The holiday season is a Sharknado of party planning, travel coordinating, and dinner menu development, so it’s fully understandable if you chose to forgo the Black Friday sales rush for this year’s gift shopping. Were I in your shoes, I, too, would have tucked into some leftover pumpkin pie and taken my granny to the new Zootopia movie instead of feverishly price-comparing consumer electronics and novelty socks. That being said, the next-best ideal time to order gifts is now(ish), and if you’re worried about whether or not your posh Parisian glassware will make it to your far-flung giftee in time, I suggest opening your heart and wallet to these last-minute food gifts that will either ship quickly or instantly (i.e. digitally) to make sure you don’t fall short. 

The following food-related gifts run the gamut of beautifully packaged desserts and holiday hams that arrive on doorsteps in a couple of days, natural wine subscriptions for the avid host, and digital experiences such as cooking MasterClasses from the likes of Alice Waters. Even if you made procrastinating a contact sport this year, your lucky giftee will be none the wiser. 

Send gourmet food and tablescape decor straight to their door

This next-level Nutella panettone

I live across the country from my family, so I’m no stranger to blasting off a Veselka smorgasbord or Ina Garten’s iconic coconut cake to their doorstep from Goldbelly. The food delivery site is home to almost 1,000 vendors and (so many super-famous and beloved) restaurants, which means you’re likely to find something for any and every kind of appetite, like this Nutella panettone from Settepani. I pulled up to Thanksgiving with this handsomely packaged dessert, and both the freshness of the pastry and intensity of the hazelnut-chocolate treat (there are what I would describe as “swaths” of Nutella inside) kept a dozen of us happily nibbling all week. 

Settepani Nutella Panettone

Where to Buy:

• $79.9 at Goldbelly

Because everyone loves the ham-bearer

No one likes schlepping a big old ham home from the supermarket, but everyone loves eating it — especially during the cozy months. Why not be the savior of the holiday feast, and send an easy-to-slice, boneless ham straight to your in-laws’ doorstep? This half-size beauty comes from Snake River Farms, which uses small family farm hogs of the coveted Kurobuta (Japanese for “black hog”) breed to achieve a marbled, succulent ham, and costs under a hundo but makes an ideal holiday-dinner showstopper.

A decadent dessert for the vegan and gluten-free cousin

Visiting a Milk Bar location kind of feels like living inside a box of Funfetti cake mix (read: delightful), and the NYC bakery, reputed for its rich and playful desserts, really delivers for the gluten-free and/or vegan folks with this Crunch Pie. As the bakery’s site explains, “[we fill the] smooth chocolate shell with a crunchy combo of peanut butter and toasted rice cereal, and top off with a salty-sweet chocolate-peanut coating.” Milk Bar also offers both flexible and scheduled deliveries, so you can ensure it arrives in as little as one day.

Milk Bar Peanut Butter Crunch Pie

Where to Buy:

• $58 at Milk Bar

Flowers for the dinner party

Food people are sensory people, and a winter-themed floral bouquet can make their day. Bouqs’ holiday offerings run the gamut of cottagecore arrangements (see: these effortlessly elegant red and white tulips) and more robust holiday bouquets like the punny Pining For You, a dramatic assortment of red spray roses, white pinecone, cedar, and protea. 

Bouqs Pining For You Bouquet

Where to Buy:

• $77 at Bouqs

The coolest food subscription gifts

A pint-of-the-month subscription

The family-owned, Santa Barbara, California-based McConnell’s ice cream has been around since the 1940s, and while its classics continue to hit the spot (the denseness of the Sea Salt Cream and Cookies is perfectly matched by its creaminess and scoopability), it also packs some excellent limited-edition flavors and drops; I keep it on my radar for holiday offerings (Reindeer Tracks rocks) to its collaborations with other iconic SoCal sweets slingers (don’t miss the See’s Candies ice cream collab, which includes flavors such as Vanilla with California Brittle). Treat your giftee to a new flavor every month from the family-owned creamery with this subscription service, and then invite yourself over for a tasting. 

McConnell’s Pint of the Month Club (3 Month Membership)

Where to Buy:

• $195 at McConnell’s Pint of the Month Club (3 Month Membership)

For the natural wine snob

Every friend group has one: the wine aficionado who talks about “murky, flirty oranges” like a millennial Frasier Crane. Give them a subscription to Mysa’s natural wine club, and you’ll forever be on their good side. Each box is a mix of red, white, sparkling, and orange wines from small and indie wineries, which they’ll love to explain to someone at their next jazz-electro smallpipe concert at Pioneer Works. 

Keep them caffeinated

Trade Coffee specializes in supporting independent roasters in the United States, and it offers a  variety of subscription boxes that will deliver a fresh bag of coffee every two weeks to your lucky giftee; choose from a rotation of light, medium, or dark roast beans, or (my personal favorite for the random coworker you got for Secret Santa), the company’s bestselling bean subscription box.  

Trade Coffee Best Sellers Subscription Service (3 Bags)

Where to Buy:

• $50.97 $33.98 at Trade Coffee

This chef-developed meal service (will make their life so much easier)

I was a meal-kit service skeptic for a long time, but then I remembered it’s not 2003 and there’s a lot more on the docket than just frozen pasta. CookUnity, for example, has found a niche in providing meals that are developed by a collective of decorated chefs, and cooked fresh by their team before they ship out to your giftee. I tried the service during a particularly busy week, and I still think about the cheesy beef picadillo by chef Anthony Nichols. If you know someone who truly loves food but could use a break from cooking this holiday season, offering even a week’s worth of meals for the household (you can customize your frequency and portion needs) can be a big help. 

CookUnity Chef-Made Meal Subscription Gift Card

Where to Buy:

• $100 at CookUnity

Flamingo Estate’s tastemaking seasonal subscription box

Flamingo Estate is the dreamweaver behind unforgettable pantry goods like Pamela’s Pickles, (developed by none other than Pamela Anderson herself), a candle that smells like Sant Ambroeus’ iconic prinsesstårta cake, and a luxurious seasonal subscription box where every single goodie feels lovingly curated. This season, the Los Angeles-based lifestyle brand has managed to box up a White Lotus-level vacation to Bhutan with a coffret of Himalayan honey infused with coveted cordyceps sinensis and rare black turmeric, Bhutanese chile paste, a hazelnut chocolate spread made with Bhutanese ingredients like Timur peppercorns, and even more extra-special treats.

