27 Great Gifts for Fun Food People: Kitchenware, Merch, and More
From “emotional support pierogi” fanny packs to Fluff prints, our food editor's recommendations for some excellent presents to give family and friends this holiday season.
Photo Illustration: Camille Dodero. / Background image via Getty, product shot via Dumpling Daughter
Whether you’re shopping for a local restaurant superfan, a fabulous dinner party host, or a Fluff connoisseur this holiday season, Boston-area restaurants, food brands, and artists have plenty of gift-worthy items to offer. Here are some of the items on our wish lists and shopping lists this season. (Note that prices were accurate at the time of publication but are subject to change. Items are listed from lowest to highest price within each section.)
Jump to:
- Local Restaurant and Food Brand Merch: wearable items, from hoodies to hats
- Cooking and Entertaining: kitchenware and such
- Local Food Art and Miscellany: prints, jewelry, and…pickle toothpaste?
Local Restaurant and Food Brand Merch
Show your pride in the local food scene with an “emotional support pierogi” fanny pack, a profanity-laced espresso martini shirt, and more.
Socks from the Koji Club. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Socks by the Koji Club
Is your giftee planning a trip to Japan? Celebrate Boston’s only dedicated sake bar with these branded socks. “You will be asked over and over (and over!) to take off your shoes when entering any house, brewery, tea room, or any other sacred space [in Japan],” notes Koji Club founder Alyssa Mikiko DiPasquale. Help them stay prepared—and with warm shins and feet all winter—with these extra-tall socks.
How to buy: From the Koji Club website, to be shipped or picked up at the bar (within the Charles River Speedway, 525 Western Ave. #6, Brighton, Boston)—$18.
Sally’s Apizza’s onesie. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Sally’s Ababy
Classic New Haven “apizza” has been blowing up in Greater Boston over the last few years, with the arrival of several Frank Pepe locations and now Sally’s, too. If you’ve got a Yale alum among your friends with a new baby/future apizza fan on the way, we recommend this delightful Sally’s Ababy onesie.
How to buy: From the Sally’s Apizza website, to be shipped—$20.
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Espresso Fucking Martinis Shirt by Offsuit
Boston loves espresso martinis. Celebrate the classic cocktail with this to-the-point t-shirt from Leather District cocktail bar Offsuit, which boldly declares “Espresso Fucking Martinis” in large print.
How to buy: From the Offsuit website, to be shipped or picked up at Troquet on South (107 South St., Downtown Boston)—$25.
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“Thank You for B-Boys” Tank by Jim’s Market
Once you ascend to Jim’s Market, way up in Medford’s Fulton Heights neighborhood, you may be feeling a little sweaty—next time, let your arms breathe with this tank top celebrating Jim’s legendary “b-boys” (breakfast sandwiches). It’s styled like a classic “thank you” grocery bag with red lettering on white.
How to buy: From New England-based BarTopTees, which collaborates with Jim’s and other local brands on custom merch, to be shipped—$26.99.
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Weiner Wednesday Shirt by Haley.Henry
Acclaimed wine bar Haley.Henry accompanies its pours with tasty snacks out of a tiny kitchen—tinned fish, charcuterie, and more. Show up on a Wednesday, and you’ll find a rotating hot dog special, too. Celebrate “Weiner Wednesday”—slogan: “fun between the bun”—with this vintage-looking ringer T.
How to buy: From the Haley.Henry website, to be shipped or picked up at the bar (45 Province St., Downtown Crossing, Boston)—$30.
Jaju’s pierogi fanny pack. / Photo by Vanessa White
“Contains Emotional Support Pierogi” Fanny Pack by Jaju Pierogi
Is there anything in Jaju’s merch store we don’t want? It’s all a little wacky, in the best way possible, but this fanny pack is going to be the must-have item for 2025. (Honorable mention to the pierogi-themed ugly sweater.) Stuff the pack with Jaju Pierogi in varieties such as loaded baked potato, kielbasa and red pepper, and jalapeño cheddar, and take on the world. (Or just, you know, use it for your non-pierogi essentials, like keys, wallet, and phone.)
How to buy: From the Jaju Pierogi website, to be shipped—$34.
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Pool Beanie by State Park
If you can often be found hanging out at State Park’s pool table after downing the bar’s fiery Nashville hot chicken and a High Life or two, show off your fandom with this warm beanie. Available in black or dark green.
How to buy: From the State Park website, to be shipped or picked up upstairs at sibling spot Mamaleh’s (1 Kendall Sq., Kendall Square, Cambridge)—$36.
A hoodie from Gracie’s Ice Cream. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
“Ice Cream Weather” Hoodie by Gracie’s Ice Cream
Somerville mainstay Gracie’s always has creative merch available, but one item from the Union Square treat shop has been a staple of our wardrobes for several years now: the “ice cream weather” zip-up hoodie. It’s fleecy and warm—but not too warm—so you can wear it in almost any weather and bring a smile to the faces of ice cream lovers who don’t believe ice cream has a season. Another item to consider: a tie-dyed t-shirt that declares, “Get an ice cream cone, you coward.”
