GIFT GUIDE 2021
20 Tempting Gifts for the Food and Drink Obsessed
Made for hardcore home chefs and aspiring TikTok influencers alike.
The products listed here were independently selected by a member of the editorial staff. Should you choose to purchase a product through a link on this page, we may receive an affiliate commission.
Ayako and Family, for those caught in a gifting jam.
Image: Courtesy Ayako and Family
When we think of Seattle, we think of coffee. And beer. And teriyaki. And all the people we know who spend their time chasing popups, filming mukbang, and perfecting their craft in the kitchen.
With any luck, you've got a foodie in your life who feeds you well and generally steers you in the right culinary direction. Now's your chance to return the favor.
Eat & Drink Editor's Pick
Growlerwerks uKeg Nitro Cold Brew Coffee Maker, REI Local
$199
Image: Growlerwerks
Cold and silky-smooth nitro cold brew isn't just the stuff of clandestine Starbucks runs anymore. This countertop machine brews the coffee, infuses it with nitrogen bubbles, keeps it chilled, and checks an elusive gift box: Totally useful, totally not something they'd buy for themselves.
Eat & Drink Editor's Pick
Getaway, Book Larder Local
$40
Image: Abrams Books
Star Seattle chef Renee Erickson's debut cookbook, A Boat, a Whale, and a Walrus, has graced gift guides and best-seller shelves since time immemorial (...2014). This year, she released a second inspired by her food-driven travels in far-flung places like Rome and Paris; it's an especially ideal gift for culinary tourists restrained by the pandemic and longing for a getaway of their own.
Two-Piece Glass Flute Set, Chambong Local
$30
Image: Chambong
Ah, the champagne of bongs. This Seattle-born, high-society take on the fraternity classic may look built for bachelorette parties—and don't get us wrong, it absolutely is—but it's appreciated for far more than chugging prosecco. Per Matt Storm of Fremont pizza-and-beer haven the Masonry (and newish brewery Fast Fashion), folks in the brewing industry have enjoyed a novel chambong or two since its invention in 2015, making it the perfect half-kidding gift for partiers of every ilk.
Madrona Smoked Salt, San Juan Island Sea Salt Local
$16
Image: San Juan Island Sea Salt
Add a little unexpected Pacific Northwest flavor to any dish with this salt from Puget Sound seawater that's smoked over fallen Madrona branches collected on San Juan Island. Also available in the best-sellers set ($55), a two-pack with San Juan's original sea salt ($30), and a collection of seasonings designed for the grill ($55).
Eat & Drink Editor's Pick
Instant Vortex Pro 9-in-1 Air Fryer Oven, Sur la Table Local
$160
Image: Sur la Table
Some foodies love to cook—they relish the zen of prep work, the hours spent dredging and spicing until everything is just so. Others just want to eat damn good food. For the latter camp, the trendy air fryer's quick, crispy meals are a revelation. This one happens to look fantastic, too.
Leather Cast-Iron Skillet Handle Cover, Hardmill Local
$20
Image: Hardmill
Cast-iron enthusiasts are more protective than some perfectly caring parents. Kevlar-threaded leather handle covers from Seattle-based Hardmill will keep their babies looking sharp, protect their hands from heat, and stand the test of time as well as their best-loved skillet. (You can grab it in the longer size ($25) too if your giftee—like any parent—would balk at picking a favorite.)
Cascadia Creamery Sleeping Beauty Cheese, DeLaurenti Local
$35 per pound
Image: DeLaurenti
Show up to your holiday party with a wedge of great cheese to guarantee an invitation next year. This one from Trout Lake–based Cascadia Creamery comes with a built-in conversation starter: It was aged in air from lava-tube caves.
Rovr Icer Keepr Combo, Evo Local
$150
Image: Evo
Why should embarking on a boat day or a nature hike or a picnic date mean foregoing expertly mixed cocktails? Rovr's pail cooler organizes booze, mixers, and all the accoutrements around up to three pounds of ice—some adventurers, after all, are more spirited than others.
The Litterless Lunch Gift Set, Knack Local
$87
Image: Knack
Nothing stifles groans about returning to the office quite like a carefully assembled grain bowl or leftovers from a delicious home-cooked meal. The local gifting experts at Knack paired a tumbler from Wallingford-based Miir with Porter's beloved plastic bowl and a packable silverware set for a lunch that actually feels like a break.
Make Umami Teriyaki Sauce, Amazon Local
$9
Image: Make Umami
Seattleites take great pride in saying we knew Shota Nakajima before the Top Chef Portland fan favorite turned his television stint into a small empire built on social media prowess, some intensely popular popups, and, now, a teriyaki sauce available via Amazon and at local Uwajimaya locations. We're grateful for another opportunity to put our money where our mouth is.
