15 Mostly-Edible Gifts From Queens
For people who love to eat, who love Queens — we give you our best gift ideas, most of which are edible, from across the borough. Between now and the end of the year, we’re giving away some of these gifts to lucky readers. Follow us on Instagram and sign up for our newsletter to be the first to see what’s up for grabs.
Heirloom by Sarah Owens
Penguin Random House
Until this summer, when she moved to Colombia, Sarah Owens experimented with bread, preserves, and more from her workshop in Rockaway Beach. The horticulturist, baker, and James Beard-nominated cookbook author and overall winner of the 2018 Bread Awards released Heirloom in September. The book is a beautifully written and photographed guide to cooking and baking with heritage grains.
The German-Jewish Cookbook by Gabrielle Rossmer Gropman and Sonya Gropman
Chicago University Press
A mother-and-daughter duo revive and document a cuisine that was, in many ways, intentionally buried. Their book shares not only recipes, but also fascinating cultural context. Wrap up a copy to give as a Hanukkah gift.
Beer Geek Breakfast Stout Kit
Brooklyn Brew Shop x Mikkeller Brewing
Mikkeller’s rich, creamy coffee-and-oatmeal stout is a cult favorite. While we’re lucky enough to have a Mikkeller tap room in Flushing, we love a good DIY kitchen project. Give this kit, a collaboration between the brewery and Brooklyn Brew Shop, to your friend who loves dark beers and hates having nothing to do on a snowy Sunday.
Three-Month Cookie Club Subscription
Sexy Batch
Each box has thirteen cookies, baked from scratch in Queens and ranging from the classic (chocolate chip) to the creative (fig-and-grana padano). Plus, subscriptions are available across the continental U.S. Your friend with the insatiable sweet tooth will thank you.
Inside the hipster-inspired and chic Boro Hotel, Beebe’s is a bright-and-airy pizza destination with solid beer and wine lists. It’s an ideal restaurant-meal-as-gift option: it’s near a subway hub, they offer gift cards, and $50 can cover a couple of pizzas and wine before tax and tip.
Superflour Brownie Mix
RISE Products
Founders Bertha Jiminez and Jessica Aguirre rescue spent grain from Brooklyn and Queens breweries to make nutrient-rich, sustainable flours and baking mixes. Give their baking mixes as stocking stuffers or host gifts.
Son of a Southern Chef by Lazarus Lynch
Penguin Random House
Raised in Jamaica, Queens, Lazarus Lynch celebrates the eclectic mix of food he grew up with, from New York breakfast sandwiches to Guyanese bake to Southern fried okra in this spirited book. Lynch’s writing and recipes will charm your friend who reads cookbooks cover-to-cover.
Reaper Hot Honey
Hellgate Farm x Wilk Apiary
This spicy-sweet condiment is spiked with Carolina Reaper hot peppers grown on Hellgate Farm’s LIC rooftop plot. The Wes Anderson-y packaging makes the condiment totally giftable.
When you’re on your way to a gift exchange and still haven’t gotten anything yet, Lockwood is the move. A go-to for last-minute gifts, their Astoria, Jackson Heights, and Greenpoint shops have tons of crowd-pleasing, moderately priced options like these terrazzo coasters.
Malaysian curry paste
Mama Lam’s
When “Mama Lam” arrived in New York from Malaysia in the 1980s, she craved the flavors of home and developed her own bases for sauces and stews. Her three daughters bottled her recipes, which, we think, would make great stocking stuffers.
Spicy Pizza Granola
Byrdfood
Savory breakfast people, unite over this small-batch, gluten-free granola. Bring it to a holiday party for your host to enjoy the following morning.
Artisanal Cheese and Chocolate Set
Cheese Grotto and Milène Jardine Chocolatier
Truffles from fashion executive-turned-chocolatier Milène Jardine are paired with cheese curated by Brooklyn’s Cheese Grotto. They’ve collaborated on a handful of gift sets, some of which include Cheese Grotto’s signature product, a humidor designed to be the ideal cheese-storing environment.
Organic, Fair-Trade Coffee
Gilt Coffee Roasters
For coffee snobs, it doesn’t get better than single-origin, ethically sourced, locally roasted beans. Gilt Coffee checks all of the above boxes.
From Our Partners
Grandma's Cheesecake Sandwiches
Can be purchased in-store at 12-40 Clintonville Street, Whitestone, Queens or by visiting their website. These sweet treats are a perfect match for the gourmet shopper who is searching for a decadent dessert. Available in 22 flavors.
Treat Your Coffee & Tea Lover to Award Winning and locally-made JAVAMELTS! Flavored Sweeteners that are Vegan, Non-Dairy, Certified Gluten-Free, only 20 Calories each, made with 5g of real sugar, Non-GMO, shelf stable for 2 years, portable and convenient. 4 Delicious Gourmet Flavors: Mocha, Hazelnut, French Vanilla and Caramel. Available at Javamelts.com, Amazon, and QVC.com.
Sarah Owens | @sara_c_owens
Sonya Gropman | @sonyagrop_food
Brooklyn Brew Shop | @brooklynbrewshop
Mikkeller Brewing | @mikkeller.nyc
Sexy Batch | @sexybatch_nyc
Incasa | @incasa_decor
Lion City Coffee | @lioncitycoffee
Queens Night Market | @queensnightmarket
Boro Hotel | @borohotel
Beebe’s | @beebesnyc
RISE Products | @riseproductsco
Lazarus Lynch | @sonofasouthernchef
Hellgate Farm | @hellgatefarm
Wilk Apiary | @wilkapiary
Lockwood | @lockwoodshop
Cheese Grotto | @cheesegrotto
Milène Jardine Chocolatier | @milene.jardine.chocolatier
Gilt Coffee Roasters | @giltcoffeeroasters
Grandma's Cheesecake Sandwiches
Javamelts | @javamelts
