Published on November 17, 2023
Once holiday shopping season rolls around, there’s one type of present that’s nearly foolproof: food. The best food gifts are outstanding for any occasion—from party host gifts to white elephant exchanges—and offer endless options to please even the most discerning palates (plus, can you ever really have enough cheese or chocolate?). Really, food gifts make the best presents for the person who has everything, because if they love what you got them, they will have consumed it and you can give it again next year.
However, not all gourmet baskets are created equal. To help you discover the best of the best, we sourced some America’s finest food purveyors that are shipping their culinary delicacies nationwide. From showstopping charcuterie boards to luxurious caviar sets to Spanish tapas from a Michelin-starred chef, here are some of our very favorite—and exceptionally delicious—epicurean offerings that are sure to impress anyone on your list.
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Crowd Cow Olive Wagyu Essentials Bundle
Gift your favorite carnivore the rarest steak in the world. Crowd Cow is the first importer of the extraordinary A5 Olive Wagyu from Shodoshima Island, Japan. With its exquisite flavor (thanks to olive-fed cattle) and incomparable marbling, this award-winning beef is nearly impossible to obtain—until now. It’s worth a splurge for these superior cuts: A5 New York striploin, A4 ribeye, and A5 filet mignon.
Buy Now: $569
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Bona Furtuna La Dolce Vita Set
Located in the Sicani Mountains of Sicily, La Furtuna Estate is home to more than 12,000 flourishing olive trees. Here, olives get hand-harvested, pressed, and bottled within 24 hours, resulting in some of the highest quality Sicilian olive oil on the market with unparalleled flavor. Bona Furtuna offers a pairing of its Grand Cru Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Tradizionale DOP Balsamic Vinegar that’s been aged for 25 years in one outstanding set.
Buy Now: $240
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Jasper Hill Farm The Entertainer
Owned and operated by brothers Andy and Mateo Kehler, Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, Vermont, boasts a 22,000-square-foot cellar built especially for aging all different types of fromage—like the award-winning varieties in this specialty collection. Generous hunks of their most celebrated cheeses, including its creamy washed-rind Oma and nutty Cabot cheddar, arrive alongside buttery crackers, artisan preserves and a French-style cured sausage (you can add on a ceramic brie baker, too).
Buy Now: $180
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Citarella Ora King Salmon
Known as the “Wagyu of salmon,” Ora King is a rich and fatty fish used by some of the world’s best chefs. New York’s Citarella delivers straight-from-the-source freshness from the pristine waters of New Zealand’s Marlborough Sound to your door. Succulent and buttery with a bright orange flesh, the super-premium salmon arrives in six-to-eight-ounce fillets ready to be poached, grilled, or diced into a tartare.
Buy Now: $76
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Tapas the José Andrés Way
More than just a style of eating, tapas are a way of life in Spain. Michelin-starred chef and humanitarian José Andrés invites you to enjoy an authentic experience at home with his curated selection of Spanish favorites: savory chicken croquettes, nutty Manchego cheese, a trio of premium cured meats (ibérico ham, salchichón ibérico de bellota, and chorizo ibérico de bellota) and more snack platter staples.
Buy Now: $199
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Blackberry Farm Taste of the Farm
Set against the Great Smoky Mountains, this luxurious Tennessee resort is an epicure’s wonderland. Blackberry Farm delivers a taste of their James Beard Award-winning culinary program in this best-selling gourmet box. The robust assortment includes several seasonal cheeses, specialty jams, buttermilk biscuits and more scratch-made delicacies, along with a Blackberry Farm cookbook and a branded hat.
Buy Now: $250
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Astrea Caviar Gift Box Set
Based in Southern California, Astrea produces its caviar in the Yunnan Province of China, waiting until its sturgeons reach at least 10 years of age before extracting the caviar, which adds to the size and flavor of the eggs. And then Astrea uses less salt in its curing process, so there’s less salinity to its caviar and the umami notes come through more. Treat the caviar lovers in your life to the ultimate indulgence: Astrea’s luxurious gift boxes featuring one to four tins of caviar (select your preferred species or a hybrid) nestled alongside a mother of pearl spoon and a gold key opener to complete the experience.
