While there’s nothing wrong showing up to a holiday shindig with a bottle of fine wine, it’s not exactly an inspired gift. Real talk: It’s probably the fourth bottle your host received that night, which can overwhelm even the most ardent oenophile. This season, step up your party-goer game by showing your gratitude (while simultaneously scoring a repeat invite) with a tasteful gift that’s both utilitarian and sumptuous—something gourmet, perhaps? To help you channel your inner gastronome, we tapped 10 chefs from around the country for their recommendations.
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Read on for their $50 and under picks.
Mike Lata, Chef-Owner of The Ordinary and FIG, Charleston, SC
“[Chef] Roy [Shvartzapel]'s panettone. I’ve never received a finer food gift in my life.”
Jose Garces, Chef-Owner of Amada, Philadelphia, PA
“Turrón is a Spanish and Latin American holiday tradition. It's made with honey, sugar, egg whites, almonds, other nuts and is simple and sweet."
Bobby Flay, Chef-Owner of Gato, New York, NY
"You want to bring something edible that won't be a lot of trouble for your host to put out, so buy an olive wood cheese board with three American cheeses: Point Reyes blue cheese, Coach Farm goat cheese, and American triple cream cheese. Also, a jar of fig or quince jam. This is easy to put out for guests in less than five minutes, and they'll always have the wooden board as a memory!"
Michael Voltaggio, Chef-Owner of ink., Los Angeles, CA
"It's a gift that will give all year long. This particular wine subscription program gets to know the individual palates of its members and each box is unique to the subscriber. My mom loved it!"
Matt Jennings, Chef-Owner of Townsman, Boston, MA
"I love to bring chocolates from Middlebury Chocolates out of Vermont."
Jody Adams, Chef/Co-Founder of Saloniki, Boston, MA
"These lightly sweetened olive oil crackers, that come in several flavors, were a godsend when I discovered them several years ago. My favorites are the anise-flavored ones and I like to bundle them with a soft ripening cheese, fig jam, and some fresh figs."
André Natera, Executive Chef at Omni Barton Creek, Austin, TX
“Gourmet salts are a great gift and is something a lot of chefs carry around with them. I love Jacobsen Salt Co. Adding a smoky salt to an otherwise bland turkey is a great way to enhance a meal and is a gift that can continue to be used for someone who loves cooking.”
Harold Moore, Chef-Owner of Harold's Meat + Three, New York, NY
"I like to bring people chocolate. It's always appreciated and I find it's not something that people buy for themselves. I swing by Jacques Torres or Vosges and find something beautiful to gift a friend."
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