The Best Mother’s Day Gifts for a Discerning, Food-Loving Mom
Whether you opt for the $8 apricot jam or the $300 Japanese toaster, you’ll finally make your mom feel appreciated around here
Before I was a trusted food writer, beloved journalist, and renowned recommender of gifts, I was a son. A son with a mother. So, as you can imagine, I take Mother’s Day very seriously. Surely, the woman who gave the world a gift as spectacular as, well, me deserves something pretty special in return.
I do realize that there are all types of mothers out there — some who make excellent fruit tarts and possess a Julia Child-esque charm, sure, but plenty of others who are, say, extroverted and love power tools, or are scientists or patent lawyers, or sauvignon blanc moms who collect Rae Dunn mugs, or others yet who love afternoon tea and crocheting and hushed gossip. For instance, just because mine doesn’t drink doesn’t mean your boozer of a mom should wind up empty-handed. Also, there are all types of maternal figures out there who deserve celebration, not just moms. Maybe your mom is dead, or you don’t have a good relationship with her — or both! I say we expand this holiday to recognize all the mother figures out there. Maybe your “mom” was actually the mother of your best friend down the street, or the proprietress of your local gay bar, or your poor college ex who taught you to do laundry and manage your temper.
Whoever your mother figure is, they deserve some love — and these gifts are guaranteed to thrill them, delight them, and show them that you care.
Chocolates: a classic for a reason
Alongside flowers (see next item), chocolates are the gold-standard Mother’s Day gift, and for good reason: Chocolates are both extremely delicious and an effective way of conveying your love for someone.
There are as many types of chocolate boxes as there are mothers to enjoy them. For something a bit more elevated, the Pearls of the Forest Bonbon Collection is the most recent collaboration between San Francisco’s Dandelion Chocolate and New York-based HÅKAN Chocolatier. Each piece is an ode to chocolatier Håkan Mårtensson’s childhood home in southern Sweden and the forest fruits that grow wild there.
Other fancy chocolate boxes that I adore come from French chocolatier Richart. These are little works of art, both in terms of flavor and appearance, and the smaller size means you can try more of Richart’s incredibly intense flavors like ginger ganache and chocolate raspberry.
Or you can skip the rest and go right to the best: a 1-pound box of Nuts & Chews from See’s Candies. Still the GOAT—and the fastest way to my mother’s (and my) heart.
For more ideas for where to buy chocolates, check out Eater’s more comprehensive guide here.
Bottomless flowers
Fresh flowers might be the most classic Mother’s Day gift of all, but that doesn’t mean they have to be boring. Instead of the usual last-minute grocery store bouquet, consider a flower subscription—a gift that keeps the compliments coming week after week. It’s a simple way to fill your mom’s space with color, scent, and a touch of indulgence without asking her to lift a finger.
While only regionally available, a subscription from Farmgirl Flowers is a true standout. Its arrangements are lush, seasonal and generous—so generous that trimming and arranging them can make a full morning’s work. It’s enough for a bouquet in every room or for turning a modest kitchen table into a floral explosion.
Nationwide, UrbanStems and The Bouqs Co. both offer stylish options at various price points. The Bouqs also has potted plants and beautifully preserved dried bouquets that last for months, which means she’ll think of you every time she walks past the dining room. A low-effort, high-reward gift—because your mother didn’t raise a sucker.
The world’s most useful tote
So much hype has been spent on what is written on the outside of tote bags that their fundamental design has been neglected almost entirely. Yes your Iowa Review tote makes a great declaration of what side you’re on in the culture war, but it is hardly practical.
I’d argue that this pro-level tote from Williams Sonoma is the ultimate lifestyle signifier because it actually helps you to live an amazing lifestyle. It has spaces for multiple wine bottles, plenty of room in the main compartment for sub sandwiches and beach towels, and even has a genius strap on the side for holding a bundle of fresh cut flowers — I’d imagine it would also work great for a baguette or a rolled up copy of the The Daily Worker. This tote would make an amazing gift for all kinds of moms.
