Falafel wrap in hand and the roar from Paul Brown Stadium echoing through the streets we headed towards the Contemporary Art Center.

Cincinnati's core is blessed with a number of cultural sites that happen to have great gift shops, including the Taft Museum of Art, the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Freedom Center, and the Museum Center.  The CAC is where to shop for those people who are impossible to buy for - especially those who value cool design.  The merchandise is eclectic - jewelry, home décor, books, strange mechanical toys, etc. - and the prices range from a couple bucks to a few hundred dollars.  We snagged a numbers book illustrated by late great Cincinnatian Charlie Harper and Antoinette Portis's "Not a Box" children's book (a must read) for my niece and nephew. 

I'd say that given the shopping success on Sunday it was worth brewing on Saturday, but the bock will have to lager for a couple months before I'll know for sure.  What I can confidently say is that local shopping in the core is no longer limited to Monday through Friday, 9-5.

Churchill's Gift Shop and Tea Room, Tower Place Mall, www.churchillsgifts.com, Mon-Sat 9-6, Sun 12-5.  Call 421-1455 to ask about special holiday tea tastings and Nutcracker packages.

I Love Cincinnati Shop, Tower Place Mall, Mon-Sat 10-8, Sun 12-5.

UNHEARDOF, 323 West 4^th Street, http://unheardofbrand.com, Mon-Fri 11-8, Sat 11-11, Sun 12-6.

Jordan Valley Restaurant, 211 West 4^th Street, 11-9 Daily

CAC, 44 East 6^th Street, http://contemporaryartscenter.org, Mon 10-9 (bonus: free admission to galleries 5-9), Wed-Fri 10-6, Sat-Sun 11-6.