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Author: Hira Qureshi

Send some Philly love with 15 iconic eats to gift this holiday season

Finding the perfect holiday gift can be tricky, but you can always rely on pastries from local bakeries or chocolates from Philly confectioners. And if your loved ones prefer something savory, there are plenty of delicious local options to ship — from fried pickle kits to pork roast sandwich sets.

Here are 15 very Philly foods to gift this holiday season.

The selections here represent The Inquirer’s picks this holiday season. When you make a purchase through a link in this list, The Inquirer may be paid a commission.

Add habanero dill to your burger for an extra kick.

1. Fishtown Pickle Project

For the pickle lover in your life, Fishtown Pickle Project offers two fried pickle kits featuring their signature fresh pickles, spices, and tempura batter. The original kit includes Philly Dilly pickles, tempura mix, and spices to make a pepper aioli dip. The spicy version features Habanero Dill pickles and ingredients for a cool ranch dip. Each kit costs $35.

Order at: fishtownpickles.com/pages/fried-pickle-kits

Creamy chicken Brazilian tapioca flatbread at Kouklet’s new location.

2. Kouklet & Tanda Brazilian Bakehouse

Gifting Mardhory Santos-Cepeda’s tapioca cheese breads might be the most Philly gift you can give this holiday. The round bites of cheese, butter, and eggs — all locally sourced from Pennsylvania farmers — ship frozen. Each package serves 12 and includes a dozen pão de queijo, or Brazilian cheese breads. For giftees with a sweet tooth, there are also Brazilian cake rolls ($34.95 to $54.95).

Order at: goldbelly.com

Get Hanukkah doughnuts at High Street Bakery.

3. High Street

James Beard-winning Ellen Yin’s High Street is a Philly bakery destination. On Goldbelly, find artisanal breads (sourdough and grain loaves) for $39.95, baked goods (brownies, cookies, and cinnamon buns) for $64.95, and rye chocolate chunk cookies for $39.95.

Order at: goldbelly.com

Sweet and nutty, the almond butter crunch might be the gift for your chocolate-loving friend.

4. Shane Confectionery

Most everyone loves a box of assorted chocolates, especially when they’re from Shane Confectionery. The Craftsman Assortment box features caramels, cordials, bonbons, ganaches, and more. Each piece is dipped in chocolate made in-house. Sizes range from 13 to 35 pieces, priced at $48 to $95. For buttercream fans, Shane’s Buttercream Assortments feature a family recipe dating back to 1911, with flavors like coconut, maple walnut, and vanilla bean. Prices range from $38 to $80.

Order at: shanecandies.com/shop

Cookies at Famous 4th Street Cookie Co. in Reading Terminal Market.

5. Famous 4th Street Cookie Co.

What’s a better gift for cookie enthusiasts than a treat from Reading Terminal Market’s go-to spot? Famous 4th Street Cookie Co. offers plenty of cookie boxes to choose from, including black and white and chocolate lovers assortments. You can bundle mini cookies, order bake-at-home chocolate chip cookie dough, pick your favorites, or go big with a giant cookie cake. Prices range from $44.95 to $60.95.

Order at: goldbelly.com

A classic cheesesteak with onions and American cheese at Joe’s Steaks and Soda Shop in Northeast Philadelphia.

6. Joe’s Steaks

For your vegan friends and family, there’s even a cheesesteak you can ship. Joe’s Steaks offers a four-pack of its vegan cheesesteaks on Goldbelly, made to order, frozen, and shipped for $119.95. The package serves four to six people and includes four 9- to 10-inch sandwiches, plus your choice of a T-shirt or hoodie.

Order at: goldbelly.com

Try the Vietnamese Espresso Blend at Càphê Roasters.

7. Càphê Roasters

Introduce coffee lovers to the art of brewing Vietnamese coffee with Càphê Roasters’ brew kit for $28. It includes a house espresso blend, a can of sweetened condensed milk, and a phin (a traditional coffee filter). And for those who don’t know how to use the phin, there’s a handy printed 10-step brew guide, too. Throw in a KINTO x Càphê water bottle to keep your giftee hydrated.

Order at: capheroasters.com/shop/vietnamese-coffee-brew-kit

Bassetts Ice Cream comes in a variety of flavors.

8. Bassetts Ice Cream

Reading Terminal Market’s beloved ice cream shop is also on Goldbelly. Ship a brownie sundae kit (three pints, eight brownies) or a DIY cookie ice cream sandwich kit (three pints, one tub of Famous 4th Street ready-to-bake chocolate chip cookies) for $64.95. You can also order a six-pint pack featuring bestsellers or your favorite flavors.

