Whether you’re shopping for stocking stuffers or something to bring to a generous host who’s invited you over, we’ve got you covered with local food and drink gifts that will bring good tidings and cheer to all.
Three Hexagons’ Ceramic Goods
Literally works of art, the handcrafted wood cutting boards, spoons and salad bowls from Three Hexagons will become treasured family heirlooms. Credit: Scene ArchivesSpices from Adun Spice Company
Buy some spices from the Cleveland-based spice company Adun Spice. They offer citrus garlic, smoked sea salt, herbes de Provence, ras el hanout and much more. Credit: Scene ArchivesSmall and independent businesses. CLE has an outsized number of small businesses in the form of restaurants, bars, delis, butchers, bakeries, fun little stores, ethnic groceries, and on and on. While a lot of other cities are awash in gentrification or chains, CLE keeps it real and authentic.
Via Muppet_Fitzgerald/Reddit Credit: Scene ArchivesChutni Punch Spice Blends
Chutni Punch is a local spice brand that specialized in Indian spices like spicy peanut, super sesame and savory chana. Credit: Chutni PunchCleveland Bagel Co’s’ Everything Mix
The next best thing to a bag of hot, malty and fresh mish-mosh bagels from Cleveland Bagel is a jar of their Everything Mix. It also is less perishable and easier to gift. Credit: Scene ArchivesHome Brewery Supplies from Cleveland Brew Shop
If you’re looking for a gift for that beer lover in your family, Cleveland brew Shop is the perfect place to get all of your home brewing needs. They individually sell all items needed for home brewing and also have a beginner home brewer bundle that includes a steel kettle, a recipe kit, auto-siphon tubing, a liquid crystal thermometer, a fermenter and much more. Credit: Scene ArchivesCleveland Eats: A Restaurant Bucket List
This book provides a list of the best restaurants Cleveland has to offer over a multitude of different cuisines. There’s also an introduction for each cuisine section that discusses the history of that specific food in the city, great info for all the foodies in town. Credit: Scene ArchivesCleveland Glogg
The three sisters that own StoneWater Golf Club sell this drink that has history dating 500 years. Glogg is a Swedish mulled wine made with cinnamon, raisins, sugar, cloves, orange peel and more that is perfect to drink for the holidays. Credit: Cleveland GloggDavis Bakery Pastries
Full of sweetness, a pastry tray from Davis Bakery, which is nearing 85 years in business, is loaded with deli delicacies like rugelach, coconut bars and cream cheese pastries. Credit: Scene ArchivesDean’s Supply Gift Certificate
Give a gift certificate to Dean’s Supply, Cleveland’s leading restaurant supply warehouse, and the recipient can shop for everything from meat thermometers to high-end knives. Credit: Scene ArchivesGeneva
If there’s anywhere in Ohio that could be considered wine country, it’s definitely Geneva on the Lake. The wineries may not be open, but it’s still a beautiful area.
Photo via Scene Archives Credit: Scene ArchivesGatherings Kitchen at Gingham Market Weekly Supper Club
Snag a gift certificate for a Weekly Supper Club at Gatherings Kitchen, which is part restaurant, part cooking class and 100-percent fun and now has their own market. Credit: Scene ArchivesHeritage Fare Garlic Hot Sauce
Once you taste Heritage Fare Garlic Hot Sauce from this Cleveland-based company, you’ll wonder how you managed without. So will your host. Credit: Scene ArchivesHillson Nuts
A deluxe tin of mixed nuts like cashews, pecans, almonds, hazelnuts and Brazils from Hillson Nuts, an 87-year-old Cleveland company, is a holiday tradition. Credit: Scene ArchivesKelsey Elizabeth Macarons
Be adored by arriving with a box of pastel-colored French macarons from Kelsey Elizabeth Cakes, now in Chagrin Falls in addition to their west side shops. Credit: Scene ArchivesA copy of “Lost Restaurants of Downtown Cleveland”
Author Bette Lou Higgins combines a historian’s knack for research with a sociologist’s eye for human behavior to create a captivating portrayal of early Cleveland life. She doesn’t merely describe the food and setting, but rather digs deep into the colorful owners, hosts and maître d’hôtels who drew customers in. Those explorations are joined by a wider look at life as it existed outside the front door. Credit: Scene ArchivesMarchant Manor Cheese
Be a hero by arriving with an epic cheese board from Marchant Manor, a keepsake wood board piled high with artisan cheeses, dried and fresh fruit, roasted nuts, olives, cornichons and charcuterie. Credit: Scene ArchivesMitchell’s Fine Chocolates
It’s tough to top a holiday assortment of caramels, creams, nougats, toffees, fruits and nuts from Mitchell’s Fine Chocolates, a Cleveland Heights treasure since 1939. Credit: Scene ArchivesOld Brooklyn Cheese Co. Cleveland Caviar
Step up the host’s charcuterie game with some “Cleveland caviar” from Old Brooklyn Cheese Co., lively mustard made with pickled, beer-infused whole mustard seeds. Credit: Scene ArchivesBloody Mary Mix from Pope’s Kitchen
