Do you have a guy in your life that’s so difficult to figure out what to give him for Father’s Day or really any other special day for that matter (for non-Dads too)?  Well, for those fabulous foodie fathers out there, I’ve just spent hours (of fun time) on the Internet putting together this list of some of the most creative, unique, hard-to-find food-oriented gifts that I am certain you’ll find something that your man will enjoy!

Now before you scroll down to this list of gifts that are obviously materialistic, it’s really important to focus on what really matters in his (and your) life.  You know, the stuff that money can’t buy.

There are more and more men out there who are living a life of pairing down on stuff.  When they need or want something, it’s not about having ‘tons’ of things, but rather it’s more about having a few ‘high quality’ items that they’ll cherish for a lifetime and even pass down to some fortunate heir.  Experiences with family are of paramount importance to many dads, especially when members of a family are spread out and living a good distance from Dad (which our family is, with one in Illinois, another in Tennessee, and still others in North Carolina, and Iowa)!  Our adult kids keep us on the road a lot!

Being together to enjoy the outdoors, whether at a park, the beach or lake, or simply relaxing in one’s own backyard and having some good stuff sizzling on the grill, truly gives those guys a lot of pleasure plus creates the gift of lasting memories.

Spending quality time with family while enjoying great food . . . there’s no better gift than that!

Now if you are in the gift-giving mood and still stuck on ideas for his gift, look no further, because I’ve put together a list of some of the most unique, creative, and awesome foodie gifts for Father’s Day!  Just click on the name of each item and it will take you to the site where you can learn a bit more about each, read some reviews, check out the price, and finally, purchase something if you like . . . and it will be delivered to you by your friendly delivery person!

Pretty easy, huh?  I know what I’ve picked out among the list . . . can’t get all of them, but anything on this list is super-cool!  

Let’s start with some man-grub food gifts!

Here’s the one and only Italian food item in the entire list and it’s a yummy one.  I can’t imagine any gathering in my family without an antipasto platter of fresh Italian cheeses, salami, and olives!

La Dolce Vita Platter from Murray’s Cheese

La Dolce Vita Platter comes in a signature wooden crate and includes a nutty Fontina, creamy La Tur, sharp Pecorino Calabrese, spicy mountain Gorgonzola, silky Speck, plum Castelvetrano olives, and some crispy Sandimiri crostini.  Sign up for the Murray’s newsletter and you get 10% off.  That’s even better!

 

Porterhouse Steaks from Omaha Steaks

(the cut of meat to prepare the famous “Steak Florentina” click on the link for the recipe here on L.B.V.C.!)

I could add in a prime rib (my husband’s favorite), a filet mignon (my favorite), or a rib-eye, but you can go to the same Omaha Steak web-site and find any cut of Midwestern beef and in a variety of prices.

 

Artisan Applewood-Smoked, Dry-Cured Thick Bacon

 Vande Rose Farms

There’s nothing like waking up to the intoxicating aroma of some mighty fine bacon.  Do you like your bacon super thick like my husband and I do?  First of two brands to choose from (or buy both, what the heck?) is this premium bacon produced in the state of Iowa where there are literally more pigs than people!    

A side note:  My family’s origin is in the region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, where there are coincidentally more pigs than people too!  In fact when you visit the food cities of Modena and Parma, in Emilia-Romagna you will take a whiff of a very fresh aroma in the air:  pig manure being used for fertilizer . . . which my father called “the stinky smell of money”!  

Pigs rule in Iowa and Italy!

Vande Rose’s amazing bacon is produced from an American heritage breed of Duroc piggies raised by family farmers following 175 year-old traditions.   Duroc pork is famous for its rich color and juicy, tender meat that results from being raised sustainably without antibiotics or growth hormones, and from being fed a completely vegetarian diet of local corn and soybeans.  An old-fashioned artisanal curing process is followed taking about 2 weeks by the caring hands of skilled craftsmen who hand rub the pork bellies with a secret craft rub blended of brown sugar and spices.  After this spicy message, the slabs are lovingly dry-cured and slow-smoked over applewood chips for an understated smoky flavor.  The result?  Rich, red, savory, marbled bacon with a robust, natural flavor and just the right balance of fat.  Sliced thick, this highly praised bacon cooks to a hearty texture while remaining thick due to the amount of meat that remains from little shrinkage.