Order at: goldbelly.com

These alfajores are a family recipe Jezabel Careaga, chef and owner of Jezabel’s Cafe and Bakery, perfected.

9. Jezabel’s

In West Philly, Jezabel’s is the place for some of the best Argentine treats — but you don’t have to be in the neighborhood to get your hands on chef/owner Jezabel Careaga’s alfajores. These coconut-coated butter cookies filled with dulce de leche are available in classic or chocolate-dipped varieties. There’s also a half and half box with three of each. Prices range $28 to $30.

Order at: jezabelsphl.com/store/p/alfajores-gift-box

An everything bagel from Kismet Bagels.

10. Kismet Bagels

Everyone loves a good bagel — and Kismet knows a thing or two about making them. Order the bagel brunch kit, complete with the 12 par-baked bagels, two containers of cream cheese, two bottles of seasonings, and a pound of lox. The kit ships fresh with ice packs. Note: Bagels last in the freezer for up to six months.

Order at: goldbelly.com

John’s Roast Pork chicken cheeseteak at the Inquirer studio on March 5. Food styling by Emilie Fosnocht.

11. John’s Roast Pork

There’s no better Philly gift than a cheesesteak or a hoagie, and John’s Roast Pork is here to help. On Goldbelly, you can ship the South Philly hot spot’s namesake sandwich drenched in all its garlicky glory for the holidays. The made-to-order kit offers all the parts to build four nine-inch pork roast sandwiches, including two pounds of roast pork, a quart of gravy, a quarter pound of sharp provolone, a pint of spinach, and four large seeded sesame rolls. Instructions for assembly are included. Same goes for the cheesesteak kit, which includes 12 ounces of meat. Order kits range from $119.95 to $229.95 each.

Order at: goldbelly.com

Soft pretzels at Center City Soft Pretzel Co. on April 1, 2024.

12. Center City Pretzel Co.

Who wouldn’t want a giant pack of Philly pretzels? On Goldbelly, Center City Pretzel Co. offers a box of 10 soft pretzels with a container of salt and 10 mustard packets for $54.95 — shipped fresh and ready to enjoy. There’s also a five-pack option available.

Order at: goldbelly.com

The tomato pie at Iannelli’s is one of classic archetypes of the genre and is still baked in the deep brick oven built by the Iannelli family 115 years ago.

13. Iannelli’s Bakery

Along with cheesesteaks and hoagies, Philly is known for its tomato pies. South Philly’s Iannelli’s Bakery is here to help you share the pie love. Ship a tomato pie and cannoli kit combo for $169.95. Folks will get a brick oven tomato pie, 13 cannoli shells, vanilla ricotta cheese with dark chocolate morsels for the fillings, and sugar for dusting.

Order at: goldbelly.com

Homemade granola via a recipe from Metropolitan Bakery owner and head baker James Barrett

14. Metropolitan Bakery

Metropolitan Bakery’s bread gift box includes a variety of bread loaves, cookie jars, and pound cakes for $38 to $115. There’s the breakfast box with Metropolitan Bakery Blend coffee, local honey and preserves, and gluten-free granola. For pound cake enthusiasts, ship two loaves of chocolate and lemon pound cakes. And for your cookie monsters, gift cookie jars in three flavors.

Order at: metropolitanbakery.com/collections/gift-boxes

Packaged ricotta and chocolate chip ricotta cookies at Isgro on Nov. 17, 2022.

15. Isgro Pastries

A cookie tin from a Philly institution is a no-brainer, and thankfully Isgro Pastries offers shipping nationwide. For $69.95 on Goldbelly, gift two or four pounds of cookies this holiday — that’s about 40 to 60 cookies. Flavors include butter walnut, almond macaroon, chocolate, raspberry, and more. Cookies come frozen and ready to eat.

Order at: goldbelly.com

November 10, 2025
Jersey Kebab is moving to downtown Collingswood

Jersey Kebab — the Haddon Township restaurant that made headlines earlier this year after its owners were arrested, and eventually released, by ICE — is moving.

On Sunday, Muhammed Emanet and his parents, Celal and Emine, will close their small Turkish restaurant, where colorful sweets line the display case up front and platters of kebabs sizzle in the back. It’s the second time this year the business has shuttered.

This time, the restaurant will relocate just a mile down the street, to 729 Haddon Ave., in Collingswood. The family hopes to reopen by the second week of November.

The Emanet family hadn’t planned to relocate until recently, after their lease expired on their current space at 150 Haddon Ave.