Give the gift of a digital class

If they make a yearly pilgrimage to Chez Panisse

A live, Zoom-in Ethiopian cooking class

Eleni’s Kitchen has been a Portland, Oregon staple for traditional Ethiopian food for almost a decade. Uncommon Goods offers a live digital cooking class with its chef, Eleni Woldeyes, that teaches your giftee how to make authentic Ethiopian dishes. As one student of the experience writes in their review on the site, “I loved the flavors, patience and structure of the class. It was easy.”   

Uncommon Goods Simmered in Spice Ethiopian Cooking

Where to Buy:

• $70 at Uncommon Goods

The best food and restaurant gift cards

Last but not least, let’s hit the gift card aisle. It used to be that you had to haul yourself over to a brick-and-mortar location to scoop a gift card, but now you can send your giftee the card instantly and digitally, along with the promise of Taiwanese dumplings, heirloom tomato hand soap, Le Creuset finds from Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table – you name it. 

The gift of perfect xiao long bao at Din Tai Fung

Give them the gift of settling the bill at Din Tai Fung, the iconic, Michelin-starred Taiwanese chain whose soup dumplings have famously mastered the so-called “golden ratio” by being folded between 18 times to achieve that delightfully thin, aesthetic wrapper. An evening of xiao long bao and a pear-lychee martinis? Truly a gift worth remembering.

Din Tai Fung eGift Card

Where to Buy:

• $100 at Din Tai Fung

A shopping spree (or guaranteed slam-dunk treat) at Williams Sonoma 

Can’t decide between gifting your loved one a monogrammed steak brand, a Christmas tree focaccia, or a Dolce & Gabbana pasta tin? Let them choose their own adventure with a Williams Sonoma gift card.

Williams Sonoma Gift Card

Where to Buy:

• $100 at Williams Sonoma

There’s something for everyone at Sur La Table

If you love cooking, eating, or throwing dinner parties, Sur La Table is the spot for sourcing all the cookware, tools, and gadgets you could ever need — and it always has great sales. 

Sur La Table Gift Card

Where to Buy:

• $100 at Sur La Table

They’ll want to frame this gift card from Flamingo Estate

Yes, it’s a physical gift card, so you still need to get it shipped — but Flamingo Estate, as with everything it makes, has designed an aesthetically gorgeous and trop chic card that feels ceremonial and premium.

Flamingo Estate Gift Card

Where to Buy:

• $100 at Flamingo Estate

Check out the rest of Eater’s holiday gift guides here. 

Amid yet another complicated year, there were, indeed, many high points too. The restaurant and bar scene across the United States felt legitimately exciting once again. It was a great year to enjoy a little treat, whether in the form of an over-the-top savory croissant or a fancy drink from a third-culture coffee shop. These are the trends we loved this year (and that we wouldn’t mind seeing continue into next year too).

Steakhouse revival

“I’m thrilled about the return of steakhouses — or at least the renewed cultural obsession with them. I love settling into a red leather booth with a martini and a blue-cheese-smothered wedge salad before sawing into a medium-rare ribeye. Give me pâté, scalloped potatoes, creamed spinach… this is what life is about. Steakhouses never truly went away, but the appreciation for them again brings a tear to my eye.” —Hilary Pollack, deputy editor

Thick burgers

“I’ve never been a huge burger person, but I’m loving that the thick tavern-style burger is having its moment. There are still smashburger spots everywhere, but plenty of bars have gone back to making thick patties that pair well with a well-made martini. It feels opulent despite literally being a burger in a bar, and these thicker burgers are also being made with higher-quality (sometimes even locally sourced) beef.” —Emily Venezky, editorial associate

Approachability

“In a year full of $22+ cocktails and $50+ entrees, I appreciate that many chefs clearly made efforts toward approachability. In New York City, one-Michelin-star Corima opened Vato, a daytime tortilleria. Chef Alan Delgado, formerly of the high-end Oxomoco, opened Los Burritos Juarez, with a streamlined menu of burritos, none of them over $11. Bánh Anh Em opened as a destination for ambitious Vietnamese food, and while tables remained hard to get, the restaurant’s take-out-friendly $15 bánh mì proved an excellent and significantly easier way to get a taste. The folks behind the still-buzzy Semma opened the stop-by-anytime stall Kebabwala in a food hall. These chefs were clearly considering ways to share their food with more people. After all, everyone really should get a chance to try that stellar Corima tortilla.” —Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter

Matcha

“I’m a huge matcha fan and all the pop-ups and influencers promoting it have really forced most cafes to adopt it into their menu these days, which is amazing for me. It’s a great caffeinated drink option if you’re not an espresso or chai person.” —Jillian Beck, editorial coordinator

New-school Indian fine dining

“I love the creative turn that Indian restaurants have taken of late, especially in the Southwest, where swanky Indian fine dining is booming. I started seeing this trend turn with Kahani in Dana Point, California; it’s led by talented chef Sanjay Rawat, who transformed the stodgy Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel’s steakhouse into a dimly lit, Indian fine-dining restaurant with New American-style plating and polished curries. Then I checked out Tamba in Las Vegas, a sleek restaurant tucked into an urban shopping mall that’s serving thoughtful, colorful takes on pan-regional Indian favorites. Finally, there was Indibar in Scottsdale, a jewelry-box dining room where they serve top-notch tandoor meats and inventive Indian-inflected cocktails, also in a strip mall.” —Matthew Kang, correspondent

