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Sep 15, 2023

18 Of Our Favorite Gifts For LA Food Lovers

What a year, right? And now that the holidays are upon us, it’s time to start

What a year, right? And now that the holidays are upon us, it's time to start thinking about gifts.

We get it! Shopping for gifts can be an overwhelming experience, whether for a friend, family member, or even a host gift when you don't want to show up empty-handed to your local holiday soiree.

So, we’ve put together another fantastic gift guide with some of the best local food-centric gift ideas out there.

From apple brandy wine to oyster knives, you are bound to find something special for that person you know who lives, breathes, drinks, and eats food.

Give the gift of two or four bottles of wine a month from Pasadena-based Good Luck. Being the only functioning winery (Vin de California) in Pasadena means they know how to pick a good wine. The membership also gives you a discount of 10% online and in-store and comes with many other cool perks. LAist reader Cassie Scalettar also gave Good Luck a shoutout, noting that you can pick up a plant to go with your gift.

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Give the gift of 1-year-old aged apple brandy brought to you by Benny Boy Brewing, located in Lincoln Heights. The style of the brandy originates from Normandy, France, but is made with pippin holiday apples grown right here in California. It's an excellent gift for some looking to imbibe a lovely cup of jolly and toast yourself in honor of hyper regionalism.

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Running out of coffee is the worst, so why not give the gift that will always put a smile on the face of your loved one when they take the first sip every morning? We’ve been fans of Trinity's roasts for a long time, which sources its beans from Latin America, Africa, and Asia — meaning there's always something new to try. We love owner Paul Bobadilla's curated aesthetic of Chicano lowrider energy mixed with the L.A. Harbor he calls home. It's distinctly Los Angeles for anyone who loves their coffee.

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Three Gems Tea, a female Asian-owned tea company, offers this perfect starting set with their trio of oolong varietals — Golden Osmanthus, Bug Bitten White Tip, and Smoked Cassia Rock — for people in your life who are looking to up their tea game. The cool-looking box is perfect for to a party and slipping under a tree without them ever knowing.

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The East Coast meets West Coast Chinese American restaurant has captured the hearts of the Fairfax-adjacent population, making it a go-to for New York-style eggrolls and honey walnut shrimp. That being said, can you get more L.A. than a Genghis Cohen cap in Dodger blue? This hypebeast-approved that pays homage to the boys in blue is almost a no-brainer for any fly-looking Angeleno. It also comes in purple and gold for you Lakers fans, and we are also really digging their black long-sleeve tees, perfect for those chilly SoCal nights.

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Speaking of keeping it warm, for the one in your life whose love of a particular SoCal burger chain knows no bounds, perhaps get them the swag-iest pants to prove it. Stay cozy in these fit-looking sweatpants in black, or try them in tie-dye green for the extra stylistic adventurous. Don't forget to check out the footwear section there if you really want to go the extra mile in the name of Double Double.

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If you want to represent L.A. in one of the most #iykyk ways possible, look no further than the Dodgers-style t-shirt from Langer's — known for its famous #19 hot pastrami on rye. You will be repping the home team and paying homage to one of Los Angeles's best sandwiches that can be found at the MacArthur Park institution.

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Who says getting socks for a gift is lame? Especially when they are from the iconic LA-based Japanese egg salad sandwich makers. These green toes and heels joints would look stellar on anyone who loves to flaunt their love of the deliciously fluffy egg salad between two pieces of bread that has captured the hearts of many. Bonus: Konbi donates all the profits to the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, AL, which is in the hometown of one of its founders.

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"This is not your grocery store sambal!" is that tagline for those looking for a little bit more of a flavor punch when it comes to the famous chili garlic sauce. The Indonesian staple would make the perfect gift for any Southern California tablescape. Featuring a medium spice level with a bit of funk mixed from belcan, a.k.a. prawn sauce, so you know they mean business, so business must be good! Suggested by an LAist reader.

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For the spiced-obsessed, Fly By Jing offers a trio of Szechuan sauces for those who want extra heat to their meals. From their all-natural Sichuan chili crisp, Zhong Sauce, and Mala spice mix, it's a perfect gift for those looking to experiment more with flavors but can do so one drizzle or sprinkle at a time.

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Probably just as good as fairy dust, but for pizza! Let's be honest, which is going to come in more handy? Grab a container from Lupa Cotta, the nomadic pizza business known for the stellar catered pizza dinners on IG. The spice promises to go the extra mile on not just pizza but also steak, eggs, and anything else you want!

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If someone in your life is looking to dive deeper into the wondrous world of masala spice, this is the perfect gift brought to us by some of our favorite female-owned spice purveyors, who source 30 single-origin spices from 150 farms across India and Sri Lanka. Switch between gram masala, biryani, and tandoori to widen your flavor palette for this particular trio.

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Do you have any serious heat seekers in your life? How does a subscription service of quality freshly made salsas, hot sauce, and tortilla chips sound? It's the perfect gift for someone always looking for some extra flavor in life. We love that El Machete is locally made and always fresh. A mainstay at the Hollywood and Mar Vista farmers markets, it's a great bountiful gift combination with pretty much everything you could want.

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A good oyster knife is like a magic key that unlocks a world of beautiful bivalves, so why not get one with a logo from one of L.A.'s most reputable seafood houses? Whether chilling at home or kicking it on the shore, this handy tool will ensure you are always prepared to shuck with the best. There are no excuses when it comes to you and your oyster. We are also pretty smitten with their T&C Surf-inspired OG Malibu tee, which makes sense coming from the mind of the founder of Broad Street Oyster Co. Christopher Tompkins, who resembles a surfer version of a young Santa who clearly understood the assignment. That said, if you find yourself picking up gifts in person at either the downtown or Malibu location, stop in for a lobster roll while you are there.

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There's something to be said about a good novelty mug that will make you smile early in the morning as you take that first sip of freshly brewed coffee. Created by the fine folks at Cofax, it is a great reminder that coffee is best consumed along with a burrito. No surprise, given how seriously they take their breakfast burritos which are considered some of the best in all of Los Angeles.

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Nothing says more that you care about a friend or a loved one than a box full of seasonal produce grown outside Santa Barbara. This mix features different boxes of exotic fruits such as passionfruit, satsuma mandarins, Bearss limes, pineapple guavas, finger limes, lemons, and dragonfruit (based on availability). Rincon promises their fruit will be picked at peak freshness, so that might mean you get one more than others listed above, but it's guaranteed to be great no matter what.

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With some of us having to return to the office these days, who among us isn't in need of a reusable insulated lunch bag from the Chinese Peruvian eastside hot spot Chifa? It's the perfect reminder to bring those leftovers for lunch the next day when heading into the office or the field. Whether your New Years' resolution is to spend money on lunch or not, you can still bring your time to do it in style.

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Have you got a cereal fanatic who loves a bit of holiday decor? Or maybe who wants to capture a bit of whimsy pop-art inspired decor to their tree decoration. This is the perfect gift for someone who loves a little bit of cheeky pizzazz.

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