Pope’s Bloody Mary Mix is some of the best in the country and we’re not just saying that because its made locally. In addition to their Bloody Mary Mix they sell hot sauces, bbq sauce, spice rub, cocktail sauce and more. Credit: Scene ArchivesPannetone from On The Rise
Panettone, the celebratory Italian sweet bread enjoyed throughout the holidays, is nearly impossible to master. Instead, grab one from On the Rise in Cleveland Heights. Credit: Scene ArchivesOlive Scene Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil
You won’t find fresher, more flavorful single-varietal olive oils than those sold at the Olive Scene. Also a great source for vinegars. Credit: Scene ArchivesHorrible Adorable x Porco Tiki Lounge Drinkware
Two beloved Cleveland companies, Porco Lounge and Tiki Room and Horrible Adorable have teamed up to collaborate with their release of specialized drinkware, featuring Porco’s logo and Horrible Adorables cute animal designs. Credit: Porco Tiki LoungeMaple Syrup from Richards Maple Products
Some of the best maple syrup in the world hails from Geauga County, and some of the best maple syrup in Geauga County comes from trees managed by Richards Maple Products. Credit: Scene ArchivesSilver Crest Cellars’ Dornfelder Wine
From Silver Crest Cellars’ in the Grand River Valley in Madison, Ohio, you can purchase some delicious wine. One of our favorites is the Dornfelder, which is a dark red variety from Germany that is genetically related to Pinot Noir, Blaufränkisch, and Chardonnay. It produces a deep, rich, dry, spicy, fruit-forward red wine with ripe tannins. Credit: Silver Crest CellarsTom’s Foolery Applejack
A bottle of Tom’s Foolery Applejack, which is brewed, bottled and aged right here in Northeast Ohio, also happens to be a paragon of the class. Credit: Scene ArchivesTea from Tea Lab
For the tea lover, grab a gift certificate to the Tea Lab, Cleveland’s premier source for high-quality teas and tea-brewing accessories. Credit: Scene ArchivesChili’s Fire Pit Gift Certificate
It’s hot sauce paradise at Chili’s Fire Pit in Mentor. Owner Don Pesta opened the shop more than 20 years ago and carries approximately 900 different hot sauces, including his own line of award-wining creations. The shop also stocks salsas, marinades and spice blends. Credit: Scene archivesNaKyrsie Meat Bundle
NaKyrsie Meats in Geneva does butchering the old fashion way, bringing in locally raised poultry, pork and beef and cutting it into high-quality consumer products. The ever-popular Hearty Man’s Bundle includes ground beef, bacon, sausage, pork chops, whole chicken, pork steak and short ribs. Credit: Courtesy PhotoLinda’s Bee Farm Honey from City Goods
Linda’s Bee Farm is a family-owned apiary in Trumbull County, but you can buy this exceptional honey at City Goods in Ohio City. The Wildflower Raw Honey goes straight from comb to jar, preserving all those enzymes, nutrients, and antioxidants. Credit: Courtesy PhotoSimply Symon Suppers: Recipes and Menus for Every Week of the Year: A Cookbook
Michael Symon’s latest cookbook (co-authored by Scene dining editor Doug Trattner) features more than 150 new recipes for every week of the year. New to this book is a format that groups recipes into complete meals and holiday feasts. Credit: Clarkson PotterThe Corner at Van Aken District Gift (or e-) Card
Located within the Market Hall at Van Aken District in Shaker Heights, the Corner is a gift-givers dream. The shop curates dozens of small-business entrepreneurs, with a healthy percentage being food-driven. Credit: Scene archivesHoliday Coffee Blend from Phoenix
Roasted in small batches in Cleveland, Phoenix coffee is a homegrown classic. This year’s holiday blend comes courtesy of Familia Boza in El Salvador – an Ethiopian selection from Chelbesa. The flavor profile is nuanced, approachable and savory. Credit: Courtesy PhotoWine Club from CLE Urban Winery
This savvy urban winery in Cleveland Heights offers a Community Wine Club, a monthly subscription club where your gift recipient receives two bottles of wine, snacks and wine pairing information each month. Credit: Courtesy PhotoTinned Fish Assortment from Astoria
Not only does this Mediterranean cafe and market in Detroit Shoreway have an incredible selection of tinned seafood, but it also has a staff knowledgeable enough to help shoppers assemble the perfect gift basket. Credit: Scene ArchivesFresh-Baked Pie from Rood
Be a dessert hero by bringing a fresh-baked pie from Rood to your next dinner party. Just give them 24-plus hours of notice and you can walk away with a delectable brown butter apple pecan, salt & honey, or baklava pie. Credit: Courtesy RoodCleveland Kitchen’s Classic Dill Pickle Spears
If you love Cleveland Kraut, give Dilly Garlic Pickle Spears a whirl. Made from the same team, these pickles from Cleveland Kitchen are uber-crisp and delicious. Credit: Courtesy Photo
For 25 years, Douglas Trattner has worked as a full-time freelance writer, editor and author. His work as co-author on Michael Symon's cookbooks have earned him four New York Times Best-Selling Author honors, while his longstanding role as Scene dining editor has garnered awards of its own.