Bar food that feels intentional

“I love nice restaurants that design specific dishes and experiences for the bar. This isn’t entirely new, of course, but I love that cool spots like Firstborn in Los Angeles have snack-focused bar menus and fantastic cocktails. Kato has been doing this for a while too, and is probably the best example in the city, but so does Meteora, and now, Baby Bistro is doing something similar with its front patio. Bar 109 is the natural extension of the idea, a standalone snacks-and-drinks offshoot right next door to the high-end Corridor 109.” —Ben Mesirow, associate editor, travel

Wine bars with good, not-Eurocentric food

“One of my favorite trends of the year was a shift in wine bar food. More specifically, I’ve been really into the wave of new spots putting a focus on cuisines outside of sad, predictable Eurocentric cheese plates. I love to have banchan with a Beaujolais, and I also welcome more exciting versions of typical wine bar fare like charcuterie; at Lei, the jinhua ham and fresh fruit (recently, figs) is a delight.” —Mary Anne Porto, senior editor at Punch

In some ways, 2025 was a great year in food — boundary-pushing bakeries popped up all over the country, restaurants and bars actually felt fun again, and New York City even gained a legitimately awesome cheesesteak thanks in part to Bradley Cooper. Still, can you truly love something (Dubai chocolate, Taylor Swift, whatever TV show everyone is talking about right now, etc.) without also being a little bit of a hater about it? Thus, we give you the food world trends that we hope to see less of in 2026.

Lining up for $60 pizza

“I will line up for a lot of things, but you have to draw the line somewhere when there are so many fantastic pizza places in New York City.” —Stephanie Wu, editor in chief

Overly tech-ified dining

“Anything that makes dining more impersonal, so tablet ordering, QR code menus, robot servers, iPad wine lists. Bring people back into the forefront of hospitality!” —Jess Mayhugh, managing editor

Restaurant apps

“Please don’t make me download an entire app specifically for your restaurant. I know you’re just scraping my data and sending extra marketing through it, and it really isn’t more convenient either.” —Ben Mesirow, associate editor, travel

Mediocre mains

“Entrees are becoming too predictable and boring, while appetizers become the star. I’ve had meals where basically all the appetizers were great and the entrees were skippable. Let’s change that.” —Matthew Kang, correspondent

Caring more about making content than enjoying the meal

“I can’t complain so much; in San Francisco, I’m happy people are going out again at all. Still, let’s name that, in the year of our lord 2025 — as in the year of our lord 2024 and years stretching back to 2010 — it has become slightly more socially acceptable to be a total tool at restaurants with tripods, light fixtures, boom mics, director’s chairs, etc. Here’s the pot calling the kettle black, but let’s focus on the food, people!” —Paolo Bicchieri, audience editor, Northern California/Pacific Northwest

MAHA food culture

“Raw milk and people having a fundamental misunderstanding of the beef tallow skincare thing :(” —Francky Knapp, staff writer

Performative excess

“I had a constant sense of whiplash seeing the rise of ultra-luxe grocery stores like Meadow Lane and pricey, mostly uninteresting ‘swankstaurants,’ against the backdrop of continued economic insecurity nationwide. The stratification of wealth and the social-media-fueled performance of status via the promotion of, like, extremely expensive tuna salad felt glaring and unsettling to me this year. I do not think these people actually care about food so much as the way food allows them to perform abundance, status, and exclusivity.” —Bettina Makalintal, senior reporter

The tyranny of small-plates wine bars

“‘Worst’ is strong, but my personal bone to pick is with the infestation of lowkey very expensive wine bars. It feels like every week there’s a new one popping up, serving allegedly ‘shareable plates’ that are only a few bites each, where two people inexplicably need eight dishes, only two of which are ever memorable. The format tricks you into thinking you’re having a casual night out, but suddenly you’ve bought four $23 vegetable plates and three $18 glasses of orange wine instead of a single $30 entrée and a martini or two; somehow you leave hungry, having spent $160, and with heartburn. It feels like a bait and switch.” —Hilary Pollack, deputy editor

Experiences that are too extra

“While a tableside espresso-martini cart, selection of cheeses, or dramatic dessert presentation can be fun, sometimes the ‘crazy experience’ trends at restaurants can be extremely overwhelming. This might be an unpopular opinion, but acrobatics, trapeze artists, and burlesque shows distract from delicious food and the company you’re enjoying it with more than they add to it. I get it when it’s a once-a-month event with a show during dinner, but when there’s a contortionist flying over the crowd digging into a three-course meal every night, it feels like a little too much.” —Emily Venezky, editorial associate

Natural wine is no longer just a niche obsession among sommeliers in gentrified neighborhoods and funk-loving nerds; it’s a major category that has evolved into a highly giftable, drinkable universe. There are the artistically labeled pét-nats for festive toasts, elegant skin-contact bottles that look good on any tablescape, and endlessly sippable, chillable reds that feel tailor-made for long December nights. And if this year’s Shop Natural Day in New York proved anything, it’s that natural wine is no longer just a subculture — it’s a full-fledged holiday staple: celebratory and increasingly accessible, whether you’re shopping for a collector, a casual drinker, or someone who simply likes saying the words “orange wine.”

Over the weekend, Eater joined The Cut and A Diamond is Forever for Shop Natural Day NYC, a cozy afternoon built around two things New Yorkers reliably show up for: good wine and equally enticing snacks. The tasting centered on a pair of natural pours that captured where the category is headed — less dogma, more deliciousness. 

First up was Mann Vignobles des 3 Terres Meli Melo MV from Alsace, an aromatic blend of gewurztraminer, muscat, sylvaner, and pinot gris. With just eight hours of skin contact, it drinks like an orange wine, but without the orange color: unique, textural, and just grippy enough to keep things interesting. 

Next came Markogianni Vorias & Helios Orange Assyrtiko 2023 from Greece, a true tangerine-hued stunner that’s clean, structured, and decidedly orange — the kind of bottle that converts skeptics and delights anyone already deep in their skin-contact era. 

As natural wine continues to evolve past the “funky for funk’s sake” stereotype and into a space that’s refined, festive, and welcoming, there’s never been a better time to show up to the party with a bottle — or three. Better yet, there are now many places online where you can shop ahead and have pêt nats, orange wines, and more delivered straight to your door. Here are a few bottles of excellent natural wine that make great gifts (and additions to any holiday gathering). 

