Top Gifts for the Chicago Foodie
The countdown to Christmas is ON - Have you finished your shopping? If you haven’t, don’t worry! You’re not alone, and there’s still plenty of local gift options for you to grab before December 25. Shopping local is more important than ever this year, with many local businesses struggling to survive in a difficult holiday season. They need our help, and they have plenty of amazing gift packages to give you an extra incentive to show them support. All our amazing Chicago restaurants and small businesses have plenty to offer for your favorite foodie friends and family…
2020/2021 Dine-It-4ward Culinary Guide: Treat yourself or the food-lovers in your life to our Culinary Guide and you’ll make a real difference in the restaurant community by supporting local small businesses. The Guide includes buy-one-get-one carryout and dine-in offers at 75+ restaurants including Arami, Daisies, Big Star, City Winery, Le Colonial, Firecakes, Gino’s East, Stan’s Donuts and more! Order by 12/16 to make sure yours arrives in time for Christmas!
Cocktails To-Go from Estereo {2450 North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago; 773.360.8363}: Any day can be a celebration with the right cocktails! Pick-up cocktails to-go from Logan Square’s Estereo to upgrade your next Zoom holiday party or holiday movie binge. You can order and pick-up rotating bottled cocktails, hand-picked flights, bottles, and cocktail mixes weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Starbucks Reserve Roastery Virtual Reserve Roastery Tour: Make any wintery day at home feel extra special with a Virtual Reserve Roastery Tour and coffee tasting. You can even complete the experience by pre-ordering freshly baked goods from their Princi Bakery and picking up a bag of Reserve Christmas 2020 coffee to help you further enjoy the tour and tasting experience from the cozy comforts of your home.
Holiday Teas from Vanille Patisserie {2108 North Clark Street, Chicago; 773-868-4574}: You can keep it simple and order a Holiday Tea Sampler with a variety of 2-3 cup servings of the bakery’s favorite teas, or have a truly fancy afternoon with Vanille’s full Holiday Tea to Go experience. That includes a wide range of savory treats like Caprese Crostini and Petit Croissant with ham, Gruyere cheese and shallot aioli as well as desserts including Mascarpone Cheesecake, Mini Chocolate Tart and more. Either will make for a truly cozy afternoon at home!
Date Night from Stay at Home Steakhouse: If you’re looking for more of an experiential gift or want to plan a special date night at-home, you can order from Stay In Steakhouse. They promise the full steakhouse experience, delivered right to your home…and they seriously deliver. Their meals arrive packaged so that each bite arrives perfectly prepared, cooked to order, and full of flavor. Plus, you don’t have to do the cooking!
Uvae Kitchen and Wine Bar {5553 North Clark Street, Chicago; 773.654.1432}: If you need a break from cooking, you can order an Appetizer Platter from Uvae and relax for an evening. Choose from a variety of platters that serve four to six people like Cheese and Charcuterie, Duck Pâté, or a Burrata and Marinated Tomato platter for $35 each. There’s also a deluxe version for $70 featuring all three platter options! Order up!
West Town Bakery Holiday Gift Sets: West Town Bakery Executive Pastry Chef Chris Teixeira and team have created a variety of dofferent holiday gift sets including a Coffee Gift Basket as well as Gingerbread House and Holiday Cookie-Decorating Kits. They’ll make any holiday movie night or at-home celebration extra delicious!
Foxtrot Gift Baskets: Shop local without even leaving your house! Foxtrot makes it easy to shop a whole host of local businesses with just a couple clicks. You can get everything from their “Old Fashioned: Two Ways” kit to a “Treasure Chest of Sweets” gift box, making their site ideal for people who won’t be able to be with their loved ones this holiday season but still want to spread some much-needed cheer.
The Kimpton Gray Hotel “Gray @ Home” Gift Baskets {122 West Monroe Street, Chicago; 312.750.9012}: The “Gray @ Home” gift baskets bring luxurious comforts from the hotel into your home… plus you get a discount for a future stay! Aside from taking 25% off a future visit, the pack includes two Frette Herringbone Shaw Collar Robes, two bottled holiday-themed Concierge Cocktails, and three Atelier Bloom Bath Salts. You can email sales@grayhotelchicago.com to purchase, and the hotel will ship the box for you!
Korean BBQ & Belly Fire from urbanbelly {1542 North Damen Avenue., Chicago; 773.904.8606}: Give a cookbook and support a local chef at the same time! Korean BBQ: Master Your Grill in Seven Sauces, urbanbelly chef Bill Kim’s debut cookbook, is perfect for any at-home cook looking to get out of their comfort zone. Plus, if you buy it at urbanbelly, you can also pick up a bottle of Kim’s signature Belly Fire sauce for another spicy gift at the same time.
For more ways to use our 2020/2021 Culinary Guide during the holidays, you can check out our tips for “Doing the Holidays Right with the Dine-It-4ward Culinary Guide”!
By Kaleigh Glaza | Market Editor