WHAT
Unique and authentic holiday gift ideas.
WHY
Because sometimes a tie is just too boring.
HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS
December 4, 2009
It's not easy finding unique and authentic holiday gifts, not to mention right after Thanksgiving everyone's getting bombarded with holiday specials. Here's a list of things we would love to receive ourselves.
TEA & GIFTS FROM TAKASHIMAYA
Everything in the tea box section of Takashimaya is pure understated elegance. You can't go wrong selecting any gift, but we really like the authenticity of this green tea set.
693 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10022 (map this)
T: 212.350.0100
VINTAGE FOOD AND WINE BOOKS
Joanne Hendricks Cookbooks is a little treasure of a store in West Soho. Everyone's selling the latest cook books, but a vintage food or wine book shows you really care. She has fascinating drink related books, cook book classics, and even some artwork.
488 Greenwich Street
New York NY 10013 (map this)
T: 212.226.5731
SMOKED FISH FROM RUSS AND DAUGHTERS
Russ and Daughters has been on the Lower Side since 1914 when Joel Russ opened his first store on Orchard Street. They know their smoked fish and it won't disappoint as a gift.
179 East Houston Street
New York, NY 10002 (map this)
T: 212.475.4880
PEGGY MARKEL’S CULINARY ADVENTURES
Definitely a high end gift, but this food guide can take you on culinary adventures in Tuscany, Sicily, Elba, Amalfi, Morocco, or India. Peggy Markel’s been conducting Slow Travel tours since 1992.
TOHRU YAMAI TRAVEL CHOPSTICKS
Carry your own chopsticks. Sanitary, stylish and portable. Stainless-steel and brass stems that unscrew for storage in an included pouch. Nice modern design, made from recycled white ash wood from baseball bats.
Available at the MoMA Design Store.
DECANT WINE IN SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT
Want to give a wine lover something just a little different to decant their wines. Try a 2000ml Erlenmeyer flask for red wines and a 1000ml Volumetric flask for white wines.
PERFECTLY AGED WINE
Chambers Street Wines sells cellared wines so you can give a perfectly aged wine as a gift. An Austrian riesling (Knoll 1984 Riesling Schutt), a Bordeaux (Ducru Beaucaillou 1989), a Burgundy (Arnoux 1995 Echezeaux Grand Cru), a Barolo (Cappellano 1970 Barolo), a Sauternes (Rayne Vigneau 1988 Sauternes), or a Champagne geeks dream (Jacques Selosse).
148 Chambers Street
New York, NY 10007 (map this)
T: 212-227-1434
This cool little store in the Lower East Side sells Mastiha based products. Mastiha is the natural and rare tree resin of the pistacia lentiscus var Chia tree. The store sells a range of food products from baked goods to chewing gum to jam and marmalades as well as bath and body products.
145 Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002 (map this)
T: 212.253.0895
MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY KIT
Give the budding molecular gastronomist a starter kit to get them on their way.
Available online at ThinkGeek.com.
