The Ultimate East End Shopping Guide For Foodies

Our Top Picks For The 2023 Holiday Season 

Shopping for the epicures among us can be truly challenging. A traditional gift basket? It won’t cut it. A gift certificate to an East End restaurant? Not for the most discerning of palates. When you’re faced with holiday shopping for the most gourmand of the gourmands, grander — and more out-of-the-box — is sometimes better. But where can you find the most unique and surprising food gifts out east? We have all of the secrets to foodie holiday shopping rounded up. For our favorite spots for gifting this year (and for some of our top gifts for foodies this holiday season), read on. 

Foodies in-the-know are probably already in on the not-so-secret secret that is Hen of the Woods Market in Southampton. Owned by Jonathan Bernard, who originally made his business selling mushrooms to chefs on the East End, the specialty store is now filled with culinary delights that can be found almost nowhere else on eastern Long Island. Tins of golden ossetra caviar, Bordier butter imported from France, small-batch vinegars, locally produced granolas, and, when the season is right, white truffles: it’s all available at Hen of the Woods. Create a gift basket or find that one special item that your foodie friend has been seeking out. This store has it all. 

Bridgehampton’s L&W Market serves delicious breakfast and lunch daily. But the store’s market is also a treasure trove when it comes to food-oriented holiday shopping. In addition to a full line of pantry items, the store stocks its own proprietary bottled goods, under both Almond and #KimchiJews. Pick up Sriracha mayo, bulgogi steak marinade, Maldon salt, smoked almonds, tomatillo salsa verde, Aleppo pepper, sweet chili garlic sauce, harissa, chili oil, and even citrus-cured olives for a locally sourced selection of snacks that will delight any food-obsessed giftee in your life. 

At Carissa’s — visit either the Amagansett location, on Pantigo Road, or the Sag Harbor location, on Bay Street — the wide world of gifting extends far beyond homemade breads and pastries. A Leset apron, loose and linen-colored, is an ideal pick for that family member who spends plenty of time in the kitchen but who still wants to look chic while cooking. Big Picture Farms Goat Milk Caramels make compelling stocking stuffers, as does the Yurrita Bonito Del Norte White Tuna in Jar; it is sourced sustainably from the Bay of Biscay. House-made blood orange jam, Potters Table marshmallows, and Grand Noodle Five Colored Guksu Noodles are just some of the other specialty items you can pick up for discerning friends and family at these East End hot spots. 

Open since 2022, L’Epicuriste, in Bridgehampton, offers everything from black fig preserves to Sag Harbor Honey to black truffle pearls from TartufLanghe to handmade pottery from local and far-flung artisans. Beautiful woven baskets, available at the store, are the perfect receptacle for a DIY gift basket, arranged right in front of you. The store also sells imported cheeses, caviar, and crème fraiche, for those looking to create an edible luxury gift that requires a little bit of refrigeration.