Personally, I’d throw in a few other little treats. Maybe this adorable set of Bonne Maman preserves, or a portable charcuterie board complete with cheese knives, or these surprisingly affordable picnic-appropriate linen napkins.
A toaster from the future
Like Paul Simon said, we live in an age of miracles and wonders—and the Toaster from Balmuda is proof. In my opinion, the Toaster is the perfect gift. A price tag of ~$300 for a toaster can be too much of an indulgence for someone to buy themselves, especially because everyone (and their mother!) seems to share the wrongheaded opinion that their toaster already works “just fine.” But give your toast-loving mother the Balmuda — with its Japanese engineering and ingenious combination of steam baking and traditional toasting technology — and watch their mornings transform from routine to life-affirming. The Balmuda creates perfect toast: as golden as an eagle’s wing on the outside, and soft, steaming, and pillowy on the inside, no matter how thin-cut the bread.
I recently put five different toaster ovens to the test on a variety of performance metrics, and the Balmuda made perhaps the greatest impression for being such a joy to use. This thing can also reheat croissants, transforming even yesterday’s Costco pastry into something you’d happily munch at a café in the Latin Quarter. Maybe couple it with a few jars of fancy preserves — something Mom can smear on a thick slice of shokupan while happily taking a bite of perfect toast.
Elevated charcuterie for the mom who snacks
If your mom’s the type to toil over a charcuterie board like it’s an art installation, consider going the tinned seafood route this year. Not only is it having a bit of a moment, but high-end conservas are genuinely delicious and beautifully packaged.
There are tinned seafood options for every type of mom, from basics like high-end tuna to more exotic options like tiny little squids in their own ink or mussels from Patagonia canned in spicy oil. This trio of varieties from Big Night is wonderfully giftable; it includes tuna belly in pesto, sardines with lemon, and spicy marinated mussels.
You could build her a little tapas kit: a few great tins (I humbly suggest referring to this very good guide I happened to write), a nice bottle of vermouth, maybe even some fancy potato chips. Bonus points if you promise to come over and eat it all with her. More of a cheese-lover? The Mother’s Day Set from famed New York fromagerie Murray’s Cheese makes it easy to make her happy.
Speaking of advanced charcuterie, the pickle-loving mom will appreciate this set from Olympia Provisions, which will provide several sessions of exquisite snacking on a variety of pickled veggies.
Pretty much anything from Flamingo Estate
The ever-expanding, Los Angeles-based lifestyle, food, and bath and body brand Flamingo Estate is akin to a sybarite’s general store. It’s so hot at the moment that it’s tempting to dismiss its mystique as hype, but the fact is, it does a spectacular job at making high-quality, very giftable products. If you’re in the market for anything from a candle or a new body wash to a box of avocados, the offerings from Flamingo Estate are guaranteed to be spectacular. We’ve already mentioned its superlative flower delivery service, and it’s also worth mentioning that it offers the status farm box on the West Coast à la moment.
I’m as excited to get my hands on its new Prinsesstårta candle (food candles—still trendy!) as I am to try its persimmon vinegar and rosemary and Ionian bergamot shampoo — and all of these picks make Mom-friendly gifts.
Booze!
When giving the gift of alcohol, my philosophy is that the bottle itself is only half the gift—the other half is permission to consume it whenever the recipient sees fit. That’s why I like to gift alcohol meant to be consumed in the morning.
What says “empty nester but thriving” more emphatically than a splash of something festive in your coffee? My current favorite coffee addition is actually from Australia (a nation that knows both coffee and getting drunk better than any other): Mr Black Cold Brew Liqueur. This stuff is maybe too delicious for something with 25 percent ABV, and also makes an excellent espresso martini.
If Mom is more of a Sunday brunch drinker, consider a Bloody Mary kit: a mini bottle of Tabasco, a bottle of Zing Zang Bloody Mary mix (the very best there is), a jar of artisanal pickled green beans, and a bottle of habanero vodka, like the stuff from Hanson of Sonoma.