Click and Grow Smart Garden 3 Self Watering Indoor Garden, Nordstrom Local
$100
Image: Nordstrom
Garden-to-table cooking's easier said than done when the garden's nonexistent and the dining table plays triple duty as a desk and catch-all. Such is the life of an apartment dweller. But there's no need to be resigned to it. This micro-plot fits into an eight-by-18-inch stretch of counter space (no sunlight required) and self-waters three plants or herbs. Basil's included, but reviewers report success with cilantro and thyme, too.
Garlic Chili Crisp, KariKari Local
$15
Image: KariKari
The Capitol Hill–based husband-and-wife duo behind KariKari represent both sides of the foodie coin: "expert-level food maker and expert-level food taster ;)" (winky face theirs). Together they've crafted a hot, crunchy, garlicky chili oil that enhances any meal, with a label that spices up any countertop.
Hot Sauce Earrings, Anna Learns Things Local
$40
Image: Anna Learns Things
No other condiment inspires the cultish dedication of hot sauce, and rightfully so: Food's good. Spicy food's better. Acknowledge your giftee's heated devotion with cheeky earrings from Seattle-based Anna Learns Things. Consider rounding out the present with a local take on the condiment, like a four-pack from Ballard-based Bonache ($27) or local Good Food Awards finalist Häxan tomatillo poblano ($7).
Vince Farmhouse Ale, Fair Isle Brewing Local
$21
Image: Fair Isle Brewing
For when gifting beer feels just right, but gifting a frosty six-pack just doesn't. Fair Isle Brewing, Washington Beer Awards' small brewery of the year, elevates brews to wine-levels of fanciness. The Ballard hotspot's farmhouse ale, Vince, won gold for wood-and-barrel aged beers; check out this list for Fair Isle's other accolades.
Rocket Espresso Appartamento, Seattle Coffee GearLocal
$1750
Image: Seattle Coffee Gear
No, it's not called "appartamento" because it's right on par with Seattle's median monthly rent. Small enough for urban living but capable of pulling a shot that compares with those from much clunkier (and pricier) machines, this is the red-bow-topped steel showstopper your espresso-obsessed loved one really wants to wake up to.
Only Flans Unisex Hoodie, Eric Rivera Cooks Local
$65
Image: Eric Rivera Cooks
Eric Rivera is closing his Ballard restaurant, Addo, and taking his ever-changing show of themed nights and Puerto Rican flavors on the road. Show your appreciation for his time in Seattle—and his full-throated support of restaurant workers, vaccine mandates, and giving a shit—with one of his best pieces of merch to date. We'd definitely subscribe to his OnlyFlans.
Eat & Drink Editor's Pick
Harissa, Villa Jerada Local
$9
Image: Villa Jerada
Chefs from the London Plane to Mamnoon swear by everything in Seattleite Mehdi Boujrada's Levantinian and Moorish pantry. Villa Jerada's harissa, beloved (and award-winning) for its complexity, is a must-have for recipes like Boujrada's family shakshuka and adds brightness to grilled fish. Buy it alone, or in gift sets inspired by Morocco ($66) and built for making shakshuka ($30).
Rolling Crystal Whiskey Glasses, Viski Local
$20 for two
Image: Viski
These glasses from Seattle-based Viski are giftable on their novelty and looks alone, but they're more than just a pretty face: The movement provided by their curving base helps bring out tasting notes by aerating spirits (whiskey anoraks go nuts for that sort of thing). Pair a set of glasses with a local liquor, like Westland's commemorative single-malt Kraken bottle ($75) or Bainbridge Organic Distillers' World Whiskies Awards–recognized Battle Point Organic Whiskey ($55).
Gift Card, Grayseas Pies Local
$50
Image: Grayseas Pies
Our latest popup obsession slings sweet and savory pies at Seattle's coolest restaurants, from Moto in West Seattle to Hood Famous Bakeshop in the C–ID. But don't take our word for it. Chef-owner Gracie Santos posts plenty of customer feedback on Grayseas Pies' Instagram story. "It was like a chicken pot pie with an actual personality," one writes. From another: "You knocked it out of the park again."
Eat & Drink Editor's Pick
The Jam Tee, Ayako and Family Local
$30
Image: Ayako and Family
In a region known for foodies and foraging, fruit preservation is something of a competitive sport—and Ayako and Family consistently comes out on top. Find a variety on their site: pink lady plum ($16), apricot ($16), Suyematsu Organic Farm raspberry ($20). This shirt, in particular, is our jam.
