Gift ideas: 7 cities' famous foods you can ship

When an actual vacation isn’t feasible, the next best thing is to gift one of these epicurean escapes. Instead of making someone wax nostalgic for a beloved destination, simply send them its most famous food as a gift—or just order one for yourself.

Come out of your shell for some New England lobster | Credit the Lobster Guy

1. New England lobster

It doesn’t get much fresher than live Maine lobsters delivered overnight. The Lobster Guy makes the catch; you just be ready with melted butter and a bib.

2. New York bagels

Holiday mornings call for a simple, no-fuss breakfast. (After all, you’ve got gifts to open, parades to watch.) Elevate yours with authentic New York bagels (the secret’s in the water, they say) from century-old Russ and Daughters plus all the fixin’s like lox, cream cheese and dried fruit.

Buckeye chocolates from Ohio

3. Ohio buckeyes

Whether you root for Ohio State or some other team, it’s hard to resist the Buckeye State’s signature candy, so named because it resembles the chestnut-like seeds of the Ohio buckeye tree. Order the addictive peanut butter and chocolate confection from Schmidt’s Fudge Haus, and your taste buds will betransported to Columbus’s German Village.

ALSO: 5 great ways to commemorate your best trip ever

The best seller is the Texas Triple Play: two 6-ounce filets, two 20-ounce T-bones and two 16-ounce New York strips. Credit Taste of Texas.

The best seller at Houston’s Taste of Texas is the Texas Triple Play: two 6-ounce filets, two 20-ounce T-bones andtwo 16-ounce New Yorkstrips | Credit Taste of Texas

4. Texas beef

When your appetite is the size of the Lone Star State, order something meaty from Taste of Texas in Houston. The hand-cut steaks are all aged at least 30 days; they’re flash-frozen and arrive with seasoning and grilling instructions.

5. Louisiana gumbo

Warm up your holidays with a bowl of gumbo from Louisiana Crawfish Company in Natchitoches, stuffed with goodies like crawfish, shrimp and okra. For a sweet ending to the meal, don’t forget the king cakes.

6. Chicago deep-dish pizza

Gino’s East takes pizza delivery to another level, shipping the beloved Windy City pies anywhere in the United States. The pizza arrives frozen and comes to life in your oven, with fluffy crust, gooey cheese and sauce so bubbly, no one will give you a hard time for eating it with a knife and fork.

7. Florida key lime pie

Even if you’re stuck in the cold, your taste buds can escape to the Florida sunshine courtesy of Key West Key Lime Pie Company. Order the classic sweet treat made with real key lime juice on a graham cracker crust. Or mix things up with chocolate-dipped key lime pie bars.