Meinklang Mulatshak

Easy-going, affordable, and accessible, Meinklang is a great starter pick for those looking to get into natural wine (or for a host gift that’s basically guaranteed to be popped and consumed within an hour of your arrival). 

Meinklang Weisser Mulatschak

Where to Buy:

• $24 at Mysa

Wonderwerk Chismosa

Wonderwerk always offers a sense of whimsy in its wines, and Chismosa (which means “gossip” in Spanish) is no exception. It’s a cheeky sparkling rose that feels especially giftable with its airbrush-art label design and crisp, floral flavor. 

Wonderwerk Chismosa

Where to Buy:

• $24.99 at Flask Fine Wines

Ruth Lewandowski Tatto

Aromatic, zesty, and effusive, this upbeat skin-contact blend is another fun choice at a slightly higher price point. As Ruth Lewandowski describes it, “A veritable wine based Dole Whip … it IS sunshine.” It’s also excellent with Italian food and cheese.

Ruth Lewandowski Tatto Skin Contact White Blend

Where to Buy:

• $27 at Ruth Lewandowski Wines

Vini Rabasco Bianco Damigiana

Made with biodynamic farming and hand-harvested grapes, this medium-bodied Italian orange has notes of honeyed fruit, citrus peel, and fresh herbs. Pair it with seafood or risotto, or simply enjoy it on a patio at sunset. 

Rabasco Bianco Damigiana Orange Wine

Where to Buy:

• $51 at Good Clean Fun

Domaine Glinavos Paleokerisio

This Greek semi-sparkling orange is a semi-dry crowd-pleaser with notes of apple and apricot. Plus, it comes in a demure 500-milliliter size, great for lighter drinkers or for sharing one-on-one when you’re not in the mood for a whole bottle. 

Domaine Glinavos Paleokerisio Sparkling Orange Wine (500-ml. Bottle)

Where to Buy:

• $20 at Decant Bottle Shop

Union Sacre Sangiovese Carbonic

In search of a chillable red? Look no further than this juicy, fruity California sangiovese that is made with carbonic fermentation, begs to be chilled, and pairs well with pizza and grilled meats. 

Union Sacre Carbonic Sangiovese

Where to Buy:

• $19.99 at Flask Fine Wines

If you ever needed to know where to eat along the West Coast, in cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, San Diego, Phoenix, and beyond, this is the newsletter for you. If you’re never on the West Coast, you’ve never eaten there, and all you care about is local dining somewhere else — this newsletter is still for you; the West influences restaurants across the nation and the world.

For more than 11 years, I was the lead editor of Eater Los Angeles, shaping the narratives and untangling the restaurant scene of one of America’s most dynamic cities. Now I’m on the prowl to highlight the best in the West, including exciting new trends, noteworthy restaurants and dishes that show where the industry is headed, and intel that only I know (and that you will only see on Eater) from my deep rolodex of industry connections. 

I’ve written about a killer Vegas buffet deal, Nobu’s genre-defining dishes, and the shortcomings of Hollywood’s Tesla Diner. More recently, I covered Asian street food in LA, the flashy new Cote Korean Barbecue in Las Vegas, and the first-ever North America 50 Best Restaurants awards.

Consider this the place to get the scoop from your most voracious and curious friend, someone who will help you cut through the noise of influencers and hype. There will be lots of articles, maps, and videos, both by me and my colleagues here at Eater, that underscore the influential dining trends from the West Coast, too. Kang Town is a true insider’s take on the West Coast’s most noteworthy meals and why they matter.

You should be pretty damn hungry afterward.

From elevated Michelin-starred dining along Main Street to Robson Street with its dizzying array of dumpling shops, ramen-ya, Korean-fried chicken joints, and creative bakeries, Vancouver is a city that demands you come hungry and ensures you leave satisfied.

Since I arrived as an immigrant from the U.K. more than a decade ago, exploring the culinary delights of the city has been like a global food tour. (Hard to say whether I fell first for the city’s soaring mountain views or the easy access to superb, cheap sushi.) Over 40 percent of Vancouver’s residents are born outside of Canada, and the city is home to robust Chinese, Indian, and Filipino communities, to name a few. Chefs from around the world apply culinary traditions to exceptional produce from the Lower Mainland and superb seafood from the cold, clean waters around Vancouver Island, creating a unique style of West Coast cuisine. Add in mushrooming brewery and distillery scenes, as well as fruit-forward wines from the nearby Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys, and you can see why Vancouver deserves its reputation as one of the world’s best places to eat and drink. 

Maple leaf pride — through supporting all things B.C. in particular and Canadian in general — continues to be the order of the day here in Vancouver. American wines and spirits have been pulled from shelves in response to the tariffs imposed by President Trump, creating more room for businesses to highlight whisky made right here at craft distilleries in B.C. along with superb wines and other spirits.

Vancouver does the festive season right: Grouse Mountain is dusted with snow, the city glows with holiday lights, there are seasonal flavors to try wherever you go, and it’s the absolute best time to sample the rich bounty of Canadian-sourced shellfish from oysters to lobster. January and February bring the ever-popular Dine Out festival, with prix fixe menus and fun visiting chef events, so even in the gloomiest times, there are plenty of delicious things to try.

We update this list quarterly to make sure it reflects the ever-changing Vancouver dining scene. Our write-ups include insider tips from our experienced writers and editors, as well as a rough range of pricing for each destination — ranging from $ for quick, inexpensive meals with dishes largely under $10 (or the equivalent in Canadian dollars), to $$$$ for places where entrees exceed $30.

New to the map in December 2025: Zabu, a late night Korean-style fried chicken wonder; the fine dining institution Blue Water Cafe; and beloved brunch legend Cafe Medina.

Nikki Bayley is an award-winning freelance travel, food, and wine writer whose work has appeared in The Daily Telegraph, BC Living, and Whistler Traveller.