According to Muhammed, the Emanets’ landlord informed the family he was not interested in renewing the contract at the end of their five-year lease in August. The landlord suggested using his apartment upstairs to expand the restaurant — if the family agreed to a 50/50 split in the business, Muhammed told The Inquirer.

The Emanets’ landlord could not immediately be reached for comment.

“As soon as [the landlord] said that, it sent us into a frenzy where we had to hurry up and figure out where we’re going to move to,” Muhammed said. The family paid to use the Haddon Avenue storefront for two more months and began looking for a new space elsewhere.

Emine and Celal Emanet at their Jersey Kebab in Haddon Township in March, after Emine’s release from ICE detention.

Muhammed and his father, Celal, supplement their earnings from Jersey Kebab by running a delivery business that transports Del Buono’s Bakery’s bread to other South Jersey diners and restaurants, including Stardust Cafe, the current occupant of 729 Haddon Ave.

Stardust’s owners, Jerry Goksun and Jennifer Vincent, recently transformed the long-lived, retro-themed Pop Shop diner into a more modern all-day eatery. The couple opened the restaurant in July, but upon hearing that the Emanets were searching for a new home for Jersey Kebab, offered the space on Collingswood’s main shopping street. (Goksun and Vincent did not immediately respond to The Inquirer’s request for comment.)

The Emanet family plans to move into the restaurant as is, adding Turkish decor and music to replicate the ambiance of their former space. The restaurant’s menu will expand beyond platters of iskender, adana, and shish kebabs. New items planned include a traditional Turkish breakfast spread (think homemade jams, cheeses, bread, and omelets) and Turkish ice cream made with goat’s milk.

Muhammed Emanet (rear) greets patrons as his mother, Emine Emanet ,(fourth from left) and family and friends serve serve food inside their Jersey Kebab restaurant on Sunday, March 30, 2025. The party – part welcome home, part thank you, part end of Ramadan – was to thank their neighbors who helped them through the terror of ICE arrests and detention.

Celal and Emine Emanet were detained by ICE in February, forcing the restaurant to close. The couple emigrated legally to the United States from Turkey in 2008 but fell out of status when their visas expired. In 2016, they applied for legal permanent residency and have been awaiting the government’s decision on their application since.

Celal was released a few days after his initial arrest, but Emine was held in an immigrant detention center in Elizabeth, N.J., for a little over two weeks. The South Jersey community lobbied for her release, writing letters, holding rallies, and raising funds. Emine was released in mid-March, and when the restaurant reopened later that month, it was flooded with well-wishers and neighbors.

The couple has been navigating deportation proceedings since March. Celal’s first deportation hearing took place in May, with another set for March 2026. Emine’s first hearing was scheduled for this month but was recently postponed to 2027.

Emine and Celal Emanet at their Jersey Kebab restaurant on March 13, 2025, the day after Emine’s release from ICE detention.

Given their situation, Muhammed’s parents have not had time to process the change in their business, he said.

“They aren’t even really thinking about it — they’re just pushing through it,“ Muhammed said. ”My mom is trying to see how she’s gonna decorate the entire place. My dad is trying to get all the paperwork done. I’m trying to get all the people hired and the management worked on. So, everybody just locked in.“

Despite the challenges, what keeps the Emanet family going is being “God-believing, God-fearing people,” Muhammed said. “It doesn’t really matter what we go through — we know our faith is going to lead us exactly where we need to be anyway.”

And Haddon Avenue is a prime location for the restaurant’s loyal clientele, he said. “Jersey Kebab in Collingswood is a big turning point for us, for our name and legacy to grow.”

October 23, 2025
Where to find Diwali sweets in Philadelphia to celebrate the Festival of Lights

There’s joyous chaos inside Indian markets on Diwali — and mithai (sweets) are at the center of it. The Festival of Lights, significant for people of Hindu, Jain, Sikh, and Buddhist faiths, falls on Monday, Oct. 20. Like clockwork, laddoos, gajar ka halwa, burfi, gulab jamun, and more, have begun to fill display cases with the vibrant, colorful sweets (made with dairy, sugar, and nuts) beckoning guests to pack two or three boxes for their loved ones.

There’s gajar ka halwa, a carrot-based treat studded with nuts; and gulab jamun, made sweet with rose water syrup and sometimes coated in coconut. Kulfi is a traditional creamy no-churn ice cream, similar to frozen custard with a distinct taste of the fruits and nuts it’s flavored with. Then you have creamy, milk-based mithai like burfi, ras malai, kalakand, and cham cham. And you can’t forget about laddoos, rava kesari or suji ka halwa — nutty, semolina-based sweets.

Whether you’re gifting or feasting by yourself, here are a handful of Philly spots to get your mithai in time for Diwali.