Worth the splurge, don’t ya think?

Celebrated by bacon lovers nationwide, it’s no secret why this bacon is recognized as the “Best Bacon You’ll Ever Taste” by Men’s Health, Cook’s Illustrated, Men’s Journal, Food and Wine, and The Today Show.  Declared the best bacon in the country because of its harmonious balance of flavors by America’s Bacon Critic, Scott Gold.  (The article appeared on Extra Crispy, a Time-Warner website dedicated to recipes and a culture of breakfast and brunch food). 

 
Vande Rose Applewood Smoked Artisan Dry Cured Bacon is only available by calling 563-412-9592 or email or at select Hy-Vee stores in Iowa.

 

What could possibly top that bacon?  

Well, here is the THICKEST, bad-*** bacon out there, and yes, it WILL break the bank to purchase it.  

But I had to share the info with you.  This bacon is crazy nuts!

½” Extra Thick Cut Bacon by Peter Luger

From one of the world’s most celebrated and legendary steakhouses, Peter Luger Brooklyn Steakhouse in New York City (Brooklyn) some of the most premium USDA Prime Beef has been served to devoted clientele for over 125 years. The outrageously EXTRA-thick cut bacon can literally be a stand-alone dish in itself.  It’s now available via mail order for those who want to make the ultimate bacon splurge.  

This is serious bacon to the extreme!  Literally hulk-sized slabs of fat-veined pork so thick you need to cut it with a fork and knife.  Just how thick this bacon is remains something of a secret of the house.  Each slab of bacon is crisped to oblivion on the outside, yet remains as tender and soft as a baby’s bottom on the inside.  When cooked, this bad boy bacon drips with a golden grease that soaks 3 sheets of paper towels (I’m guessing there’s a lot of fat in these then, what do you think . . . that’s OK, fat is good)!  

 

Moving on through this man feast, let’s get to the adult beverage gifts that he’ll just love!

 

How about a Home Beer Brewing Kit from Northern Brewery ?

If the man in your life enjoys the latest rage of locally-produced craft beers, then why not give him his own beer brewing kit?  A new hobby may result for your beer aficionado.   It’s one of the few kits on the market that provides absolutely everything you need in one box — right down to the tubing and bottle caps. So there’s no need to make a run out to the store before he gets started. The sooner he starts brewing, the sooner he can enjoy the fruits of his labor, right?

The kit includes absolutely everything you need to brew authentic craft beer at home, including the revolutionary Little Big Mouth Bubbler glass fermentor.  The kit also includes a Northern Brewer’s Chinook IPA Recipe Kit, recipes that have earned over 150 5-star reviews, and fresh ingredients in every kit.  It’s built by world-class brewmasters using the same ingredients and techniques as pro brewers.  Includes complete instructions with a DVD.  A big plus is that experienced brewmasters are available 7 days a week to guide you through the brewing process.  I know that I’d be on the phone calling them all day since I’m clueless about brewing beer!

 

So now if he’s going to start his own home brewery, he’s got to a have a snazzy beer tasting ‘flight’ to share his concoctions with friends.  

Personalized Beer Tasting Flight

This beer flight paddle can even be personalized.  There are lots of really cool flights available on the web, but I thought this one was the best in price with the most uniqueness.  They can really get pricy into the 100’s of dollars.  This also had good reviews and is mid-priced.