We’re still in the holiday gift shopping procrastination zone, before panic sets in, but we’re circling the city limits — so consider this article your gentle push notification to smash that order button on the Le Creuset bread oven your partner has been ogling all year. The clock is ticking to act before you get stuck in vague shipping-time purgatory, otherwise known as the liminal space window when you realize your bubbe’s beloved chip and dip platter may or may not arrive in time for Hanukkah. Of course, there are the big-box retailers that have dialed in fast shipping times (that are reliable, too), and that’s where Walmart (yes, really) comes in clutch with a range of visible, precise estimates on when you can expect your gift. There’s even a Get It Fast section, where you can get a whole smorgasbord of, say, kitchen tools and countertop appliances delivered to your doorstep within as little as an hour, depending on your location.  

You have enough to do this year (that bûche de Noël isn’t going to roll itself), so the trusty Eater shopping team sifted through the best holiday finds and food gifts that will ship fast from Walmart — because someone’s uncle (me?) needs this giant, whiskey-filled dreidel.   

This cheery red slow cooker is $30 off

Every family has one: the slow-cooker-obsessed braising maven who’s constantly looking for new additions to their forever stew, and who could probably stand to use a much better model than the questionable Crockpot they scooped at a garage sale in 1988. This festive Hamilton Beach model packs seven quarts of brew and stew space, and it even comes with a mini food warmer for dips and appetizers. 

Hamilton Beach 7 Qt Programmable Slow Cooker

Where to Buy:

• $89.99 $59.99 at Walmart

For smaller kitchens, a trusty hand mixer

KitchenAid sets the bar high for stand mixers with its top-notch construction and sleek, Art Deco design, and its handheld model can come in just as clutch for the giftee with less storage space.  

KitchenAid 3-Speed Hand Mixer (Empire Red)

Where to Buy:

• $34.88 at Walmart

A cute new water bottle for hikes, walks, and long drives

Help your giftee escape the cult of St*nley cups with this checker-print water bottle, which has a little yeehaw swag in the form of a cowboy boot charm. 

Thyme & Table Water Bottle with Straw Lid (26 fl oz)

Where to Buy:

• $15.01 at Walmart

The perfect ornament for their kitchen tabletop tree

From lasagna ornaments to Spam ornaments, Walmart has a surprisingly robust selection of John Derian-esque tree embellishments that look way more expensive than they are. These sparkling pink Snoball ornaments are selling fast, so add to cart before they’re gone. 

Old World Christmas Glass Blown Christmas Ornament, Mini Hostess Sno Ball

Where to Buy:

• $9.99 at Walmart

This easy-to-use pod coffee machine

Eater’s special projects director Lesley Suter is a fan of Keurig’s pod coffee makers, because they’re so easy to use and are especially handy to have when you’ve got company staying over (and rising at different times) in need of coffee. This sleek machine is currently under $50 and is available with same-day delivery in some areas. 

Keurig K-Express Essentials Red Single-Serve K-Cup Pod Coffee Maker

Where to Buy:

• $54.97 $49 at Walmart

These retro-inspired lidded bowls 

Don’t sleep on The Pioneer Woman for vibey kitchen decor; the brand is kind of like if Laura Ashley and Dolly Parton had a home decor lovechild with a penchant for scalloped edges and floral motifs. This trio of retro-inspired, dishwasher-safe bowls is very At Home With Amy Sedaris (read: positive), and comes with lids for storage — plus, it’s available for overnight delivery.   

Pioneer Woman Hattie 6-Piece Bamboo Melamine Bowl Set with Lids

Where to Buy:

• $16.94 at Walmart

For the host with the most

We’re in prime chip and dip season, folks. This set of ceramic chip and dip bowls can work for any season, but the real winning detail for me is that acacia wood tray, which feels very Crate & Barrel.  

Better Homes & Gardens Ceramic Chip Dip Bowl with Acacia Tray

Where to Buy:

• $18.93 at Walmart

Stuff their stocking (with a meat thermometer)

Life is full of risks, but undercooked chicken shouldn’t be one of them. This digital meat thermometer has a bright LED display, so your giftee will be able to clearly read the temp on their holiday roast.  

Taylor Stainless Steel Digital Foldable Meat Thermometer

Where to Buy:

• $15.48 at Walmart

Not seeing your perfect present yet? Check out the rest of Eater’s holiday gift guides here.

Roman cuisine is a reflection of the city itself — layered, deeply rooted in tradition, and full of contrasts. After years of eating my way through Rome, I’ve found the best meals are shaped as much by history as the hands that prepare them. Family-run trattorias have served the city’s defining dishes for generations: cacio e pepe, carbonara, roasted lamb, and offal-based specialties, many of which trace their origins to Rome’s historic slaughterhouse economy. While these places remain essential, a wave of neo-trattorias constantly reinterprets the classics, and the broader dining scene continues to shift too. The influence of Rome’s immigrant communities and cuisines, from Ethiopian to Venezuelan, is stronger than ever.

The holiday season in Rome starts earlier than you might expect. By early November the streets glow with lights and shops lean into elaborate displays that stay put at least through the Epiphany on January 6. As temperatures drop, menus shift toward comfort dishes built on broth and winter produce. Puntarelle appears everywhere, crisp stalks of bolted chicory shredded and tossed with a punchy anchovy vinaigrette. Market stalls fill with heaps of bitter greens and artichokes, crates of citrus, and romanesco in tight chartreuse spirals.

Eating and drinking well in Rome isn’t just about knowing where to go; it’s about knowing how to navigate the city’s idiosyncratic dining culture. Travelers often book tables months in advance, making last-minute reservations tough. While online booking is becoming more common, many places still rely on the phone, and it’s best to call at the very start or very end of service, when the staff actually has time to pick up. Plan ahead — but leave some room for spontaneity too.

We update this list quarterly to make sure it reflects the ever-changing dining scene in Rome. Our write-ups include insider tips from our experienced writers and editors, as well as a rough range of pricing for each destination — ranging from $ for quick, inexpensive meals with dishes largely under $10 (or the equivalent in euros), to $$$$ for places where entrees exceed $30.

