Save this story Save Story Save this story If one of life’s simple pleasures is going to a friend’s house for a home-cooked meal, one of life’s great conundrums is figuring out the art of the host gift. If you bring a dessert, should you poll for food allergies ahead of time? Does anyone really need more scented candles ? And what about the much-maligned bottle of wine?
I host a pasta dinner nearly every Monday, and for what it’s worth, I’m always happy when someone shows up with a wine we can pour with the meal. I’ve had people bring a really great wheel of brie and I’ve had people bring a plant stand for a kumquat tree in my kitchen whose sad drooping they’d noticed at dinner the week before. Recently, one friend appeared with a calendar of Italian priests. Am I Catholic? No. Is it a newly prized possession, hanging prominently on the wall by the bread basket (it felt apropos)? Of course. The best hostess gifts don’t adhere to any strict guidelines; they’re the ones that show your friends know you, and put a little thought into what to get you when—to quote the cliché—they really shouldn’t have.
Whether your calendar is filling up with holiday parties or you’ve befriended someone with a weekend home Upstate, this time of year is rife with occasions that call for these sort of trinkets. And since there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all option, it’s worth taking a little time to pinpoint a present with a little personality.
The Punchy Napkins Cabana D'Ascoli Furore napkins Jump to review $140 CABANA
The Deluxe Olive Oil Oracle Olive Oil Oracle olive oil Jump to review $42 BIG NIGHT
The Squiggly Namecards Jaymes Paper squiggle place cards Jump to review $28 SHOP
The Zero-Proof Aperitivo Figlia The Duo aperitivo bundle Jump to review $86 SHOP
The Heritage Cookware Le Creuset iron dutch oven Jump to review $355 NORDSTROM
The Pasta Bowl Villa Bologna Pottery salad bowl Jump to review $247 OVER THE MOON
The below is an assortment of the very best hostess gift ideas. If you’re looking for something small and sure to please, an edible treat is a safe bet; if you’re looking for a larger gift, say, for a birthday or a holiday, for your friend who loves to entertain, this is for you too. Herewith, a curated gift selection by type of host—and plenty of pieces you might want to earmark for yourself while you’re at it.
You love them not because they can whip up a multi-course meal on demand, but because they know all the best spots to order a multi-course meal on demand. Dress up pizza from the place around the corner with an infused oil, or zhuzh up the dessert course with resin ice cream spoons.
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Bagged leftovers aren’t boring—they’ve just been missing a delightful fish clip to keep them secure.
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Brightland’s finishing oil comes infused with herbs and spices like jalapeño, garlic, and basil to turn any dollar slice gourmet.
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Keep it short and sweet with four marbled resin spoons with which to scoop store-bought sorbet.
Dress up take-out boxes with the help of printed napkins. These, inspired by Byzantine mosaics, will make pretty much anything look fancy.
The host with the most—but the least amount of space—has mastered the art of the tiny apartment dinner party. Gift them something useful that won’t eat away at valuable cupboard space: a Japanese-inspired bento bag that moonlights as a makeshift bread basket and folds up when guests leave, for example, or a tiny espresso maker for after-dinner coffees.
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This trio of miniature clay pots forms the base of a well-equipped windowsill herb garden.
Inspired by Japanese furoshiki , this linen bread basket folds up flat when not in use.
This modular tablecloth is a genius solution to small-space entertaining: As-is, it’s designed for a table of two to four people, but they can button on additional swathes as the guest list (and future square footage) grows.
The original 1960s design needs no improvement: Here’s a compact, cheery solution to bulky coffee machines.
They’re a hazard in an Eataly; they’re one bad work day away from abandoning it all to make small-batch olive oil in the Italian countryside. The way to this person’s heart is a beautifully packaged specialty item—alongside an equally stylish serving vessel to let it shine.
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Take it from Vogue ’s shopping director Talia Abbas: “The packaging alone will turn the sardine-wary into a tinned fish evangelist (I speak from experience).”
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Between the stainless steel finish and mod shape, this is the chicest way to display your favorite extra-virgin olive oil.
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I may be Greek and biased, but this is the best olive oil I’ve ever had that doesn’t come in a plastic water bottle from a neighbor’s farm—in fact, the navy vessel is nice enough to leave on the counter.
If their pantry is a cabinet of curiosities, an army of multi-colored appetizer forks is the best way to serve it up.
Help the aspirational gourmand kit out their workspace with a few handy tools—and if your host gifts are meant to double as housewarming gifts, perhaps even some heritage cookware in a splashy shade of yuzu yellow.
Personalize this present by writing out a few of your favorite recipes for them to try.
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This handy (and very beautiful) book is a sweet organizer that includes space for guests to write little notes after every get-together.
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A 3.5-quart dutch oven can do everything from sear meat to simmer soups—even if they can’t (yet). This is an investment in many years of dinner parties to come.
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At any level, but especially at the beginning, messes are bound to happen. Buy an apron and protect the Dries.
Expect a dress code and a prompt start time: This hostess is the planner who keeps the whole friend group together via a steady calendar of events, and never lets a holiday go uncelebrated. Small nods to tradition or a personalized serving piece are guaranteed to impress.
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‘Tis the season, after all. Marbled paper and silk ribbons give this tradition an elegant spin.
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Bring order to the table with a 12-pack of embossed name cards.
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We’re betting that if they’re the kind of person to print out menus, they’re the kind of person who will appreciate luxury pot pourri.
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Engrave this squiggle serving set with their initials for an extra-special touch.
Dinners at their house are family-style, laid-back, and typically revolve around a heaping bowl of pasta . Contribute to aperitivo hour with an on-theme snack, or perhaps some servingware you know they’ll actually use at their next party.
They’ll be able to match their placemats to their pomarola with these scarlet-stitched linens made in Bologna.
The classic flavors are classic for a reason, but in the case of these taralli—which have been re-imagined in a perfectly savory blend of tomato and oregano—we’ll make an exception.
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Technically, this green bowl is for leafy greens; we see no reason it can’t be re-purposed for rich ragùs.
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They’ll love to add these to their antipasto cheese sets (or just have on hand to liven up a tuna salad).
This person cannot be counted on to roast a chicken, but when it comes to whipping up batch cocktails and tracking down the best bottle of natural wine, there’s no one better. Replenish their barware with all the goodies they’ll need to see them through the holidays.
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Designed in collaboration with Laila Gohar, this limited-edition 17-year-old single malt will be the chicest addition to any bar cart this season.
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Think of these delicate lace bibs as jewelry for wine glasses.
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Designed for pre-dinner drinks, with the requisite amount of glitz for a holiday gathering. Each flute is flecked with Swarovski crystals, in an ode to ‘80s Italian disco glamour.
A zero-proof aperitivo so good, they won’t miss the booze. Choose between bitter orange and meyer lemon—both mix well with sparkling water (in a dereliction of the bottle’s roots, I’ve also mixed the Fiore with mezcal to great success) and make for festive sipping.
Source: Lifestyle
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