How to buy: From the Gracie’s Ice Cream website, to be picked up (22 Union Sq., Union Square, Somerville)—$36.75. (Shipping can be worked out “if you ask super nicely.”)
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Pride Shirt by Bar Volpe
You know those shirts with the nouns and the ampersands? Best of Boston Italian restaurant Bar Volpe has one that features—naturally—some of the best bits of Italian drinking and dining: focaccia, Caesar, pasta, and spritz. Designed for Pride Month but great year-round, its text is in bright rainbow coloring.
How to buy: From the Bar Volpe website, to be shipped or picked up at the restaurant (170 W Broadway, South Boston)—$38.
Courtesy Project Paulie
Tomato Beanie by Project Paulie
Buy Project Paulie’s tomato-branded beanies, dad hats, and more, and a portion of proceeds support various nonprofits. We’re particularly fond of the striking bright orange beanie, which supports Haley House, a multifaceted organization that deals with hunger, urban agriculture, transitional employment, and more.
How to buy: From the Project Paulie website, to be shipped—$41. Or, browse Project Paulie’s North End shop at 42 Prince St., Boston.
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“Comfy” Hoodie by Comfort Kitchen
Would you rather be cozied up in Comfort Kitchen’s “comfy” booth, sipping on a sumac sour and eating jerk jackfruit sliders right now? Get the next best thing with the Best of Boston restaurant’s hoodie, embroidered with a cute, cursive “comfy” under the neckline, in a faded forest green or pinkish maroon. (Or go for the zip-up version, pictured above, which comes in green or black.)
How to buy: From the Comfort Kitchen website, to be shipped—$60.
Courtesy
Windbreaker by Dunkin’
For Dunkin’ superfans only: Sacrifice about three months of your morning iced coffee to purchase this very expensive windbreaker with bold blocks of orange, brown, and pink, a collab with Tokyo-based designer AMBUSH.
How to buy: From the Dunkin’ merch website, to be shipped—$350.
Cooking and Entertaining
Kitchenware and such for dinner parties galore.
The Hungry Ghost Bread Book by Jonathan Stevens
Northampton’s 20-year-old carb destination Hungry Ghost Bread now has a companion cookbook. One of the year’s most delicious book releases, this will fit in seamlessly on the bookshelf or coffee table of your baking-obsessed friend. Equal parts teaching tool and love letter to bread, particularly sourdough, it’s a practical—and poetic! (literally; it includes poems)—guide to becoming a better baker.
How to buy: From Bookshop.org, which supports local bookstores, or Amazon, to be shipped—list price $24.95 (actual price varies by store).
Courtesy
Collins Glass by Wusong Road
Greater Boston’s preeminent tiki bar Wusong Road sells a handful of limited-edition tiki mugs and glassware made with various artists. While the tiki mugs are fun, we love the simpler cocktail glasses as more of a multi-purpose addition to our home bar or for gift-gifting. This Collins glass, a collaboration with Roku gin, stars a friendly dragon drinking a cocktail of her own.
How to buy: From the Wusong Road online shop, to be shipped or picked up at the bar (112 Mt. Auburn St., Harvard Square, Cambridge)—$18.
Myrth’s swig cup. / Courtesy photo
Swig Cups by Myrth
The minimalist, elegant ceramics by Rhode Island-based Myrth can be found in award-winning Greater Boston restaurants including Field & Vine, Tonino, Dear Annie, and more—and the dining room of your loved ones when you gift them a piece or four. We love the swig cups, petite vessels for anything from tea to liquor, available in an almost Southwestern color palette of pale yellow, earthy brown, and such.
How to buy: From the Myrth website, to be shipped or picked up at the Myrth showroom by appointment (310 Bourne Ave., Suite 14-1, Rumford, East Providence, Rhode Island)—$38.
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Lobster Stockpot by Caskata
Massachusetts-born dinnerware-and-more designer Caskata ships its products worldwide these days, but the brand still feels local, especially when you peruse the coastally inspired products like this bold lobster-adorned stockpot. (Note that this steel vessel, a collab with Cuisinart, cannot be used on induction stovetops.)
How to buy: From the Caskata website, to be shipped—$69.95. (As a neat gift option, you can include a video message.)
Courtesy Tiny Arms
Wild Maine Blueberry Jam Mug by Tiny Arms Ceramics
We can’t wait for Lowell-based ceramicist Kate Cutlip to make more of her locally inspired mugs decorated with brands like Cape Cod Potato Chips and Autocrat Coffee Syrup, but in the meantime, you’ve got a chance to snag this darling nod to the berries of our northern neighbors.
How to buy: From the Tiny Arms website, to be shipped—$75.