 

Man Crate’s Bloody Mary Crate

For those wonderful morning brunches and tailgating get-togethers, this Bloody Mary ‘Man-Crate’ is a winner gift!  A big wooden crate arrives with all of the gourmet fixings needed to start a bloody adventure into the cocktail world:  Pepperoni ‘straws’, bacon rimshot, and 2 Infinium plastic pilsner glasses.  Also included are the flavorings of Demitri’s Classic Seasoning, Horseradish Seasoning, and Chilis and Peppers Seasoning.  Of course, some special Clamato Tomato Juice comes with the collection.  

All your man has to do is open up that man-crate when it arrives, break out his favorite vodka (sorry, not included in the crate) and just whip everything together . . . plus add any other garnish that makes a super creative Bloody Mary (our personal favorites include celery sticks with the leaves still attached, jumbo green olives, okra, carrot sticks, pickle spears, mini corn cobs, hot pepperoncini, a radish . . . you get the picture!  Loaded!) 

 

Hmmm, so your guy isn’t a beer or vodka aficionado? Maybe whiskey is his thing.

Here’s a great idea, especially if he’s got a special man cave, fishing cabin, or a man garage going on!

Personalized Whiskey Barrels

These whiskey barrels are available as a set or alone.  There are two sizes along with their own platform to set sideways down to pour the booze.

 

The Crafthouse Cocktail Smoker Cloche by Fortessa

Here’s a great gift to amp up those cocktails a notch or two!  A cocktail smoker!  The latest rage, we just love all of the smoked cocktail creations.  One of the two smokers shown next is on the top of our wish list (only one, not two!).  This unique tool infuses your favorite cocktails with aromatic smoke.  It’s so beautiful as well!  Guess what I bought for Father’s Day?  He’ll be so surprised (unless he reads this post first!)

 

Whiskey Wedge by Corkcicle

Hello whiskey — Goodbye watered-down!  Here’s a new slant on drinking any adult beverage!  Create a sloping mini-glacier of ice that chills your libation with less dilution than faster-melting “rocks.” 

Take the edge off with Whiskey Wedge, the artful way to perfectly chill, but not water down your favorite spirits.  This glass is perfect for sipping whiskey, bourbon, tequila or scotch. During the freezing process, ice forms a wedge shape on one side of the glass. When you pour a drink, this wedge melts slowly to help retain your drink’s full flavor.

Enjoy your favorite spirits perfectly chilled–but not watered down–by filling the silicone mold with water and freezing to form a diagonally bisected glass that makes a modern statement for cocktail conversation.  Great for whiskey and design enthusiasts alike.

 

Walnut Beverage Canteen by Corkcicle

When I showed this to my husband, his reaction was simply “Wow!”  ‘Nuff said right there!  (He’s a man of few words anyway, so when he speaks, he means what he says!)  So this canteen impressed him!  It comes in two sizes, and the large size above is currently sold out, which tells you how in demand this beauty is!  For coffee, or whatever, for keeping beverages hot or cold, this “Wood Collection” canteen is inspired by nature and features a warm, woodgrain pattern and a sleek, matte finish. 

Your guy (or you) can enjoy favorite cold or hot beverages anytime, anywhere.   It’s crafted from stainless steel with a proprietary triple insulation that keeps drinks ice cold for up to 25 hours without freezing or piping hot for up to 12 without sweating.   If ice is added in the wide-mouth opening, cold drinks remain chilled even longer.  It also features easy-grip sides, a slip-proof, silicone bottom, and a screw-on cap.

 

OK, now let’s get to the foodie cooking gadgets . . . all men love their gadgets!  Man-toys!  

Breville’s Smoke Infuser

Time to get your smoke on that meat, fish or veggies, this is a winner gift!  Designed for professionals and commercial kitchens, this smoker effortlessly infuses food and drinks with natural applewood or hickory flavors – without extra heat.  Simply place smoking wood chips in the burn chamber, light, then use the flexible hose to add smoke in any closed container, from resealable bags to cocktail shakers.  The extra-long burn chamber allows for longer smokes and easy loading.

