Whether you need to pick the perfect present for a party host, or find a unique gift for people who have everything and say they want nothing, we’ve solved your holiday shopping problems by doing the hard work for you. So, sit back, relax, and let us show you some of the great options local businesses have to offer.
Barr’s Public House, located at 3355 Briarfield Rd. in Maumee, is a popular spot for handcrafted cocktails, gastro-pub fare, great beer and an impressive wine list. Open Tuesday through Saturday. A BPH gift certificate for dinner and drinks is a sure winner.
Rosie’s Italian Grille at McCord and Nebraska is a popular Toledo tradition in fine Italian cuisine offering fresh fish, great beef and of course handmade pasta. Rosie’s patio is a great gathering spot and available on all but the coldest of nights. Everyone loves a gift certificate to dine at Rosie’s.
Cocina de Carlos
Carlo’s Poco Loco and Carlos’ Que Pasa are sister restaurants operated in Perrysburg, downtown Toledo and in Cricket West. All offer exquisite, fresh food, each with its own twist. Cocina is a more traditional take on Mexican food, Poco offers Latin foods and Que offers street tacos with more of a take-out operation. Give a gift certificate from these restaurants to make most anyone very happy. cocinadecarlos.com carlospocoloco.com carlosquepasa.com
Shawarmaholic
Offering quick-service, excellent Mediterranean foods for take-out or eat-in, their menu is full of authentic dishes, prepared daily in each of three restaurants. Pita wraps are stuffed full with your selection of chicken, beef, gyro, falafel or kafta. Salads are full of freshly chopped vegetables. Give a gift certificate from the restaurant closest to your recipient. 3344 Secor Rd., 5464 Monroe St., 3555 Navarre Ave., Oregon. shawarmaholic.com
Royal Deli Foods
Giving to someone who just can’t get the shopping and cooking done? Give locally prepared, fresh, ready-to-go meals prepared by Royal Deli Foods. A gift certificate allows your gift recipient to select breakfast, lunch and dinner from the weekly menu posted online at royaldelifoods.com. Call 419-874-7451
to make arrangements.
Museum Store at the Toledo Museum of Art
Give the aesthete in your life an artwork suitable for the world-famous galleries by picking up unique gifts, such as fine art books, apparel, children’s educational toys and books, and jewelry, inspired by the Toledo Museum of Art’s collection at the Museum Store. Don’t miss out on giving locally made glass including ornaments, paperweights and the 2021 TMA Limited Edition Annual Goblet debut November 1. This goblet will be a limited edition of 60.
Gift Ideas for hard-to-shop-for men and women
by Kimberly Blaker
Have you scoured the planet for just the right gift only to find yourself left with the usual standbys— a sweater, cologne, etc.? Giving the same boring gift can feel like a worn-out consolation prize.
This year, why not try one of these gift ideas from local businesses? They’ll be sure to please everyone on your shopping list— not a sweater to be found here!
Concert tickets. A pair of concert tickets to the Huntington Center will surely please— check out huntingtoncentertoledo.com for a list of performances. Or consider tickets to shows produced by the Toledo Ballet (toledoballet.com) or the Toledo Symphony (toledosymphony.com).
Dinner at a posh restaurant. They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach— but women enjoy gourmet meals, too! So if someone on your list doesn’t like to splurge on themselves, give them a gift certificate to a top-notch restaurant. It’s the perfect way for the person on your list to enjoy a gourmet meal without any of the guilt. A few of our favorites: Mancy’s (mancys.com), Rockwell’s (rockwells.mbaybrew.com), Georgio’s Cafe International (georgiostoledo.com), Rosie’s Italian Grille (rosiesitaliangrille.com), Souk (soukkitchenbar.com), Registry Bistro (registrybistro.com), Brim House (brimhousetoledo.com), Element 112 (element112restaurant.com) or Nagoya Steakhouse and Sushi (nagoyaohio.com).
Dinner at one of Toledo’s Mexican restaurants. Want something with a little more spice? Try Ventura’s (venturasmexicanrestaurant.com), Carlos Que Pasa (carlosquepasa.com), Loma Linda (lomalindamexican.com), Cocina De Carlos (cocinadecarlos.com), or Vida Cantina (vidacantina419.com).
Golf package. Does the woman or man in your life enjoy hitting the links? Give them a certificate for a round of golf at Heatherdowns Country Club (heatherdowns.com).
Certificates for the body. Give the gift of relaxation and health with Agni Massage and Esthetics (agnimassageesthetics.com), Essence Mind Body Studio (essencembs.com), Noms Health Care (nomshealthcare.com), Sue Hall’s Homebound Mobile Salon (419-382-0624), OUCH! Massage Therapy (ouchtoledo.com) or Serenity Health and Wellness Center (serenitywellness1.com).
Sporting event tickets. Whether they like home runs or slap shots, there are plenty of great options to attend live sporting events in Toledo. Visit toledowalleye.com/tickets for Walleye Hockey, milb.com for Mud Hens tickets or utrockets.edu for University of Toledo athletics.
Record player & LPs. Vinyl lives again! You can find collectible vintage record players as well as brand new ones online in every price range. Look for LPs at vintage record stores, thrift stores, antique malls or online. Culture Clash Records (cultureclashrecords.com) is a great local option.
Annual non-profit membership. Make the person on your list a card-carrying member of the Toledo Zoo (toledozoo.org), the University of Toledo Foundation (utfoundation.org), Partners in Education (partnerstoledo.org), the Ability Center (abilitycenter.org), Toledo GROWs (toledogrows.org) or any organization that fits their interests. Most organization memberships include periodicals, among other benefits.
A night, weekend or week away. Making someone on your list happy could be as simple as dinner at Benchmark in Perrysburg (benchmark-restaurant.com) followed by one night at the Belamere Suites (belameresuites.com) or a weekend away for rest and relaxation at nearby Sauder Village (saudervillage.org). Arrange a week-long adventure to a favorite destination by Central Travel (centraltravel.com) or Ottawa Hills Travel (ohtco.com).
Museum or other membership. Is someone on your list an art enthusiast or history buff? Give them a membership to the Toledo Museum of Art (tma.org), the National Museum of the Great Lakes (nmgl.org) or the Toledo Zoo (toledozoo.org).
Out-of-town trip. Give Childers (childerstransportation.com) a shout to book a limousine ride to Detroit Metro or a tour of area breweries.
Listening Tours. Fascinating historical facts can be found with audio tours put together by local historian Ted Long of the Old West End. voicemap.me/tour/toledo-ohio
Cable TV. Give the gift of year-round entertainment with a package from Buckeye Broadband (buckeyebroadband.com).
House Cleaning. What a joy to have someone else clean after the holidays! Give a certificate from Molly Maid of NW Ohio (mollymaid.com).
Yard Plants. Give a certificate for a homeowner to use in the Spring from Nature’s Corner (mynaturescorner.com) or Hoen’s (hoensgardencenter.com). Maybe couple that with a certificate from Jeff’s Hauling and Cleanup (facebook.com/Jeffs-Hauling-Cleanup) to take away old plants and other waste.