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Live Edge Upcycled Wooden Bowls by Peterman’s Boards and Bowls
Spencer Peterman’s wooden bowls and cutting boards—featuring upcycled materials (read: fallen trees) from near his Western Massachusetts homebase—have probably caught your eye if you’ve ever browsed Boston Public Market. We find the live edge oval salad bowls particularly giftable, each one unique and lovely. Choose from cherry, driftwood, ambrosia maple, and more.
How to buy: From the Peterman’s website, to be shipped—from $84. Or, browse the gallery at 61 French King Hwy., Gill, or the Boston Public Market stand at 100 Hanover St., Downtown Boston.
Gingham Salt Cellar by Jill Rosenwald
Jill Rosenwald’s Fort Point studio creates bowls, platters, pitchers, and more in bright colors and bold patterns. While you can customize pieces from scratch, we’re also fans of the predesigned options, like the cheery gingham-patterned salt cellars in colors like tangerine and lilac. Bonus: The studio will write a name, date, or note on the bottom, if you’d like.
How to buy: From the Jill Rosenwald website, to be shipped—$60. Or, book an appointment to visit the studio at 369 Congress St., Fort Point, Boston.
Local Food Art and Miscellany
Quirky goods by local folks.
Spoke Wine Bar’s sunchoke doughnuts. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
Sunchoke Doughnut Sticker by Spoke Wine Bar
We hope Spoke’s iconic savory doughnut never leaves the menu, but just in case, might as well get it in sticker form. If you feel a little silly spending just $2 in the online shop, maybe add on a vermouth and amaro three-pack ($70).
How to buy: From the Spoke Wine Bar website, for pickup at the bar (89 Holland St., Davis Square, Somerville)—$2 (or $72).
“Support Your Local Mushroom Dealer” Bumper Sticker by the Mushroom Shop
Somerville’s Mushroom Shop—which sells all manner of (culinary) mushrooms, pantry staples, fungi-themed knick-knacks, and more—ships some fun merch. Our fave? This trippy bumper sticker by illustrator and mycologist Lindsay Blevins. It’s very budget-friendly, which leaves you plenty of cash with which to splurge on fancy fungi.
How to buy: From the Mushroom Shop website, to be shipped—$5.
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Creative Fluff Flavor Stickers and Prints
Local artist Eling Chang sells stickers, prints, felt creations, and more via her virtual shop, Migration Goods, and we love when she dreams up new flavors of Fluff. Some are currently available in sticker form, including everything bagel or dill pickle, while others come as prints, like the one we most wish were real: Flamin’ Hot Marshmallow Fluff. (Shown above in sticker form but currently available as a print.)
How to buy: From Migration Goods via Big Cartel (stickers, prints)—$5-$20.
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Pickle Toothpaste by Grillo’s Pickles and Boka
Once upon a time, Grillo’s Pickles was a small but mighty Boston brand. These days, it’s huge, owned by King’s Hawaiian—so, not quite so local. But as a throwback to its humble beginnings, we’re including this limited-edition Grillo’s-inspired cucumber dill toothpaste: a fun stocking stuffer, perhaps?
How to buy: From the Boka website, to be shipped—$13.
Dumpling Daughter’s dumpling plushie. / Courtesy photo
Dumpling Plushie by Dumpling Daughter
With bright red lips, fashionable red shoes, and a ponytail, this anthropomorphic stuffed dumpling—inspired by the logo of local restaurant group Dumpling Daughter—is a huggable friend for the young dumpling fan in your life, or a filler for that little nook in your kitchen that needs a cute tchotchke.
How to buy: From the Dumpling Daughter website or Amazon, to be shipped—$15.
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Cake Earrings by ScrumptiousDoodle
This Worcester-based artist makes hyper-realistic miniature foods, from cake slices to saucy chicken nuggets, available as earrings, rings, magnets, and more. If we had to pick just one favorite item…we couldn’t. But how about a category? The cake earrings—some studs, some dangles—really float our boat, from red velvet to ice cream cake.
How to buy: From the ScrumptiousDoodle website, to be shipped—$15-$26.
Courtesy Laurel Greenfield Art
Holy Cannoli Trinity Print by Laurel Greenfield Art
If it’s local food, Laurel Greenfield has probably painted it. From very Boston-specific prints to more subtly local options like a seafood tower, there’s something for everyone. Top of our list? A cannoli trio highlighting Mike’s, Modern, and Bova’s.
How to buy: From the Laurel Greenfield Art website, to be shipped—starting at $15. Or, browse her stall at Boston Public Market (100 Hanover St., Downtown Boston).
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Dunkin’ and Fluff Risograph Prints by Julia Emiliani
Boston-based illustrator and designer Julia Emiliani creates, among other things, vivid prints of local icons. This five-pack includes two bits of Dunkin’ art, two Fluff pieces, and an exploration of typography in the form of local street and store names.
How to buy: From Emiliani’s website, to be shipped—$65.
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