Let your bias leave the building for a moment, and imagine this: There's a host of great grub that lives beyond your little corner of the universe—and having it arrive on your doorstep is as easy as clicking a button on your phone. We got a little click-happy and tried more than 150 different shippable food gifts from around the country: oysters from Massachusetts, deep dish pizza from Chicago, cheese from Michigan, chocolates from Napa Valley. After a massive taste test, these are the 50 we culled just for you. You can thank us later.
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Kollar Chocolates
From $20; kollarchocolates.com
Locals consider chocolatier Chris Kollar the Willy Wonka of Yountville, CA, a small town in Napa Valley. Except the truffles don't just taste delicious—especially the Zinfandel-infused dark chocolate one—they look like they should be framed. Would it be cliche to say they're almost too pretty to eat?
Carol Widman's Candy Co.
From $10; carolwidmanscandy.com
Chippers—literally just chocolate-covered potato chips—are iconic in North Dakota. The company that makes the salty-sweet treat is super old-school, so you'll have to fax in an order form or make your purchase over the phone. But trust: The effort is so worth it.
Verve Coffee Roasters
From $16 (plus shipping) for 1-12 oz. bag; vervecoffee.com
Verve's founders may seem like just a couple of California surfer boys—which, well, they are—but their passion to make great coffee is unparalleled. Both the customer favorite (Streetlevel, a Guatemalan blend) and the staff pick (The 1950, made from Ethiopian beans) veer on the sweeter side.
Honolulu Cookie Company
$16 (plus shipping); honolulucookie.com
No Hawaiian survives a holiday season without a gift box from Honolulu Cookie Company. The shortbread cookies are better than any homemade ones you've had—moist and buttery instead of dry and crumbly. All 16 cookies in this box are different flavors; make a beeline for the guava.
Schutt's Apple Mill
$25 for 1 dozen (including shipping); schuttsapplemill.com
Don't make the mistake of calling these donuts; Schutt's Apple Mill in Upstate New York refers to them as fried cakes. And that's really what they are: Rings of slightly sweet cake that have been fried to perfection and dusted with cinnamon sugar.
Jacques Torres
$20 (plus shipping); mrchocolate.com
There is life before you've tried Jacques Torres's hot chocolate, and there is life after. Only your life after matters. This stuff is thick and Decadent (yes, with a capital D for emphasis) and only meant for serious chocoholics. Follow the specific directions—like adding milk powder and cornstarch—for the best results.
Woodberry Kitchen
From $8 (plus shipping); manready.com
Chesapeake fish peppers grow in a range of colors—red, orange, green. And since Snake Oil (the iconic hot sauce at Baltimore's famed restaurant, Woodberry Kitchen) is made from them, you never know what color the sauce in the bottle will be. Science is cool, eh?
Weikel's
$8 (plus shipping) for 6; weikels.com
First of all, it's pronounced ko-lah-chee. They're a Central Texas tradition, by way of Central Europe, and while the dough is great, it's the toppings that matter. Weikel's sells the pastries filled with cream cheese or just about any baked fruit you can imagine.
Mishima Reserve
From $15 (plus shipping); mishimareserve.com
You'll notice every cut of this American Wagyu beef is intricately marbled—an indication of the texture and tenderness. We're partial to the New York strip and the tenderloin, both of which almost melt in your mouth. You can, and should, add the 10-ingredient Butcher's Table Seasoning to your order.
Mr. Sticky's
$19 (plus shipping) for 1 dozen; mrstickys.net
Perhaps that whole "sticky" thing refers to the fact that these insanely addicting—and truly gigantic—buns stick in your brain days after you've eaten them. Or maybe it's just really about that ultra-sticky, sweet, and wonderful combo of sugar, butter, and dough.
Verdant Tea
From $6 (plus shipping) for 5 samples; verdanttea.com
Minneapolis-based Verdant Tea counts Food Network chef Andrew Zimmern among its fans. The tea is sourced from small, family farmers from China. Build your own sample set—for you or a friend—with no less than five teas from the 10 families and groups Verdant Tea supports.
Southern Baked Pie Company
$40 (plus shipping); southernbakedpie.com
This pie looks almost cartoon-like in its perfection. Georgia-based bakers source local fruit to stuff beneath a crust that's so buttery and flaky, it might be better than your grandmother's. (Don't tell her we said that.)