New to the map in November 2025: Near the Circo Massimo, Alessandro Ruver channels his years with Bonci into a tiny workshop turning out some of the city’s most expressive pizza in teglia at Ruver Teglia Frazionata. In Garbatella, Abruzzese chef Franco Franciosi brings the spirit of his mountain homeland to Stecca, shaping a Roman debut that feels both grounded and refreshingly personal. And a short walk from the Pantheon, Moriondo e Gariglio keeps a 19th century chocolate tradition alive with handmade chocolate and meticulous seasonal specialties.

Katie Parla is a Rome-based food and beverage journalist, culinary guide, and New York Times best-selling cookbook author. Her latest cookbook, Rome, is available now.

Growing up, I always envied the kids who built gingerbread houses at home. My family and I rarely baked together in Brooklyn: Like many Asian diaspora families, we stored pots and pans (and our rice cooker!) in the oven. 

When I became a mom, I made sure my son got to experience some holiday magic as defined by American culture. We started with store-bought kits from Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. But after seeing the incredible from-scratch gingerbread houses made by members of Subtle Asian Baking — the online community I founded in 2020 — I set out to perfect the ultimate recipe for a gingerbread house, one even first-time bakers can master at home. 

What I discovered was that the process was harder than I expected — a true labor of love — but it’s worth every minute and so satisfying to complete. Even with lopsided walls and melty gummies, each house tells a story and holds precious memories. For me, finally building a gingerbread house from scratch created a new tradition for my son and me, as we both found a sense of belonging together as third-culture kids in America. Like our home, the sweetest gingerbread houses are the ones we build side by side. — Kat Lieu

• A Gingerbread Recipe That’ll (Literally) Stand the Test of Time
• The Best Icing for a Gingerbread House Is a Simply Royal
• How to Assemble a Stunning (and Sturdy) Gingerbread House
• All the Tools Needed to Make a Gingerbread House

It’s immediately obvious when you walk in that Tamba is one of Las Vegas’s most ambitious new restaurants. Heavy double doors open to an arresting, high-ceilinged space that evokes a five-star hotel lobby. A DJ spins electro-Indian tunes that pulse out of invisible speakers hidden in the walls. 

Then comes the food: On the warm, rounded tables of thick slab oak, chef Anand Singh — who earned fine dining credentials at Rosewood Las Ventanas in Cabo San Lucas — serves folded raw hamachi slices topped with tiny dabs of curry and a maroon-colored pool of tamarind ponzu that wouldn’t feel out of place at a Nobu. A proper spoon swipe indents a celeriac puree topped with edamame and microgreens next to a portion of banana leaf-roasted Chilean sea bass. The expansive menu features Japanese and Chinese cooking techniques, a raw bar, Hakka-influenced wok dishes, and upscale takes on familiar curry dishes. The kitchen employs a Josper oven in place of a tandoor.

Owner Sunny Dhillon’s parents operated a version of Tamba for over two decades as a casual curry specialist in a bustling strip mall along the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip. The new Tamba, which opened in January 2025, is ambitious and luxurious. It joins a growing slate of upscale, modern Indian spots across the country that have opened over the last decade. But Tamba looks and feels significantly different from those restaurants. 

“We brought elements of the Nevada desert, Rajasthan desert in India, and Kyoto; it’s all there to give you a refined essence of India,” says Dhillon of the dining room. “There are 2,700 Kelvin lights to bring warmth, desert oak and white granite surfaces, and terrazzo floors — but it’s all simple because the food is loud.” Dhillon also took advantage of Vegas’s deep bench of seasoned hospitality veterans, bringing on staff from the Wynn Resort. 

Much of the attention on Indian fine dining has concentrated elsewhere in the country, in New York, Chicago, or Texas. However, restaurateurs like Dhillon have quietly laid the groundwork for a boom in the Southwest over the last few years. In some ways they resemble their counterparts out east, with menus that incorporate pan-regional Indian specialties in upscale, swanky rooms; in others, they adapt to their unique setting, embodying desert themes and occupying strip mall spaces more common on the West Coast.  

“People are loving the food here, and the clients are mostly Indian,” Singh says. While Indian fine dining attracts all sorts of customers, diasporic Indian and South Asian communities are driving much of the trend, often filling dining rooms. Among immigrant groups in the U.S., Indians have some of the highest median household income; they can now use that spending power at restaurants that vie for Michelin and 50 Best Restaurants accolades. 

About 20 percent of Tamba’s audience are locals of Indian descent. But, like many businesses in Vegas, Tamba also depends on tourists. The city welcomed 50,000 visitors from India in 2023, a 70 percent increase over the previous year. “Indians are now in every corporation, and with so many visitors here for conferences,” says Dhillon. “India is much more appealing globally.” 

The team at Tamba aren’t the only ones going after the market. London’s renowned JKS group just opened a new location of two-Michelin-starred Gymkhana in the Aria resort and casino just a few miles north of Tamba (alongside a new location of another of their restaurants, Ambassador’s Clubhouse, in New York).

“We see Vegas as the center of America, since it attracts people from all over the country,” says JKS CEO Pavan Pardasani. “We’re seeing a lot of excitement from Gymkhana fans and are currently booked until the end of January.” The new location evokes the brand’s original design language of elite social clubs, with colonial touches and splashes of grandma-chic, but it’s twice as large as the one in London’s Mayfair.

Elsewhere in the region, California is home to 20 percent of Indian immigrants in the U.S.; while much of that community lives in the Bay Area, over 150,000 live in Southern California, and some Indian restaurants from elsewhere in the country have targeted LA for expansion. Baar Baar, originally from New York, opened in Downtown Los Angeles in 2023, while San Jose import Fitoor arrived in Santa Monica in 2024 (both dwell more in an upper-mid-range price point versus something aspirational).

