In-person shopping may be a lost art, but Chicago is full of well-curated stores for home cooking enthusiasts. The best thing about a gift for the kitchen is that it can last for years, but the only way to know about long-term quality is to consult the pros.
One of the best wedding gifts I ever received was from a friend who bought us a Tojiro Chef’s Knife. It immediately became my preferred knife over the more expensive gifted German sets I thought would last me for life.
It was a thoughtful investment in a tool for cooking that I would never have thought to splurge on for myself. So much about gift-giving now is as straightforward as clicking a button online, but several of these Chicago stores distinguish themselves by being independent experts in their field. Go in armed with questions and you’ll come out with something perfect for you or your loved ones.
The options here will provide gifts, but also connections to local, independent businesses that are worth returning to.
For more gift ideas, check out our wine-related gift guide and our cookbooks gift guide.
For the trendy chef looking to stock the pantry: a curated box of lush staples
Discovery is one of the joys of food; Ándale Market, a “curated bodega,” does much of the heavy lifting for you by offering beautifully packaged pantry staples and snacks, sold in holiday gift boxes. It’s a feast for the eyes that supplies rare or cult-favorite ingredients. The items here are both local and international, hand-packed and inspired by owner Mia Sakai’s travels.
A Pizza Night gift box ($95) has a cookbook and enough ingredients to make a pizza; the included Graza olive oil is a cult favorite. There are snacky boxes (starting at $50) focused on Chicago-local products, tinned fish or chocolates. And for a fun surprise, a subscription box ($50 per month) will give them newly curated boxes each month.
5232 N. Clark St., 773-293-6442, andalemarket.com
For the utilitarian: a range of restaurant equipment
Head into the narrow aisles of Chinatown’s Rong City Restaurant Equipment Supply to inexpensively and efficiently stock up your kitchen. Sometimes, the best thing to do is buy what the restaurants do. This is possible at a good price at Rong City, which offers a range of Asian restaurant staples. Some very well-priced items of note: a $10 Kiwi Nakiri knife that’s suspiciously sharp, a $4 whetstone to keep it that way and an $8 spider that will easily lift deep-fried items out without splatter. There’s also a dizzying mix of ramen bowls, soy sauce decanters and woks. Grab a few items and make a grab bag.
For the lover of fish and kitsch: They have sushi boats in the back so you can throw a rolling party.
2120 S. Archer Ave., 312-842-0099
For the hottest person in your life: a gift basket of fresh, well-curated spices
Epic Spices is appointment-only during the week — they focus on their work supplying restaurants in the Chicago area — but opens to the public on weekends. Nestled inconspicuously in an over 100-year-old building, the small shop has a cult following. That’s because of husband-wife owners Steven Tobiason and Natalie Haliziw, who have been curating and selling spices since the ’90s. What you can guarantee here is freshness (a sad rarity for spices) and excellent curation. For the holidays, they offer gift boxes ($30) with four jars that you can mix and match to your liking or with the assistance of the spice masters themselves. Gift bags are also available for $14.
1725 W. Chicago Ave., 312-733-6445, epicspices.com
For your sharpest friend: elegant cutlery
A third-generation family-run store, Northwestern Cutlery offers a variety of high-end knives and some entry-level ones too. They sell out, but Victorinox can set up a young college grad or aspiring home cook quickly and efficiently. Start with a Victorinox Chef Knife ($34) and consider a petty or serrated knife. For a little upgrade, Shun’s Blonde Chef’s Knife ($170) is sharp and pretty. Wusthof’s line of Chef Knives (starting at $100) are beefy and sturdy. Shop in-store to get a 20% discount.
Another good option? After spending the holidays struggling with someone’s dull knife set, get them a gift card to get their knives sharpened ($5 a knife).
7138 W. Higgins Ave., 312-421-3666, nwcutlery.com
For the aspiring moonshiner: a start to beer brewing
For anyone with an interest in IPAs and hops, get them started on homebrewing quickly with Gnome Brew in Lincoln Square. They currently have a deal for the holidays — buy a simple brewing kit and get $15 off a recipe. But you can break it up: a simple starter brewing kit ($50) can have someone brewing within one hour (with two weeks to ferment). The recipes provide amateur brewers with the starter ingredients needed to make, for instance, a West Coast IPA ($46). But if that feels like too much lift, give them a gift card for brewing classes ($40) that happen once a month. Students taste ingredients, learn beer history, brew a batch and take some home. The winter class schedule includes a Vanilla Oatmeal Stout, a West Coast IPA and a Witbier.
2026 W. Montrose Ave., 773-961-7750, gnomebrewshop.com
For a blockhead: a thick butcher block
John Boos Factory Showroom & Outlet produces some of the most reputable culinary products made in the U.S. and their headquarters and showroom are nearby in Effingham, with the best selection you could imagine. Boos is well-known for its thick boards in beautiful patterns, such as one made of maple ($212), but even a smaller and simpler one with edged grooves ($70) would be an upgrade. If you really want to splurge, there’s a BBQ Master ($305) gift set with a maple board and various grill accessories, including beer-infused seasoning, a thermometer and a leather grill mitt. Plus, at an outlet: deals abound. “Firsts” typically go for the listed price, but “seconds,” boards that have minor flaws, can be up to 50% off.
1703 Ave. of Mid-America, Effingham, Illinois, 217-347-7790, johnboos.com
For the aesthete: an upgrade to their ceramics
Danielle Chutinthranond is the designer behind Monsoon Pottery. The studio provides beautiful ceramics inspired by restaurant and food cultures, specifically Chinatowns. A serving platter with a dramatic brushstroke ($90) would look wonderful piled high with food. You could splurge on dishes, but there are also little gifts such as a ceramic dumpling ornament ($20) or a brown sugar keeper ($15) that’s elegant and also prevents frustrating clumping.
Local pickup in West Town, monsoonpottery.com
For the aspiring coffee lover: upgrade their morning routine
Local cafes and roasters offer fantastic gift options to improve the lives of your caffeine-addicted friends and family, from subscriptions to equipment. A well-rounded option might be Metric, one of the most reputable and sustainability-focused roasters in the city. Gift options include a roaster’s choice monthly subscription of single origin beans ($25), sourced from small farms, a Black Mirror scale ($59) or an AeroPress ($45). If you can’t make up your mind, there’s also a holiday gift box ($60) with two coffee beans, two mugs and some stickers.
2021 W. Fulton St., 312-982-2196, metriccoffee.com
For the munchiest toddlers: food-inspired books, puzzles and even plants
QIdeas Plant Shop is mainly a plant specialist with rare varieties — certainly, grabbing a fresh house plant could work for a home cook. But importantly, they have a wonderful library of Asian culinary-inspired books and toys that would be adorable for any kid. There are big, colorful puzzles ($27) by Keiki Kaukau that feature pho, dim sum and other classic foods. They stock a line of “Very Asian” guides ($20) to different cuisines with beautiful illustrations. Plants for the parents, cute dumpling merch for the little dumplings!
1134 W. Argyle St., 773-989-8283, instagram.com/qideasplantshop