Heat is contained in an anodized-aluminum smoking chamber, resulting in a cool smoke at release.  It’s gentle enough to use on delicate fruit, vegetables, and raw fish without changing texture or temperature.  It also works on food before or after cooking.  Compact and lightweight enough for one-handed use!  A large opening allows easy loading of wood chips.  The removable silicone smoke tube directs smoke where it’s needed, so it’s perfect for resealable bags and containers.  It comes with 0.5-oz jars of applewood and hickory smoking wood chips.  Plus the wood doesn’t require pre-soaking prior to smoking.

 

Weber’s Smokey Mountain Cooker Charcoal Smoker

Now if your guy REALLY wants to smoke foods BIG TIME, then ya gotta get a big smoker, right?  The features for this smoker were numerous and at an average price (which we really like)!

This is a charcoal smoker for achieving an authentic smokehouse flavor at home and it’s rust resistant aluminum which is good, because it’s home would be outside for us!

 

So let’s go all out here with the grill machines!

 

Char-Griller Duo Gas and Charcoal Grill

You’ve heard of dueling banjos and dueling pianos, but now you can have a duo griller (even a trio!).

This is a grill lover’s dream!  The Char-Griller DUO™ 5050 dual-function combo grill offers the benefit of gas and charcoal grilling on the same cart for convenience, fun, and flavor all in one. 

You get gas for convenience and charcoal for flavor!  Dual cooking surfaces, with warming racks, and space for smoking!  Plus a side burner for beans or chili, etc.  Made of super heavy steel construction, this serious grill has long-lasting durability.  The cast-iron cooking grates are porcelain-coated that provides superior heat retention and an easy-to-clean surface . . . and that’s a big plus in my world!

 

Kabob Grilling Baskets

These are great for grilling kabobs that seem to always fall apart as the food grills.  Dad’s will love grilling around a campfire with the older kids with these!

 

Meat Grinders are recently among the top choices for foodies!  

Our son in Chicago has been making his own sausage for years and now our son in Tennessee has got the bug to make sausage.  

Betitay Sausage Grinder and Stuffer

Every cook or chef knows that grinding your own meat at home creates better burgers, meatballs, or sausage.  We grind our own veal, pork, prosciutto and mortadella for our tortellini every holiday.  This meat grinder has high power with very little noise.  The meat mincer has 3 different cutting accessories for coarse, medium, fine grinds of meat that making stuffing and filling (such as what we use for tortellini filling).  You can also use this for fish and vegetables. 

This is quite popular in the States with 40,000 sold in the past 5 years . . . that’s a lot of sausages my friends!  Along with the 3 different sized cutting discs, you also get 1 sausage attachment, 1 kibbe attachment, 1 cutting blade, 1 food pusher, 1 food grade polished aluminum hopper plate and grinding head.   Last but not least, all cutting plates and blade can be washed in the dishwasher!  Nice!

 

And here is a fantastically creative gift for all of those pasta lovers out there (which is just about everybody)!

Al Dente Pasta Shaped Pot Holders

They can be used as hot pads to protect your hands, as well as a spoon rest.  Clever, unique, fun and unexpected!

 


 And last, but not least . . . if you’re a traditional ‘tie’ giver on Father’s Day, then here’s a way to amp up that gift!  By giving him a tie for 3, 6, OR 12 months a year!  Seriously, if you’ve got a guy who wears ties to work a lot and hates to shop, or maybe you don’t have the time yourself to get to a store, then this Necktie of the Month Club is simply genius!

Necktie of the Month Club

I’m just sayin’!  

Some guys just like tradition . . . and this tie of the month club will fill that bill!

 

I hope that you’ve enjoyed this group of wonderful, awesome, creative, unique, and fun gift ideas for the man in your life for Father’s Day (or his birthday, an anniversary, graduation, celebration, retirement, for Christmas, or just because you love him and want to do something nice and unexpected).

Wishing all of those fathers out there a Father’s Day filled with love and joy, family, faith, and yes, some yummy, tummy-filling food!

 

 

 

 

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