Down in Dana Point, the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel resort became a destination for blowout, six-figure, multiday Indian weddings, in part thanks to chef Sanjay Rawat’s extravagant menus. The events proved so successful that the hotel asked Rawat to build out the experience into a full-time restaurant, Kahani, which opened in late 2023, allowing the Mumbai-trained chef to display his work on a more regular basis. Colorful Indian artwork now shrouds the remnants of the steakhouse that used to inhabit the space. 

The menu melds a seasonal California approach with familiar pan-Indian classics: Ahi tuna-studded bhel puri and spiced burrata with cherry tomatoes and strawberries work as lighter starters, while Chennai sea bass comes atop rounds of roasted delicata squash and a bean ragu.  

Most nights, the dining room is filled with Orange County South Asians celebrating special occasions, some venturing from as far as Los Angeles or San Diego. Rawat says only 20 percent of diners are hotel guests. The chef also says regulars like to bring family or friends visiting from India or other U.S. states, showing Kahani off as a standard-bearing Indian restaurant. 

Meanwhile, over in the Phoenix area, the Indian community is much smaller; even so, Jonathan Rodrigues, managing partner of Indibar, which opened in April 2025 in Scottsdale, convinced executive chef Nigel Lobo to bring his talents to Arizona with the aim of building an entire restaurant group, starting first with upscale Indian food. The two grew up together in Dubai and Lobo circulated through top Michelin kitchens in Europe before the duo arrived in Scottsdale. To complement his own talents, the chef brought on tandoor specialist Ajay Negi, who has over 20 years of experience cooking Indian cuisine in Dubai, India, and the Maldives. 

“There are a couple of other restaurants that have tried to do what we do, but I think there was still a gap that needed to be filled. No other places can do what we do with the attention to detail and two world-class chefs,” Lobo says. “We have so many different programs here, from dessert to tandoor to bread that we all make in-house, that it’s like having an entire culinary school here.”

Drawing from every possible regional Indian style, Indibar goes for a “greatest hits” menu. A sampler of tandoor-seared proteins includes a head-on tiger prawn, chicken touched with Afghan murgh spices, mint-covered lamb chop, and yuzu-tinged salmon, which all stride across the plate like the four Beatles across Abbey Road. Dots of beet chutney and curled garnishes look like they took 10 minutes to arrange.

Like Tamba, the restaurant evokes the desert; the interior design employs tasteful earth tones and jewelry-box lighting that glimmers like the sun setting over Arizona’s cactus-laden Sonoran Desert. Bartenders shake cocktails over a prominent counter, illuminated like a beauty boutique, against the far wall; a tiny window peeks into the kitchen, providing glimpses of the cooks inside. It’s ritzy enough to truly impress in a town like Scottsdale, which has the flash of Mastro’s, Maple & Ash, and Ocean 44 — big, brash steakhouses that tend to get the lion’s share of the area’s wealthy diners. 

You wouldn’t know that from the outside. Indibar hides in a corner spot in a strip mall between a consignment store and a skincare studio; a Fogo de Chão stands out more prominently to passersby. Lobo and Rodrigues are betting that they can make the restaurant a destination unto itself for diners in Scottsdale and across Phoenix.

Indibar isn’t the only Indian diamond in the rough. Tamba is situated in a near-suburban outdoor mall located on a highly trafficked highway intersection about 15 minutes from Vegas’s most affluent neighborhoods.  In the mostly quiet city of Hawaiian Gardens, just on the edge of Los Angeles and Orange counties, Shor Bazaar is in a similar situation.

The latter restaurant opened in February 2024 in a strip mall slot, wedged next to a Bank of America ATM that sits almost too close to the restaurant’s front doors. But walk inside to find an energetic room with strong blood orange and teal-painted walls, frosted windows that make it feel like golden hour in Lahore, and black-and-white photos of street food scenes from Pakistan and India. Founder and chef Imran “Ali” Mookhi, who also opened the Michelin-recognized Khan Saab Desi Craft Kitchen in Fullerton, might not have had the same budget for decor as Indibar and Tamba, but there’s a sumptuous feeling to the space. 

Mookhi takes a similar approach to nearby Pakistani restaurants like Zam Zam in Hawthorne or Al-Noor in Lawndale, which serve pan-regional Indian dishes punctuated with their own regional specialties. The halal menu at Shor Bazaar doesn’t pull any punches with regards to finesse, and it feels like a level up from Moohki’s experience at restaurants like the Michelin Bib Gourmand Tumbi in Santa Monica and the now-closed Tantra in Silver Lake. 

“There’s halal food out there, but nothing was trendy. Just a place you go [for a casual meal],” says Mookhi, who offers something completely different than any other restaurant in the area.

A shatteringly crisp dosa arrives redolent with ghee and fillings of masala potato and beef keema. Afghan mantu are mounted on an elevated ceramic plate resembling a cloud, just five dumplings to an order but delectable and precise. Tandoor-grilled beef sirloin arrives with a puff of smoke released from a glass enclosure at the table. Peshawari-style chicken karahi is loaded with enough spices, garlic, ginger, and minced chiles to make one forget about butter chicken. 

For dessert, airy foam daulat ki chaat with dried rose and crumbled pistachio doubles down on the whole “crazy rich” vibe with edible gold and a printed edible rice cracker in the form of a $100 bill. Ostentatiousness is part of the point.

“We keep our menu short and simple rather than having a bible menu like at ordinary desi restaurants.” Mookhi says. “Our focus was on how to make the food appealing; that’s why we incorporated flavors from Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan.” 

Like Indian restaurants in other markets, Shor Bazaar has to balance market demands with personal goals. Over at Tamba, Dhillon says the kitchen adapted food to be “non-abrasive and non-spicy so that everyone can be a client,” reflecting ongoing stigmas against Indian cuisine. At the same time, Singh says, the Tamba team is “already thinking about taking butter chicken off because we want to live up to a higher standard,” reflecting the backlash percolating against the popular dish among some chefs. 

These restaurateurs and chefs are part of a broader conversation about cuisine, class, and authenticity that continues to play out across the country. It’s too early to say how far ambitions will reach in the Southwest, but these restaurants have cemented Indian cuisine as a nationwide standard for fine dining. 
“It’s good to see people are taking initiative with doing Indian and Pakistani food and putting it into bigger scenes,” says Mookhi. “It’s finally time to step up and be proud of our own food and culture.”

