Time flies when you’re procrastinating! Christmas is just this Friday, my friend! And if you still haven’t gotten a gift for your fave Angeleno, here are some gift ideas that are all under $50!
Cocktail Coupes at The Bar Keeper ($6 each): Speakeasies were all the rage this past year, with the Varnish downtown being the must-do for cocktail enthusiasts. If your pal calls The Varnish their second home they’d probably love these cocktail coupes as they’re the same exact ones the DTLA bar uses. At $6 each, the industrial glasses which hold 4.5 ounces of drink, are perfect for adding that swanky feel to holiday parties without spending a fortune. Bar Keeper also carries a martini glass version.
Poketo Artist-Designed Wallets ($20) at Royal/T Cafe: This sturdy, limited-edition wallet would be the perfect gift for that artsy-fartsy hipster in your life. Made of durable vinyl, it folds compactly to fit in a pocket. The wallets come with a snazzy matching badge/pin. You can find these at Royal/T or purchase them online through Poketo, a Los Angeles-based designer of limited-edition art products, apparel and decor.
Cup of Excellence El Salvador: Finca Malacara ($20.50/half pound) at Intelligentsia: Coffee lovers know the Intelligentsia name well but would they ever splurge on awesome coffee for themselves? That’s why opening up a box with this Cup of Excellence award-winning coffee would make any coffee snob squeal with glee. Its flavors have been described as resembling “cherry pie filling and molasses…with a chewy mouthfeel that stays round through the finish of dark chocolate and baking spice notes.”
Mexican Hot Chocolate Truffles ($24 for box of 10) at Compartes Chocolatier: Wanna get your chocolate fiending friends something truly unique? They’ll def foam at the mouth for these truffles made with dark chocolate and infused with cayenne and cinnamon. And of course nothing says “Happy holidays” like the Mexican “Day of the Dead” skull that decorates each piece.
You Can’t Handle This T-Shirt ($36): So your giftee is a little high-maintenance. She won’t have a problem flaunting that fact with this sexy V-neck T-shirt by PJE Los Angeles. Looks like Twilight‘s Kristen Stewart loves it, too. You can order this comfy tee online and have it shipped UPS 2-day. Guys are the lucky ones cuz PJE LA t-shirts can be found at Enda King men’s store on Abbot Kinney in Venice.
Callus Repair Pedicure ($38) at Bellacures: If your friend is a fab fashionista, chances are her Manolos have done a number on her tootsies. Treat her to a luxurious pedicure while taking care of those calluses with this callus-blasting treatment. I just had a pedicure here for the first time this past weekend and can attest to how awesome and pampered I felt afterward.
The Geekanter ($39.99) at Colorado Wine Company: For that quirky, fun-loving oenophile. This 2000ml Kimax Beaker makes a unique gift and will bring smiles and start conversations wherever it goes. You don’t need to spend a lot to decant vino. Rather, let that wine breathe in affordable albeit nerdy style.
2006 Shelter Wine 27-29 Cabernet Sauvignon ($45 a bottle) at Domaine LA: I asked Jill Bernheimer, owner of the wine store, which wine under $50 would make the perfect gift and right away she suggested this Shelter Wine as a “favorite California Cabernet…smooth, rich, what people want in a Napa red. Limited production and overdelivers for the money.” Sold!
Looking for more ideas? For foodie friends, create your own basket of gourmet foods, cookware and wine at Surfas in Culver City. They’ll even put it together for you and wrap it with plastic and a ribbon. That way you can control just how much you spend. Or put together a cocktail fan basket, as Surfas also has a nice selection of Fee Brothers bitters, cocktail mixers, Monin syrups and even Albert Trummer, mixologist formerly of Fraiche, has an elderflower cocktail mix here.