Diwali shines bright with family, tradition, and sweets

Find gulab jamun, gajar ka halwa, and more at local Indian grocery stores.

International Foods & Spices

Diwali is big at the store near Penn’s campus.

“Mithai is the go-to gift to bring to people or celebrate with,” said owner Paramjit Singh.

There’s fresh, frozen, and canned mithai offered at the shop. Packaged boxes sit in the front. Canned are stacked on shelves, and frozen packages from India and Canada are in the refrigerators in the back.

Singh has a variety of options for the area’smany students and price-conscious customers. But he noted that prices of mithai have increased as well as the cost to ship boxes from India.

Find boxes of bundi and motichoor laddoo, gulab jamun, badam and kaju burfi, kalakand, and a variety of Bengali sweets in the fresh market up front.

📍4203 Walnut St., 📞 215-222-4480, 🌐 facebook.com/intlfoodsandspices, 🕑 Wednesday to Monday 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Subzi Mundi

With the Philadelphia Sikh Society nearby, this Upper Darby store is bustling with energy on Diwali morning, said co-owner Mohinder Pal.

“Mithai is a favorite, everybody likes it,” he said.

Walk up to the refrigerators next to the cashier station and pick from a variety of boxed mithai. There’s gajar ka halwa, laddoos, assorted cham cham, coconut and regular gulab jamun, and more. Frozen mithai is also available.

📍6700 Market St., Upper Darby, 📞 610-352-3400, 🌐 facebook.com/sabjimandi, 🕑 Monday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

A traditional Indian Ice Cream (Malal Kulfi) topped with poached blueberries and creme-de-cassis, at Veda in Philadelphia, Pa., on Thursday, May 25, 2023.

Veda

Inside this modern bistro in Rittenhouse Square, order kulfi topped with poached blueberries. The dessert is sweetened with sugar that’s added as the milk is reduced in a flat pan. It’s frozen with crushed cardamom seeds mixed in that bring an inviting texture to the kulfi. Enjoy for $7 at Veda. (The dessert is also offered at Bhasin’s four other restaurants: Indiya in Collingswood, Coriander in Voorhees, and Naan in Moorestown).

📍 1920 Chestnut St., 📞 267-519-2001, 🌐 vedaphilly.com, 🕒 Daily, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (lunch) and 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. (dinner), till 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Patel’s Grocery Store

Grab one-pound boxes of laddoo, kalakand, gulab jamun, and besan burfi at this Mayfair grocery store. There are also frozen options.

📍1907 Street Road, Bensalem, Pa. 19020, 📞 215-447-8154, 🕑 Monday to Sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Kabobeesh

On Chestnut Street, you’ll find freshly made gulab jamun, gajar ka halwa, and ras malai. Step into the restaurant and you’ll see the tub of brown spheres soaking in a sugary bath in the display case. That’s gulab jamun. The ras malai is milky, soft, and sweet. The gajar ka halwa is creamy, filled with carrots and perfectly nutty — it’s a specialty item for the fall and winter season.

“Ras malai is really the selling item,” said owner Asad Ghuman. “We get catering orders and families coming in to the restaurant (for food and sweets).”

📍4201 Chestnut St., 📞 215-222-8081, 🌐 kabobeesh.com, 🕑 Monday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.

Creamy, luscious kulfi is a childhood favorite for South Asian chefs in the Philly area

Desi Chaat House

If you’re in West Philly, small boxes of gulab jamun, gajar ka halwa, and orange sticky, sweet jalebi wait for you. Kheer or rice pudding, and ras malai are also available.

📍501 S 42nd St., 📞 215-386-1999, 🌐 desichaathousephilly.com, 🕑 Monday to Sunday noon to 9 p.m.

Wah-Gi-Wah

Wah-Gi-Wah in University City is a big fan of Crown Kulfi. Restaurant manager Muhammad Khan said they previously served housemade kulfi but switched to the premade brand. “[The brand] is very famous over here in Philadelphia,” he said. Enjoy chocolate, coconut, almond, pistachio, mango, and malai as frozen pops ($3) or in cups ($4.50).

📍 4447 Chestnut St., 📞 215-921-5597, 🌐 wahgiwah.com, 🕒 Daily, noon to 9:30 p.m.

Amma’s South Indian Cuisine

Laddoos, gulab jamun, semiya payasam or vermicelli pudding, ras malai, and rava kesari or suji ka halwa are all on the menu at Amma’s in Center City.

📍1518 Chestnut St., 📞 808-762-6627, 🌐 ammasrestaurants.com, 🕑 Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.

October 21, 2025