An octopus tostada in Austin. A fried-to-order churro in LA. A plate of Bengali wedding chicken in Raleigh, North Carolina. These are just a few of the flavors that struck a chord with Eater editors in cities across the United States in 2025. The breadth and depth of this year’s Eater Award winners speaks not only to the individual talent found in these regions, but also to the trends and cuisines driving the hospitality industry forward. But what really makes these awards special is how they speak to the community; they’re designed for locals and written by the locals who spend all year reporting and keeping track of the food and drink stories that matter most to their cities.

Among those spots that can expect a custom-wrapped tomato can to arrive on their doorstep any day now: A blockbuster tavern-style pizzeria hailing a new era of Chicago slice conversations, a destination-worthy Seattle focaccia sandwich purveyor, and a bartender making the case for a celebratory sober culture in the Bay Area. Southern California restaurant Betsy, endured despite the surrounding destruction of the LA wildfires in January. Still more have reinvented themselves at new addresses and managed to not only recapture but captivate their clientele. From the Atlantic to the Pacific and into Central Texas, there are creative and resilient people making the case for folks to keep going out to eat. Join Eater’s editors in spotlighting those restaurants, bars, and cafes that really made this year one to remember.

Atlanta

Austin

Carolinas

Chicago

Washington, D.C.

Los Angeles

New York

San Francisco

Seattle

Special thanks to Nat Belkov, Terri Ciccone, Jess Mayhugh, Patty Diez, and the rest of the Eater team.

A holiday cookie swap is all about accessible abundance: For the price of entry (i.e., an afternoon spent baking one type of cookie to share), guests leave with full cookie tins erupting with biscuits, wafers, and bars, an assortment of treats displaying different colors, flavors, and provenances. It’s that promise of variety — and the suspense of what else you’ll find at the treat table — that makes a cookie-swap invitation so exciting. 

And for the party host, a cookie swap provides an easy-to-achieve framework for what’s essentially a dessert-only potluck. Let the guests bring their cookies and focus mostly on savory appetizers and snacks to counterbalance all that sugar — then roll out the butcher paper, put on the pot of coffee, and let the swapping begin.

• Mokonuts’s Iconic Chocochunk Cookie Is Intentionally Imperfect
• Your Cookie Swap Table Needs This Savory Parmesan Cake
• A Spinach Artichoke Crab Dip Recipe That’s Ready for Any Party
• Dan Pelosi’s Pignoli Are the Life of the Cookie Party
• Benne Seed Wafers Pair Well With Everything
• A Café de Olla Recipe That’s Made for Gathering

We like to think of Cyber Monday as the more tech-savvy sibling of Black Friday; it’s the swan song opportunity to find the last big, juicy deals. If you were too hung over from Uncle Kevin’s hot buttered rum to hit the Black Friday sale circuit, fear not — many of the deals today are even better.

Over at Walmart, certainly one of the undisputed retailer kings of BFCM deals, we’re seeing major discounts on countertop appliances (we’ve been clamoring for an ice maker…) and holiday presents that give the gift of mixing big batches of cookie dough, effortlessly whipping up homemade ice cream, and slicing vegetables for you so your meal prep is a breeze. 

Scoop the final dredges of pumpkin pie out of the tin, memorize your credit card’s expiration date once and for all, and tuck into some of our favorite Cyber Monday kitchen deals from Walmart. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or someone you love, these are the best big-savings buys for passionate home cooks that are actually worth adding-to-cart.  

This classic KitchenAid stand mixer is $160 off

The Platonic ideal of stand mixers is on sale this Cyber Monday in KitchenAid’s iconic Empire Red colorway, and at a 5-quart capacity it can handle plenty of cookie dough.

KitchenAid Artisan Series Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (5-Quart)

Where to Buy:

• $499.99 $339.99 at Walmart

Give the gift of making ice cream at home any time with the TikTok-viral Ninja Creami

Eater staffers have tested Ninja’s ice cream makers before, and the iconic Creami does not disappoint when it comes to making endless varieties of scoopable ice cream worthy of its namesake. This extra-large model comes with two 24-ounce pints and all kinds of bells and whistles; the mix-in feature is ideal for adding in chocolate, nuts, Swedish fish, and whatever other clever toppings you desire.

Ninja CREAMi Deluxe 11-in-1 XL Ice Cream Maker

Where to Buy:

• $249.99 $199.99 at Walmart

This sleek santoku knife is under $25 

A santoku knife for less than the cost of brunch? Quite the stocking stuffer. This Japanese blade comes with huge savings — it’s more than half off.

Hecef Japanese Santoku Knife (7-inch)

Where to Buy:

• $54.99 $22.99 at Walmart

Save $250 on this powerful ice maker

Ah, to live with the luxury of having nugget-size ice on demand. This powerful GE Opal ice maker is a whopping $250 off for Cyber Monday, and it’s designed to keep up to a pound of ice continuously fresh by automatically cycling any melted ice back through its reservoir.

GE Profile Opal Nugget Ice Maker

Where to Buy:

• $548 $298 at Walmart

Breville’s countertop flex espresso machine is on sale

Iced coffee? In this economy? Breville’s countertop espresso machine is definitely an investment appliance, but one that will pay off for years to come once you start making trendy-cafe-level lattes from home.

Breville BES8 Series Infuser Espresso Machine

Where to Buy:

• $569.99 $529.99 at Walmart

The iconic Zojirushi rice cooker is $64 off 

The final boss of rice cookies is undoubtedly the Zojirushi, which is beloved for its non-fussy approach to cooking large quantities of fluffy, perfectly cooked rice to precision, every time. Beloved by home cooks, it’s a must-have if you eat a lot of rice.

Zojirushi NS-TSC18XJ Micom Rice Cooker (10 Cup)

Where to Buy:

• $278.08 $213.95 at Walmart

Check out even more Eater coverage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.