Holiday Gift Guide For the Foodie

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What to Give Serious Eaters, Drinkers and Chefs Extraordinaire

The Christmas gift-giving season is upon us. Those on our lists with beloved hobbies or interests should be the easiest to shop for, but often prove to be most difficult. Take the foodie, for example. Suppose someone on your list is wild about the latest head-to-tail restaurant, knows truffle season better than a French pig, and is as likely to spend an entire paycheck on a fifty-year old bottle of Chateau Lafite as they are on the rent.

Suppose you, the gift-giver, refer to “head-to-tail” only in terms of the way you pet your faithful companion, think “truffle” only rarely, and then in terms of chocolate, and buy wine in paper boxes by the gallon “for company” only. This Gift Guide For the Foodie is for you, because no one wants a box of Franzia under the tree come Christmas morning.

Open Table Gift Card

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Restaurants are a foodie’s way of life. Always on a hunt to try something newer, more different and, of course, tastier than before, dining out is their passion. Getting a gift certificate to a restaurant can be tough if you don’t know the “hot” new spot for the gastronomical sophisticate. Don’t worry. Open Table has got you covered.

Open table offers gift cards that can be used in more than two thousand restaurants across the country. Open table has become the go-to reservation site for just about any restaurant in any major city you’d want to visit. If you aren’t sure that Open Table is available in your foodie’s neck of the woods, there’s a link on the gift card page to check to make sure.

Gift Set from The Spice Station

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Foodies don’t just like eating other gourmand’s delights, we like creating our own. Here in Los Angeles we are lucky to call the folks at The Spice Station, friends. A shop dedicated to procuring the most interesting and difficult-to-obtain spices from around the world, The Spice Station serves up exquisite in-house custom spice blends, chilies, salts and teas, packaged in beautifully understated tins that are ready for gifting.

But how to choose? Let the skilled spicemasters help by choosing one of their delightful gift sets! Every year I stop by the adorable store nestled in a garden off bustling Sunset Boulevard in Silverlake to cross a few off my Christmas list. Last year, I purchased the Baker’s gift set; the year before, it was the Sugar set. This year, J’s Asian Cajun has my eye. I love browsing at the brick-and-mortar store, but there is online ordering available for everyone!

Anything from Le Crueset

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Any foodie worth his salt knows the name Le Crueset. The French-made, brightly colored, enamel-coated, cast iron cookery has been produced in a foundry in the small town of Fresnoy le Grand since 1925. In more recent years, Le Crueset has expanded to include stoneware and silicone, among others. The constant has always been quality. The colorful enamel is a beautiful addition to any kitchen, and the cookware can be used to store and serve food as well. It is true that most foodies will have at least one Le Crueset in their arsenal, but no one has all of them – though I’m sure they would like to.

Budget Tip: A piece from Le Crueset doesn’t have to break the budget! The adorable egg cups above are only $40 for the set. And this Stoneware Pie Bird is just $10 and would thrill any baker.

Madison Avenue Decanter and Glasses

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Eaters are drinkers, and the foodie who knows what to eat, likely knows what to drink as well. They will also know how to store their drink, and how to serve it. Taste and presentation are everything to the foodie, so a beautiful decanter and glasses will make everything go down smoothly. If your foodie is anything like us here at we heart this, they’ll adore this very Mad Men Madison Avenue Whiskey Decanter and Glass set.

A perfect stocking stuffer to go with this (or any whiskey set) is the ice baller. Every whiskey-drinker these days knows better than to water down their booze with itty-bitty cubes. These classy folks need big balls that melt slowly, cooling the drink without diluting it before they get to the last sip.

Nespresso Home Espresso Machine

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I’m betting Santa’s putting this under my tree this year (for my husband, ahem). People who like superior quality food and drink, likely prefer to wash it all down with a proper espresso. Most home espresso machines are crap. They just are. Nespresso home machines, however, make a fine espresso with a crema unsurpassed by other home machines. My dream would be the top-of-the-line Gran Maestra with all the bells and whistles, but the Chrome Bundle Vertuoline (shown above) is its more economical sister.

The Vertuoline capsules are different from the original machine’s, but reports indicate that the quality of the final product is the same. The Vertuoline, unlike the original machine, can also be used for single cups of coffee. If the one on your list already has a Nespresso machine, I’m quite sure they would appreciate a selection of capsules! Just be sure to know whether they have the original or the Vertuoline machine, and purchase accordingly.

Seattle Chocolates

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I ask you, is there a more versatile gift than chocolate? It works for ANYONE. Seriously, look at your list right now, we’ll wait. See? Kids, grandmas, lovers; who doesn’t like chocolate? But if the recipient is a foodie, it has to be good. And dear friends, Seattle Chocolates are amazing. This 12 Bar Stack Truffle Bar collection is exciting flavors with beautiful labels sure to impress even the snootiest of foodies. Plus, through the end of December, every purchase from the site or post of #chocolategives gives one serving of food to a person in need.

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Oh, and when you’re ordering your gift, go on and get yourself a Kris Kringle Crackle Bar. It’s dark chocolate with half-popped popcorn and sea salt, and it will change your life.

I’m going to end this with a couple tips on what NOT to buy the foodie (if you aren’t one yourself).

    • Don’t buy wine. Unless you really know your stuff, or it’s something classic like a Veuve Clicquot or Dom Perignon, just don’t do it. Table wine for a dinner party, fine. For a gift, no. You just don’t know their tastes, and if it’s cheap, they’ll know it.

Don’t buy processed meat and cheese sets (pretty much anything in a pre-wrapped basket). The foodie doesn’t eat non-perishable food products. All foods are not created equal.

While gift cards for corporate coffee conglomerates are fine, know that the foodie would always prefer to get their coffee from the little espresso shop on the corner that roasts their own beans.

And that, my friends, is advice straight from Santa’s little foodie helper.

we heartsters – What type of gifts do you buy for the foodies on your list?

top photo: Jonathan McIntosh

Sherri is co-author of What Would You Do With This Room? My 10 Foolproof Commandments to Great Interior Design, and of course, a wht writer!
skin tone: NC 25
skin type: oily/sensitive
favorite beauty product: anti-aging anything

Author

  • sherrishera

    Sherri is a writer, dog lover, old movie fanatic, history detective, political junkie, fashion pundit and social media consumer advocate. “A fancy dinner and expensive champagne are better than writing a rent check any day of the week.” skin tone: NC 25 skin type: oily/sensitive favorite beauty product: anti-aging anything

3 Comments

  1. The spices are so amazing! I love the Spice Stations selections.. they seem never ending! I can’t wait to get my mitts on some of these!!

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