Buy Now: from $210
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Trade Coffee Subscription
Elevate their daily coffee ritual with a customized subscription. You simply select how much you want to send and Trade finds out the recipient’s flavor and brewing preferences, then curates a selection from the nation’s top roasters. Each bag is roasted to order and shipped fresh (ground or whole bean) to arrive when they want. This thoughtful gift lets coffee enthusiasts discover something new and indulge in a better cup o’ joe. As Cousin Eddie said in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, “Clark, that’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year.”
Buy Now: from $120
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Joe’s Stone Crab Claws For Celebration
Since first opening as a Miami Beach luncheonette in 1913, Joe’s has become world-renowned for its Florida stone crabs. Seafood fans can crack into a spectacular feast of crustacean claws—available in several sizes (medium to jumbo) and quantities (servings of two to 10)—complete with Joe’s signature mustard sauce, a mallet, cocktail forks and even bibs.
Buy Now: $205
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Holy Grail Steak Co. Upper Prime Black Angus Essentials Pack
Not all Prime is created equal. Ultra-rich and extremely tender, Holy Grail’s USDA “Upper” Prime Black Angus is some of the highest quality steak available in the country. Showcasing the superior grade of beef, this collection includes two ribeyes, two New York strips and two filets for the ultimate steak experience at home.
Buy Now: $339
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Joe’s Stone Crab Claws For Celebration
Sustainable seafood company Luke’s Lobster overnight ships their popular lobster roll kits straight from the source in Maine. Choose a four- or eight pack, each with tender knuckle and claw meat, split-top buns, and Luke’s secret seasoning for easy assembly at home. Additional bundles pair the rolls with New England clam chowder, dry-aged hot dogs, whoopie pies, or a wild Maine blueberry pie.
Buy Now: from $144
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Levain Bakery Cookie Subscription
There’s nothing quite like the gooey, decadent, freshly-baked cookies from Levain Bakery. New York City’s wildly popular bakeshop revolutionized the classic American treat and, lucky for all, makes their signature confections available nationwide with speedy shipping. For a sweet gift that keeps on giving, Levain offers a subscription cookie club that delivers an eight-pack box of assorted flavors every month—for three, six, or twelve months.
Buy Now: from $132
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Russ & Daughters Weekender Box
Dating back to 1914, New York institution Russ & Daughters sells some of the finest seafood in the city including their iconic smoked salmon. An ideal host gift or effortless brunch for holiday guests, this standout bundle includes all the classics: one pound of Gaspe Nova, a dozen bagels in your choice of flavors, and a selection of traditional salads and schmears (with decadent chocolate babka thrown in for good measure).
Buy Now: $234
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Vosges Grande Gift Tower
Inspired by founder Katrina Markoff’s travels, Vosges Haut-Chocolat will take your taste buds on an intoxicating journey around the world with its one-of-a-kind flavors (think toasted curry masala with coconut, and absinthe with star anise and fennel). This impressive tower of treats features handcrafted toffee, exotic truffles, and a selection of caramels to delight recipients with a sweet tooth—and an adventurous palate.
Buy Now: $100
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Island Creek Oysters The Block Party
Harvested daily and shipped overnight from Duxbury, Mass., Island Creek Oysters have been served at the country’s most prestigious tables—from Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry to state dinners at the White House. For a terrific gastronomic gift, look no further than 100 of these outstanding bivalves paired with 250g of Sterling Farms white sturgeon caviar.
Buy Now: $439
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Lewis Barbecue M-V-BBQ
Acclaimed pitmaster John Lewis is renowned for his Texas-style smoked meats, which get cooked for upwards of 18 hours at his namesake eatery in Charleston, South Carolina. Thanks to nationwide shipping, you can reap the benefits of Lewis’s hard work with this sensational sampler. Hearty portions of melt-in-your-mouth meats—beef brisket, pulled pork, spare ribs, and hot sausages—are bundled with three signature barbecue sauces: tangy, original red and hatch green chile.
Buy Now: $350
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Giadzy Double Chocolate Panettone
For Italians, it wouldn’t be the holidays without panettone. Leave it to celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis to find a knockout version (if she’s not whipping it up herself) to import directly from Italy—from a celebrated family bakery in the Veneto region dating back to 1882. Handmade with top-quality ingredients and time-honored techniques, this festive confection has an aromatic, spongy dough studded with milk and dark chocolate instead of the classic candied fruits. For panettone purists, Giadzy offers a traditional flavor, too.
Buy Now: $72