The Best Gift I Ever Gave: Philly Bartender

Philadelphia bartender Jeff Kile tells about a gift he gave to make up for a big mistake, and a big mistake of a gift that had a hilariously unintended meaning.

NBCPhiladelphia.com is asking well-known, and not-so-well known, Philadelphians two questions this holiday season: What is the best gift you have ever given? What is the best gift you have ever received? Here are some of those stories:

Jeff Kile is the Manager of Good Dog Bar on South 15th Street in Center City.

The Best Gift I Ever Gave: I Never Promised You a Rose Garden… but then I forgot your birthday

"I forgot my girlfriend’s birthday years ago and I bought her an entire garden from Home Depot for our backyard -- plants, the whole nine. And I bought these cedar planks and built her a picnic table from scratch.

"I got a U-Haul rental truck. She was at work, so I backed the truck up to where she works and I opened it up and there were flowers and lumber and a grill. She was working at a TD Bank at the time."

What was her reaction?

"She was less pissed-off at me for missing her birthday. At that time we had been together for five years."

The Best Gift I Ever Received:  Accidental Humor

"My parents got me Elliott Smith’s XO and a 10-inch Wusthof kitchen knife.

"Elliott Smith was a singer who stabbed himself to death with a kitchen knife, so I don’t know if they were trying to tell me something. 

"They had no idea the significance of it. It’s like giving Kurt Cobain a shotgun for his birthday. They were like, “Hey we got you that album! We got that kitchen knife you wanted!”

"It was for Christmas years ago – the year after Elliott Smith killed himself. But I still use that knife to this day, I love it very much."

READ: Best Gift I Ever Received: Mayor Michael Nutter

READ: The Greatest Gift I Ever Gave: Tony Luke Jr.

READ: Greatest Gifts: Philly Conductor

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