27 Cleveland Food and Drink Related Gift Ideas

Salt from Oceans that Don’t Exist - $15

Ryan Dewey is a cognitive scientist who concocted “the first true sea salt from oceans that don’t exist.” By mixing sea salt from, say, France with mineral water from, say, Hawaii, and evaporating the brine, Dewey creates a salt that captures the taste of two places that would never come together in the real world. His experimental salts are the most expensive in the world at roughly $100 for two drams. Don’t worry, he also sells a more approachable blend of Pacific Ocean salt blended with ripe organic juniper berries, which he describes as “a cross between a crisp gin & tonic and a fresh springtime forest.” Use it on french fries, roasted poultry, popcorn or to rim a glass for gin-based cocktails. rozis.com 14900 Detroit Ave., Lakewood 216-221-1119

Six Shooter Coffee Gift Pack - $35

For those who are eagerly awaiting the launch of Six Shooter Coffee’s Waterloo coffee shop, opening soon just down the block from the Beachland Ballroom, this handy gift pack should tide you over — or at least provide a sweet taste of what’s to come. The collaborative neighborhood effort features one pound of small-batch, house-roasted coffee (your choice of Brazilian, Mexican, Balian or Peruvian) and a Six Shooter mug crafted by Waterloo-based ceramics studio Brick. It’s all bundled in a shabby-chic wooden crate. sixshootercoffee.com (Photo via Wiki)

Cleveland Brew Bus - $60

Cleveland Brew Bus tours are proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. By the time we managed to hit up all those breweries in Ohio City, downtown or on the west side, we’d be too plowed to steer. Instead, we hop aboard the cozy coach, which magically transports us from pint to pint. Banish any notions of this being a party bus though, because beer education is the real name of the game. Between brewery tastings, owners and guides Leslie Basalla-McCafferty and Brian McCafferty regale riders with beer history, facts and entertainment, fueling beer appreciation all along the way. Strong ties with all the local breweries ensure VIP treatment at each and every stop, where brewers and hosts offer deep dives into their product line. clevelandbrewbus.com 216-773-2567

5 in 5 for Every Season by Michael Symon - $12 paperback

Like the last 5 in 5 cookbook from celebrity chef Michael Symon (and Scene dining editor Douglas Trattner), 5 in 5 for Every Season is based on the popular speed-cooking segment that the Iron Chef regularly performs as co-host of ABC’s The Chew. Unlike the last 5 in 5, this latest collection of all-new recipes is organized by season, with an additional chapter devoted to the holidays. The book is a godsend for busy home cooks, who want to prepare delicious meals for their families but perhaps lack the imagination and time to do it right. This book is proof that we all can get a scratch-made meal on the table in very little time, for not a lot of money, and without a lot of fuss. Ready, set, cook! amazon.com

Chef’s Knife from Cleveland Cuts - $180

A good kitchen knife is indispensable. A great kitchen knife is a thing of pure joy that can make slicing and dicing less of a chore and more of a Zen-like activity. Cleveland happens to have a craftsman knifemaker in its midst named Dee Coker, who makes quality cutlery under the brand Cleveland Cuts. His knives are handmade using high-carbon steel and gorgeous hardwoods like walnut, cherry and bocote. While pricey, the 9-inch chef’s knife has great balance in the hand and is an investment that will pay dividends for years to come, assuming your significant other doesn’t pop it in the dishwasher. For that truly special cook in your life, this gift would make their year. clevelandcuts.org

Luna Collection Dinner Plate from Gina DeSantis - $50

Though the ceramic work of Gina DeSantis has been seen all over the country thanks to features in Midwest Living and other glossy mags, it was hard not to fall in love with these plates at her collaborative Kiln to Table show at Toast. Since 2008 DeSantis has been helming the kiln and teaching classes from her Screw Factory studio. These beauties are a warm matte white with bronze on stoneware clay. The glaze runs around the edges, making no two dinner plates the same, making for truly one-of-a-kind gifts. ginadesantisceramics.com 13000 Athens Ave., 440-785-5409 (Screenshot)

The Deck - $29.95

Most decks of cards net the owner hours of good, clean fun, provided he or she isn’t stuck playing gin rummy with Aunt Louise for hours on end. This deck of cards nets the owner sweet deals at nearly 50 great local restaurants. Use it at just two spots and you’ll already break even, given that each card offers the diner anywhere from $10 to $30 off their food tab. The list of participating independent eateries is too long to list, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t offer up a few as a tease: Bomba Tacos, Felice Urban Cafe, Moxie, Flying Fig, Gamekeeper’s Taverne, Luna, Marotta’s, Pier W, Provenance and Umami Asian Kitchen. What’s more, you can hit up your favorite spot twice thanks to a pair of anything-goes Jokers. clevelandindependentsdeck.com

Mod Meals Gift Card - $30

One of the nicest things you can give somebody is time, and that’s precisely what Mod Meals is all about. By delivering heat-and-eat meals directly to one’s door, Mod Meals eliminates the need to shop, cook or clean up, all of which require time, effort and, probably, pants. This isn’t simply another restaurant delivery service, which shuttles hot food from point A to point B. Mod Meals meals are prepared in the restaurant kitchens of local chefs, chilled and stored that way until they’re delivered. That way you can heat and eat them immediately or wait until later when your wife comes home from work to a delicious meal for two and zero pants. Each $30 card nets the recipient two meals, dessert and delivery. The beer or wine are extra. mod-meals.com

M Cellars Wine - $15-$45

We know Ohio wines are mercilessly mocked by oenophiles. And many of them deserve the derision. But others do not, specifically the European-style wines that winemaker Matt Meineke vints under the M Cellars label. He long ago ripped out hardy but sweet varietals like Niagara, replacing them with riesling, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, gruner veltliner and chardonnay, all of which require meticulous tending to thrive. But thrive they do as evidenced by M’s spectacular dry riesling, its crisp cuvee, and plummy, smoky estate-grown meritage. All are available online and at a few local wine shops. mcellars.com (Photo via Facebook)

Tom’s Foolery Rye - $39.95

We’ve been enjoying Bainbridge-based Tom’s Foolery applejack and bourbon for a while now. But that rye. This recent release is Ohio’s first straight rye, meaning that the mash bill clocks in at least 51 percent rye and the spirits are aged for at least two years in wood. This batch is a blend of rye barrels that are between two-and-a-half and three years old. The end result is a 90-proof whiskey with distinctive character; aromas of fruit and bread in the nose give way to notes of honey, cinnamon and spice in the mouth. Distiller Tom Herbruck is a local legend, appreciated for his Old World technique and attention to detail. Available at most Ohio state stores, this is real Cleveland whiskey. tomsfoolery.com (Photo by Ryan Irvine)