Gift Guide: 10 local food-and-drink-related gifts to give this season

Let’s face it. Shopping for food people is brutal. They've got strong takes on everything and probably scoff at Williams Sonoma.

This guide features the local gems, craft collabs and insider picks that show you actually get their vibe — not just their Amazon wish list. These gifts are about celebrating L.A.'s food scene, while solving your very real gifting headache.

Staria Cocktailing Liqueur ($23)

A retro-chic bottle that belongs on your bar cart — Staria’s cocktailing liqueur.

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Staria

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Attending a holiday gathering and need to find a cool and interesting gift? Staria Cocktailing Liqueur is perfect for its endless versatility and immediate, attention-grabbing appeal. When you walk into your holiday soiree, you'll turn heads with this new type of spirit dreamed up by Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Mathew of Greenbar Distillery, who have been quietly churning out distinctive craft liquor for 20 years in the L.A. Arts District before it was cool.

What is it exactly? It's a bright-tasting, tart liqueur with built-in foam, but its secret is that it can be made into pretty much anything. Mix with your favorite spirits or tonic to make margaritas, spritzes, cosmos, sours — even daiquiris. All you need is a base spirit, such as your favorite tequila or gin, and shake for 10 seconds — voilà, instant cocktail.

You’ll be the hit of the party, just don’t forget to tell them who sent you.

Available from Staria.

The Nancy by Snibbs ($125 to $150)

From the kitchen line to the sidewalk, Snibbs’ “The Nancy” clogs blend chef-level comfort with a utility-chic design.

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Snibbs

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Snibbs, the footwear brand founded by chef and the Lime Truck owner Daniel Shemtob, is aimed at chefs and cooks who are on their feet all day, with shoes that are both non-slip and cool. I was lucky enough to score a pair of black speckled clogs last year. They have become one of my favorite pairs of shoes to wear around the house — whether I'm working, cooking or simply chilling with the family.

For me, it's all about the cushioned support from the rubber-like EVA foam — the same stuff found in fancy running shoes. So comfy. The water-resistant vegan leather is a breeze to clean if they get dirty.

Last month, Snibbs unveiled its latest collaboration with renowned chef Nancy Silverton, simply named the Nancy. This is another cool-looking clog that Silverton helped design. It features a "utility chic" vibe that showcases her signature style, with a rubber toe cap, full-grain Napa leather and a studded heel strap.

Available from Snibbs.

The Little Red Hen Coffee Shop T-shirt and hoodie ($45 and $75)

The Little Red Hen merch hits that perfect nostalgic diner-meets-gas-station sweet spot, in support of the beloved Black-owned business that was lost in the Eaton Fire.

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The Little Red Hen Coffee Shop

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Support the rebuilding of one of Altadena's most beloved institutions, the Little Red Hen Coffee Shop, a Black-owned restaurant that was lost to the Eaton Fire in January.

What better way to show your local love and to support their rebuilding efforts than by purchasing one of their cool hoodies or T-shirts, created in collaboration with 76, the longtime SoCal gas station chain?

Available from The Little Red Hen Coffee Shop.

Oaktown spices ($37 to $76)

Oaktown Spice Shop brings its spice game from around the world to your kitchen.

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Oaktown Spice Shop

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Home cooks are always on the hunt for great spices to elevate their cooking — whether it's a simple plate of noodles, a tofu and veggie stir-fry, or a perfectly seasoned piece of meat. Oaktown Spice Shop offers an array of products to elevate cooks’ spice games.

Oaktown — founded by husband-and-wife team John Beaver and Erica Perez, who grew up in L.A. — started in the East Bay in 2011 and opened in Silver Lake this year.

My personal favorite include their smoked umami salt, which enhances just about everything, and their shawarma spice, with its balance of earthy flavors and mild heat that works beautifully with any protein or vegetable.

Can't choose from all the individual spices? Go with one of Oaktown’s thoughtfully curated gift sets. The Around the World box takes you on a culinary journey through Mexico, Morocco, India and China, featuring four globally inspired blends. The Essential Spice Box stocks any kitchen with eight fundamental spices — such as Vietnamese cinnamon, smoked Spanish paprika and Madras curry.

Available from Oaktown Spice Shop.

A cookbook from an L.A. author ($35 to $50)

Three cookbooks from L.A. voices — Lindsey Baruch, Roy Choi and Jeremy Fox — who bring flavor and personality to the page.

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Courtesy Lindsey Baruch, Roy Choi and Jeremy Fox

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For the cookbook lover on your list, L.A. authors have you covered.

In Something Delicious: 100 Recipes for Everyday Cooking, Lindsey Baruch (aka Lindsey Eats) shares unfussy, flavor-packed recipes that celebrate the region’s mix of Middle Eastern, European, Asian and Mexican influences — think "Kinda Niçoise" with farro or anchovy harissa mussels linguine. It's an ideal pick for a friend settling into their first apartment and eager to host.