Breads Bakery
$48 (plus shipping) for 3 loaves; foodydirect.com
Breads is the Manhattan bakery that took babka from hallowed Jewish treat beloved by east coast bubbies to mainstream dessert. Think of it as the cinnamon roll's distant cousin: Babka starts with a sweet dough that's slathered with cinnamon or chocolate, then twisted into a loaf.
Benton's
$32 (plus shipping) for 4 lbs.; bentonscountryham.com
The man behind Benton's has been called a "Bacon God" and a "Ham Hero," but you can just call him Allan. His smoked strips are dry-cured with salt, brown sugar, and pepper. They're shipped from Tennessee to restaurants all over the country—and straight to your door, too.
Callie's Charleston Biscuits
From $40 (plus shipping) for 2 dozen; calliesbiscuits.com
If making Southern biscuits is an art form, then Carrie Morey is Charleston's Picasso. Since beginning her business in 2005, she's turned her mother's recipe into eight different flavors. The buttermilk is a classic but the cheese and chive is the sleeper hit.
Fee Brothers
$50 (plus shipping) for set of 6; kegworks.com
Gift this set to the people in your life who pay $20 for a cocktail at the city's hottest bar, and say, "I've made better." It comes with six different bitters (aka booze boosters), including three citrus flavors, peach, mint, and a classic aromatic. Bonus: They'll give your bar cart so much street cred.
Mike's Pastry
$40 (plus shipping) for 10-piece cannoli kit; mikespastry.com
The dessert wizards at Mike's Pastry in Boston churn out 36,000 cannoli every week; that's how in-demand the cream-filled treats are. You can join the ranks with the bakery's shippable kit, which comes with empty shells, ricotta cream, and chocolate chips and pistachios.
Junior's Restaurant
$48 (plus shipping); juniorscheesecake.com
Junior's Restaurant has been churning out New York cheesecakes for nearly 70 years, and while the classic is *chef's kiss*, the flavor sampler if what a good gift's made of: options. Stake your claim on the Brownie Marble Swirl corner—it's got a brownie bottom.
McClure's Bakery
$37 (including shipping); goldbelly.com
The Pennsyvania Dutch created the Shoo Fly pie, which is really more like a cake. This chocolate one looks completely baked through, but there's a "wet bottom" layer of molasses hidden beneath the surface. It's made from a more than 30-year-old Amish-Mennonite recipe.
Countryside Citrus
From $27 (plus shipping) for navel oranges and ruby red grapefruits; countrysidecitrus.com
Because from where else, other than Florida, would you source oranges and grapefruits? Countryside Citrus's fruit is the kind that makes you want to shout uncomfortable phrases like, "Can you believe how ruby this grapefruit is?" and "I've never tasted an orange this juicy."
Beecher's
$29 (plus shipping) for 2 pans; beechershandmadecheese.com
We'd roll our eyes at Beecher's self-imposed label of "World's Best Mac and Cheese" if it wasn't true. The Seattle cheese shop uses penne instead of macaroni noodles—sophisticated, no?—and mixes its two signature Flagship and Just Jack cheeses into the sauce.
Mikuni Wild Harvest
$29 (plus shipping); mikuniwildharvest.com
The bold label and typeface should be your first indicated that this isn't some saccharine grocery story syrup; a drizzle packs a punch. The base is medium amber grade maple syrup from Quebec, which is then aged in oak bourbon barrels. You get hints of both the booze and wood in the syrup.
Casa de Fruta
$33 (plus shipping); casadefruta.com
A homemade fruit and nut platter is one of those well-intentioned gifts that always winds up looking like a Pinterest fail. That's why you're going to leave it the experts this year, right? The El Monte Crate features an array of not-too-sweet dried pears, apricots, peaches, and plums.
Wild Groves
$42 (plus shipping) for 6-100ml. bottles; wildgroves.com
Allow us a couple humble brags on behalf of Wild Groves. The family-run olive orchards are some of the oldest in the country, and the extra-virgin oils produced there have won over 300 awards. This kit includes six of the classic oils, but some insider info: The Ascolano is the crew favorite.
Katz's Delicatessen
$32 (plus shipping) for 1lb.; katzsdelicatessen.com
New York expats and When Harry Met Sally fans alike will scream at the sight of Katz's pastrami. Yes, it's as good as people say it is. Yes, you should order juicy (aka fatty) slices. And yes, you should throw in a loaf of rye and a container of mustard. How else are you to replicate the sky-high sandwiches the restaurant serves?