If your mom prefers a tipple at a more civilized hour, you really can’t go wrong with an amaro. I’m currently obsessed with the Montreal amaro brand Festif—especially the Festif Choux, which they describe as a Canadian take on Fernet. Délicieux.
If your mom is more of a wine lover, I recommend a set of new glassware; there are so many brands out there right now making beautiful styles. I personally love Kurt Josef Zalto wine glasses, but they’re on the pricey side (albeit worth it for being elegant, feather-light, and a joy to drink out of). For something affordable but equally gorgeous, try a set of German-made Schott Zwiesel glasses or these break-resistant glasses from West Elm with a similar aesthetic (and a great price).
Boos! (as in a John Boos cutting board)
I promised myself I would never become the type of food writer who writes things like “the Cadillac of cutting boards,” but here we are. If you enjoy watching chefs cook on YouTube, take a closer look, and you’ll see that they’re almost certainly cutting on a Boos board. John Boos & Co. has been making wooden cutting boards since 1887, and while the idea of a status cutting board sounds a bit silly, the truth is these boards are both beautiful and a delight to cut on.
My dream board is a reversible end-grain board in either walnut or maple, and I’m sure your mother would love one, too.
Bacon!
In this fractious and fractured country, an abiding love of bacon may be our last sliver of common ground. In fact, bacon—even the cheapest bacon—is so good that many Americans aren’t even aware of just how good the excellent stuff can be. Real hand-crafted, artisanal bacon is nothing short of miraculous—from the Amish-style thick-cut unprocessed rashers to the South’s dedication to streaky, super-smoky slab bacon.
Goldbelly has a variety of high-quality bacon at various price points, but as far as I’m concerned, for fancy bacon, the Kurobuta pork bacon from renowned Snake River Farms can’t be beat. Or maybe spring for a whole slab from the standard-bearer of the disappearing art of historic American ham smoking, Edwards Virginia Smokehouse.
My current favorite bacon is Benton’s bacon from Tennessee. It’s beloved by the next generation of Southern chefs, and I credit it with actually saving my life one particularly hungover morning in New Orleans.
Peanut butter and slippers (what I’m giving my own mom this year)
Time to pull back the curtain and share some truth: Historically, I have often fallen into that all-too-common trap of giving the people I love what I would want instead of what they would want (see the section on bacon). At times, this habit has extended to my Mother’s Day gifting.
So, this year I am getting my mom gifts that I know she would actually use and enjoy—which, in my particular mom’s case, mean anything cozy or that facilitates or improves the eating of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. To that end, I’m gifting her (and Mom, if you’re reading this, please stop reading now) a pair of my favorite slippers — the fur-lined Kolo house shoes from Topdrawer — and a molinillo whisk. These traditional Mexican hot chocolate whisks really do take your hot cocoa to the next level by aerating it and making it more fragrant and creamy. Maybe I’ll throw in a bit of Mexican chocolate, too.
For the sandwiches, I’m giving her a jar of my favorite jam: Mountain Fruit Company’s Always Apricot Natural Fruit Spread, made from Northern California apricots by a family company out of Chico.
I’m also getting her one of these contraptions. My mom prefers natural peanut butter, and I recently discovered—while staying at hers—that she has been using a stick blender to reconstitute the peanut butter and oil before making a sandwich. This natural peanut stirrer should do the job even better and keep the vibes at Mom’s more charming bed-and-breakfast than construction site.
I’ll leave you with a piece of advice. As I write this, I’m currently on vacation with my mother and recently found myself joining her — and about half a dozen other moms — in the pool for a morning aqua aerobics class. After class, I took the opportunity to ask what they really wanted from their own wayward children for Mother’s Day.
“Nothing I have to dust!” said one.
“That’s right!” said another. “Just visit! Just spend some time.”
To this, they all agreed: I am relaying the message, dear readers, that most of all, your mom probably just wants to hang out with you.