Then there's The Choi of Cooking: Flavor-Packed, Rule-Breaking Recipes for a Delicious Life, where chef Roy Choi returns with a new batch of bold Korean-Mexican recipes and the colorful stories that shaped him.

On Meat from Jeremy Fox is the acclaimed Rustic Canyon chef's follow-up to On Vegetables. Fox brings his Michelin-level creativity to the butcher counter, with refined recipes for the ambitious home cook.

Got a baker in your life? Nicole Rucker’s Fat + Flour: The Art of a Simple Bake celebrates accessible, unfussy recipes from the acclaimed pastry chef and hometown hero. It features her white chocolate banana cream pie and stone fruit party pie, as well as five chocolate chip cookie variations.

All titles are available at Now Serving, a Chinatown bookstore dedicated to cookbooks.

Cheesy baby onesie and gift card from Danny Boy’s Famous Pizza ($26+)

Start ’em young. This “Cheesy!” raccoon onesie is perfect for the tiniest pizza lover in your life.

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Danny Boy’s Famous Pizza

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This is a personal one for me for a couple of reasons.

I profiled Chef Daniel Holzman’s Danny Boy’s Famous Pizza this year in my slow-dough story, where I learned about his five-day fermentation process, which results in some delicious pizza, among the best in Los Angeles. Also, my wife and I welcomed our second child a couple of months ago, and we relied heavily on the goodwill of friends and family who provided us with delicious food and gift cards.

So I'm suggesting a twofer for all the new parents out there. Danny Boy’s cheesy baby onesies feature a cute raccoon eating a slice of pizza; pair it with a gift card, because chances are, those sleep-deprived parents are too tired to cook and need some clean baby clothes. Trust me on this one.

Available from Danny Boy’s Famous Pizza.

Pandesal hat from San & Wolves ($30)

A soft cap that is a carb lover’s declaration of pride.

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San & Wolves Bake Shop

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I love it when the worlds of food and fashion collide, and I can't think of cooler headgear than this pandesal hat from San & Wolves, the vegan Filipino bakery in Long Beach. The simplicity of the old English letters, in a pale gold font against black fabric, give off the vibe of an underground hardcore punk band that only the cool kids know about. Instead, you’re repping one of the most common breakfast baked goods in Filipino cuisine. Your giftee’s friends are going to be so jealous.

Note: the hat can only be picked up in person. Even more reason to make a pastry run to Long Beach.

Available from San & Wolves.

Ikasu pint glass ($10)

For the craft beer nerds — Ikasu’s pint glasses feature a hop-creature design.

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Ikasu

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Ikasu Brewing is a Japanese-inspired craft beer business inside the Native Son taproom in downtown L.A., started by owner Masa Kitano. The name Ikasu, Japanese slang for something cool and in the moment, perfectly sums up one-of-a-kind beers that showcase Japanese ingredients.

If you have a craft beer fan in your life, grab a couple of 16-ounce pint glasses featuring the adorable Ikasu logo mascot, which combines a single hop flower with a cute kaiju-like character — like a lovely little addition to the Godzilla universe that can join you as you imbibe a delicious, independently crafted brew.

Available from Ikasu Brewing.

Tea time with obāchan ($120)

This gift set from MISE and JACCC pairs Kyoto-sourced hojicha with chocolate and ceramic ware for the coziest ritual.

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Courtesy MISE at JACCC

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Inspired by the warmth of sharing tea and snacks with grandma, the gift set from MISE, the cooking and kitchen retailer at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Little Tokyo, brings together the artistry of Kyoto and the craftsmanship of California. The set includes loose-leaf hojicha tea from Uji's historic tea house Morihan; a handcrafted ceramic tea strainer and cup from Koshun Kiln, a storied pottery studio also in Kyoto; and a Deux Cranes Hojicha Karintō dark milk chocolate bar, which reimagines the classic brown sugar snack with caramelized milk and roasted green tea notes.

Available from MISE at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center.

City Bean Coffee Roasters subscription ($37 and up)

For the coffee obsessive, City Bean’s subscription keeps the mornings local and freshly brewed.

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City Bean Coffee Roasters

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L.A. is a coffee city (though some disagree with me). So why not give the gift of some great local coffee to the devotee in your life?

As a regular coffee drinker who loves the ritual of brewing every morning, few things are more enjoyable than some freshly roasted beans. Local roaster City Bean's flexible subscription lets you choose among light, dark and mixed roast packages — with options for two, three or four 12-ounce bags delivered every other week or monthly. Whether your coffee drinker is chasing bright, fruity single-origins or deep, bold dark roasts, this is the gift that keeps on pouring.

The best part? It starts at just $37, with $5 shipping. Cancel anytime (though your giftee probably won't want to).

Available from City Bean Coffee Roasters.