Harry and David
$30 (plus shipping) for 9 pears; harryanddavid.com
Gifting a crate of pears seems totally retro, but truthfully, it's a welcome change from the typically glutinous holiday foods. Harry and David's juicy, Oregon-grown Royal Riviera pears come wrapped in festive gold foil (it's the little things), and pair nicely with just about anything on a cheese board.
Goode Company
$42 (plus shipping); goodecompany.com
This here pie hails from the land of more is more—read: Texas—so it's extra deep, extra gooey, and extra rich. (It also comes in an extra adorable pine gift box, for what it's worth.) The pecans are harvested from the banks of the Brazos River, which flows through the entire Lone Star State.
Williams-Sonoma
From $29 (plus shipping); williams-sonoma.com
Don't be fooled by the fact that this comes from a big-name store. The bark gets the same attention it would at a mom and pop chocolate shop. The chocolate is top-quality Guittard that's infused with peppermint oil. Splurge on a personalized gift tin for an extra 10 bucks.
Double Good
$39 (plus shipping) for 3 bags; doublegood.com
When you give a little, someone else gets a lot: Fifty percent of every dollar you spend on popcorn from Double Good goes straight to programs that help kids with special needs. Gift boxes can be filled with three, six, or nine flavors. Make sure the Easy Peasy Caramel Cheesy is one of them.
Jacobsen Salt Co.
$35 (plus shipping) for 6 vials; jacobsensalt.com
Flavored salts are one of those luxury items that you'd never buy yourself—hence, they're the perfect gift. Jacobsen sources all its salt from the Oregon coasts. There's a vial of pure flakes, plus these other infused ones: black pepper, black garlic, pinot noir, habanero, and rosemary.
Imo's Pizza
$36 (plus shipping) for 175 ravioli; imospizza.com
In one of the country's weirder food traditions, St. Louis, MO, residents toast—instead of bake—their ravioli. You dip them in marinara sauce, just like mozzarella sticks, only they're stuffed with beef. And then you say, "More, please?"
Zingerman's
$80 (plus shipping) for 3 cheeses and crackers; zingermans.com
Ask any Michigander where you can find great cheese, and they'll talk about Zingerman's until they're blue in the face. The deli's mail order side sells customizable boxes, with 25 options to choose from. You'll want the Manchester, the Marieke Gouda, and the Bayley Hazen Blue.
Jim's Steaks
$99 (including shipping) for 4 sandwiches; goldbelly.com
While tourists argue about Pat's versus Geno's, locals are sneaking off to Jim's for the best cheesesteaks in Philly. The place has been running for nearly 80 years—read: the grill is well-seasoned and the meat is super flavorful. Get Whiz if you want to do it how the regulars do.
Lady M Confections
$85 (plus shipping); ladym.com
There are twenty-plus paper thin crepes stacked with pastry cream in each cake that leaves Lady M's bakery. Everything about the dessert is delicate, from the subtly sweet flavor to the texture; your fork can slice through the nearly two dozen layers with barely any effort.
Gino's East
$58 for 2 pizzas; goldbelly.com
Chicagoans wax poetic about Lou Malnati's and Giordano's, but the people who steer you to Gino's East for deep dish are the only ones you should trust. There's a layer of slightly sweet tomato sauce, over a perfectly proportioned layer of aged cheese, on top of a hearty, golden crust.
Honey Baked Ham
From $67 (plus shipping) for bone-in half ham; honeybakedonline.com
This is a classic for a reason, so you might as well lean in to the hype. The glaze is sweet and crunchy, the meat is tender and juicy, and that spiral cut is just begging to be Instagrammed, don't you think?
Salt and Straw
$65 (plus shipping) for $5 pints; saltandstraw.com
Think of Salt & Straw as the cool kid in school who just doesn't give a damn. The geniuses at the company make flavors because they want to, not because they're trendy. That's how you'll wind up adding olive oil ice cream (a cult favorite) and honey lavender pints to your cart.
