The 2022 Eater San Francisco Holiday Gift Guide

Put down the grocery store wine and step far away from that food-scented candle. It’s time to up the ante on holiday gift-giving — and here’s the best part: You don’t have to look further than this list for delicious ideas to satisfy just about everyone on your list. Bay Area restaurants, bars, roasters, writers, and artists have the holiday season covered with spot-on selections for your tweezer-food-loving cousin, home bartender best friend, and always-impeccably dressed coworker. Without further ado, here are 11 holiday gift ideas from across the San Francisco Bay Area food and drink scene.

---

Patricia Chang

Spoons from Gestura

Skip the unitasker du jour and opt instead for a set of utility kitchen spoons from San Francisco-based company Gestura, which have become staples for the teams at some of San Francisco’s top restaurants including Octavia and Nightbird. The well holds a tablespoon of liquid, making the 01 spoon ideal for measuring, while the long handle means you can also stir a bubbling pot of whatever you’re cooking. The 00 slotted variety, meanwhile, is made for plucking food out of boiling water or frying oil. — Lauren Saria, Eater SF editor

---

Magic fermented chile dust by Fire Swamp Provisions

Chef Alex Tishman started Fire Swamp Provisions as a cottage food operation running out of his professionally outfitted (and solar-powered) garage in the North Bay. Tishman sells a variety of baked goods like brioche babka and sourdough bagels at the Novato and Point Reyes farmers markets, plus a number of pantry items, including this chile dust, which is perfect for lightly sprinkling onto pizza, soft-cooked eggs, avocado toast, and raw seafood. — Dianne de Guzman, Eater SF deputy editor

---

Custom storefront print by Hannah Lienhard Art & Illustrations

San Francisco-based illustrator and artist Hannah Lienhard, who goes by @hydratedhydrangeaart on Instagram, turns familiar Bay Area storefronts into colorful (and cheerful) pieces of digital art. Any of the storefronts posted to her Instagram account can be ordered as an 8-by-8-inch print; scroll through to see a parade of well-loved restaurants and bars including Cinderella Bakery & Cafe, Red’s Java House, the Buena Vista, and more. — Lauren Saria, Eater SF editor

---

Natural wine subscription from Wild Things Wine

This pandemic-born business was inspired by a love of and curiosity about natural wines. Now Wild Things Wine owner Donna Rossiter hand-picks a selection of bottles for her monthly wine club and delivers them directly to customers’ homes. Indulge in a monthly delivery of three, six, or 12 domestic and European low-intervention wines from producers such as Oregon’s Swick Wines, France’s Les Equilibristes, or Richmond’s own Purity Wine. Each delivery comes with tasting notes and pairing ideas from Rossiter. Free wine delivery is available in the East Bay and San Francisco, with other delivery areas by arrangement. — Dianne de Guzman, Eater SF deputy editor

---

Apron from Stagger Lee Goods

Alfred Ramos didn’t set out to become the go-to apron-maker for some of the best-regarded restaurants and bars in the city. Nevertheless, you’ll find his Stagger Lee Goods aprons at spots including Automat, True Laurel, Bar Iris, Trick Dog, and more. The classic design includes cross-back leather straps, a front pocket with a pen slot, and two double-stitched side pockets. Each is hand-sewn, so make sure orders are placed before December 12 for holiday gifting. — Lauren Saria, Eater SF editor

---

Patricia Chang

Coffee CSA subscription from Pachamama

This Sacramento-based coffee cooperative is the first to partner with a food cooperative to provide a cafe arm, thus making the supply chain from farmer to roaster to barista to customer 100 percent supportive of the farmer’s wallet. It’s a rarity in a tangled global commodity market and shipping industry; the subscription service spotlights coffees and co-op owners from Peru, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, and Ethiopia. The plan, offered in three-, six-, or 12-month increments, promises bags are shipped out within 48 hours of roasting. Pachamama is also providing a 20 percent discount sitewide when you use EATERSF at checkout. — Paolo Bicchieri, Eater SF reporter

---

Patricia Chang

Diasporican by Illyanna Maisonet

Illyanna Maisonet has long been a champion for Puerto Rican food, both as a chef and food writer. Now her long-awaited book Diasporican focuses on recipes personal to Maisonet and her family. While the book’s not strictly traditional in its approach, Maisonet’s voice leads the way through family stories and her renditions of classic recipes including carne guisada and arroz con gandules. It’s not a Puerto Rican cookbook, she writes, but a book for the Diasporicans “who continue to cook the food of our homeland.” And a beautiful one, at that. — Dianne de Guzman, Eater SF deputy editor

---

Bar Agricole gin by St. George and Bar Agricole

Just in time for the holidays on November 11, Bar Agricole will be ready to roll out the first of its proprietary single-origin spirits. Among the batch is a gin produced by the Bay Area’s own legendary distillery St. George, with notes of citrus and eucalyptus to reflect the California landscape. — Lauren Saria, Eater SF editor

---

Bowler shirt by Viridian

Rocking T-shirts and sweaters from your favorite restaurants or bars is always a great way to show support, but Oakland’s Viridian is going a different direction. The team introduced this pitch-perfect — strike-perfect? — bowler shirt for a new way to showcase your loyalty. The front features a distinctive Viridian logo in red, with a bold blue graphic on the back. — Dianne de Guzman, Eater SF deputy editor

---

24-piece bonbon box from Xocolate Bar

What do toasted sesame halva truffles, blueberry filling tucked into a chocolate butterfly, and a Buddha head injected with tamarind have in common? They’re all options offered by Malena Lopez-Maggi’s company Xocolate Bar, a 15-year-old East Bay mainstay of the local chocolate scene. The truffles are firm-shelled, decadent but subtle, gorgeously spiced and seasoned, and the majority are vegan. Grab a 24-piece box of either vegan or mixed bonbons for $56 and you can pick up at the store or have the collection mailed to you. — Paolo Bicchieri, Eater SF reporter

---

Tea towel by Dumpling Club x American Potluck

Kitchen towels are a home cook’s necessity, but that doesn’t mean they have to be boring. Case in point: this adorable, dumpling-themed tea towel. It’s a collaboration between San Francisco’s Dumpling Club and New York-based artist Suegene Lee, who designs goods under her brand American Potluck. The towel features screen-printed drawings of dumplings and soy sauce bottles decorated with the Dumpling Club name. You won’t want to dirty up this one. — Dianne de Guzman, Eater SF deputy editor