Holiday Gifts From Little Goat Bread - Chicago

Some words of advice this holiday season: Take a trip to Little Goat Bread.

The new bakery and café, adjacent to Stephanie Izard's soon-to-open Little Goat Diner, is filled with supplies for entertaining, gifting and snacking.

Stock up on cream cheese "schmears" ($5) flavored with garlicky roasted cauliflower, smoked salmon, or green beans with cashews, a combination inspired by Girl & the Goat's menu staple. Take them home alongside house-baked bread: Baguettes ($3), doughy bagels ($2), onion brioche ($1.25), loaves of sourdough ($6.50) and bacon-cheese boules ($8) are a few of the daily offerings.

For cooking and gift giving, there are Izard's proprietary products. Snag spice rubs ($6) with garlic, mustard and paprika, or Thai chile and star anise–or a salty-savory-tart condiment ($9.75) flavored with fish sauce, mustard and soy, intended to spruce up a pan of sautéed vegetables.

The maple syrup ($25 for 12 ounces), sourced from Burton's Maple Farm in Indiana, makes an excellent stocking stuffer or host gift. Aged in red-wine barrels, its flavor is darker than your average drizzle.

While shopping, fortify yourself with a sandwich. Let shrimp with spicy mayo ($10), or egg salad with pimiento cheese and pickles ($8), fuel you through the pre-holiday crush.

Little Goat Bread, 820 W. Randolph St.; 312-888-3455 or littlegoatchicago.com/bread