IT'S-IT Ice Cream
$89 (including shipping) for 24 ice cream sandwiches; goldbelly.com
Call this "just an ice cream sandwich" to San Franciscans, and you risk getting clocked. There's no piece of the puzzle that's an afterthought, as is wont to happen with these types of desserts: The oatmeal cookies stay soft and flavorful, the ice cream is light, and the layer of dark chocolate is thin, so as not to overwhelm the whole thing.
INNA
$62 (plus shipping) for 4 jars; innajam.com
Only fruit found within 150 miles from INNA's Emeryville, CA, kitchen makes it into these jars. You could gift your favorite breakfast fiend the usuals—strawberry, apricot—but the unique is where INNA thrives: Quince, kiwi, and mulberry jams are all ripe for the picking.
Liebman's Kosher Deli
$89 (including shipping) for 8 latkes; goldbelly.com
Liebman's latkes are laughably large—easily the size of a baby's head. But they hail from a Bronx deli, so despite the untraditional size, the flavor is spot-on. Plus, the package of eight potato pancakes comes with a side of applesauce; these guys know what they're doing.
Sucré Macarons
$59 (including shipping); goldbelly.com
These macarons aren't so fragile you feel like they might break when you pick them up, but they're still reminiscent of the classic French style. The filling to cookie ration is, well, damn near perfect. Don't let anyone beat you to the Bananas Foster flavor; these are made in New Orleans, after all.
The Real Dill
$60 (including shipping) for 3 jars; therealdill.com
You don't need gift wrapping when the gift looks this pretty. These jars still contain all their pickling ingredients, many of which are local to Colorado, where The Real Dill is based. They're a pickle lover's—or, uh, Bloody Mary enthusiast's—dream.
Northern Waters Smokehaus
$85 (including shipping) for 2lbs.; goldbelly.com
She's a beaut, no? At Northern Waters Smokehaus in Minnesota, they brine whole salmon filets in a brown sugar mixture, then smoke them over maple wood for eight hours. One end remains bare, while the rest of the fish gets sprinkled with black pepper and coriander, dill, and Cajun seasonings.
Texas Tamale Company
$79 (including shipping) for 48 tamales; goldbelly.com
Texas Tamale Company's roots are in shipping cross-country to displaced Texans. So if you know one—or a someone with a fervor for tamales—this is the place to buy a gift. A four pack (with a dozen each of beef, black bean, chicken, and pork tamales) is the right move.
Ess-a-Bagel
$139 (including shipping) for 13 bagels, cream cheese, and lox; goldbelly.com
A group of 20-something New York-based editors all agreed Ess-a-Bagel's lox is the best they've ever tasted: salty, bright pink, and sliced thick. The bagels can't be one-upped, either. They're infamously large (so big, the hole disappears), with chewy crusts and doughy insides.
The Salt Lick
$149 (including shipping) for brisket, ribs, sausage, and turkey; goldbelly.com
Should a trip to Texas not be in the cards this season, you can bring the Lone Star state's best 'cue to you. This stuff might be the juiciest meat in all the land—yes, even the turkey, which shines on a sandwich.
Anchor Bar
From $120 (including shipping) for 50 wings; anchorbar.com
The only right way to ring in game day is with buffalo wings—and the only buffalo wings you should be eating are from Anchor Bar. The Buffalo, NY, pub invented them (the name makes sense now, huh?), and you can order any of five flavors: mild, medium, hotter, suicidal, and barbecue.
Island Creek Oysters
$150 (including shipping)for 100 oysters; islandcreekoysters.com
Island Creek Oysters has been harvesting oysters since the early '90s, and they'll ship them from Massachusetts to wherever. The oysters are briny but not overwhelmingly salty. And though bivalves are far from pretty, the yellow, netted bag they arrive in is actually kind of cute.
Joe's Stone Crab
From $150 (plus shipping) for 14 claws; joesstonecrab.com
Eating stone crabs from Joe's is a rite of passage in Miami, FL, but you can join the club from all four corners of the country. Every pink-and-black claw is filled with fresh meat—and lots of it. Put on the bib that comes in the package. It's part of the experience...and good for the 'gram, if nothing else.
Tank Garage Winery
From $115 (plus shipping) for 2 bottles; tankgaragewinery.com
You wouldn't expect a gas station-turned-tasting room to churn out some of California wine country's best bottles—but that's exactly what's going on at Tank. Playing to the vintage vibe, gift sets come in a box made to look like an old turntable. Admire the wine labels (they tend to be super artsy), then sip merrily along.
