The best Valentine's Day food gifts for guys

If you've got a sweet tooth and haven't had a Levain chocolate chip cookie... well, congratulations, because all other cookies haven't been ruined for you yet. If you or your loved one want to enjoy a perfect cookie, jam-packed with rich dark chocolate, nuts, melt-in-your-mouth goodness and unparalleled flavor, this is too good to pass up. Try them yourself or satisfy your sweetie's sweet tooth; it's the perfect food gift for you Valentine. And Levain Bakery will ship four of these gooey and decadent chocolate, peanut butter and fruited discs of heaven to you for $27.

You can also score a 12-pack of Levain's signature cookies on Goldbelly for $99. These cookie packs make a handsome stand-alone gift or an amazing addition to wine, truffles and other treats for the Valentine's Day gift basket of your sweetheart's delectable dreams.

This grand bouquet of cured meats is good for a chuckle, but there's some seriously tasty stuff in here, too. Your loved one will open the gift box to find that, in place of the traditional red roses, there are 8 ounces of soppressata, calabrese and chorizo salami as well as four unusual jerky sticks such as buffalo and whisky-maple or venison root beer and habanero. It's all stuffed into a Pilsner glass so you can sip on some cold beer while sampling the arrangement of salty meats. And if you're in the mood for a little extra something fun, there's an add-on for a heart box of jerkies to really bring the romance home.

Cholesterol jokes aside, this is another meat gift with a Valentine's Day sense of humor. Sure, you're paying a little extra for the clever butchering, but this is still USDA Prime dry-aged strip or rib steak. It will make for an excellent and romantic dinner for two.

Fuego Box isn't new but it is a great idea and makes a perfect gift for a hothead. Fuego Box's hot sauce subscriptions start at $13 a month, although $30 per month for three bottles is a much better deal. 

There are also plenty of one-off gift boxes like this one with hot honey, peach habanero hot sauce and spicy garlic seasoning. Plus, Fuego Box is a small business that supports other small businesses, which we absolutely love.

The MakiMaki sushi kit has everything to make fresh sushi at home. And I mean everything, including slabs of sushi-grade tuna, toro, hamachi, salmon and all the fixings. Making sushi turns out to be a whole lot of fun, satisfying and quite a bit easier than I thought it would be. This is a fun, unique gift for the DIY foodie and one you can all enjoy together. Kits to serve two start at $125.

Note that remaining kits will now arrive after Valentine's Day. If you don't mind celebrating later, it's still a good deal. But if you want to grab something tasty for the big day, there are lots of other great options available on the site that will arrive in time. 

There's no substitute for a good education, and this pandemic-friendly service connects you with real, live, professional chefs via Skype to teach you how to make delicious things. Global cuisine is represented by chefs from the actual places the dishes originate, such as Brazilian steak, Hungarian goulash or sushi from Japan. Some solo classes are as inexpensive as $149, but most start at around $299 for two people, plus ingredients. 

With so many cooking classes available through The Chef & the Dish, your best bet might be to send a personalized gift certificate, which you can buy in any amount.

Read more: The best cooking classes to gift your Valentine

A dozen New York bagels is probably a safe bet for most people, but give it a special red swirl and they're Valentine's Day-ready. You can add a tub of cream cheese, lox or black-and-white cookies to make this a real-deal New York deli experience, no matter where you live.

For fans of whiskey, Flaviar is the way to go. This fine booze membership club entitles your giftee to one premium bottle along with a themed tasting box every quarter. Plus you'll get access to rare, exclusive bottlings, tailored recommendations and invitations to unique members-only events. 

Flaviar ranges from $159 per year to $349 for the all-access membership. The top tier includes one tasting box and one full bottle four times per year. See more pricing and membership details here.

If I ever meet Melinda, I'd like to thank her for the mighty fine sauces. Many of these dippers and condiments have heat, although not tear-inducing, but most are also built with complex flavors that make them sauces fit for anyone who likes good eats. I've been crushing hard on the habanero honey mustard and spicy garlic Parmesan all year. You can haul in a sampling of six sauces for $40.

Food adventures have been tricky this past year, but Goldbelly helps bring some of the best eats from iconic American restaurants to the safety of our homes. The Pastrami Queen sandwich kit is a great example and a dynamite Valentine's Day gift if your loved one is a fan of cured meats or hearty sandwiches. The kit includes a pound of salty sliced pastrami, eight slices of Orwashers rye bread, four pickles and proper New York deli mustard.

If he's serious about his steak, this is going to have your guy doing flips and probably breaking out the grill even in the frigid February -- though some quality cast iron will work just as well. Wagyu is about as good as beef gets and the uber-rich taste profile means a little goes a long way. Holy Grail's Tajima America Wagyu is less than $40 for 8 to 10 ounces of beef that's fit for a very special occasion.

If he can't get enough of umami, this is the barbecue sauce to snag him for Valentine's Day. The exact recipe is a carefully guarded family secret, but we can tell you it's made from a pitch-perfect combination of mirin (rice wine vinegar), ginger, garlic and green onion. It also comes in a cool bottle, and I personally can't stop putting it on everything I eat.

Being a beer nerd has never been more fun, but there are still tons of amazing craft creations that you just can't get unless you live near a brewery. Beer Drop helps get those beers from lesser-known microbreweries out to you via a monthly curated drop of 10 beers from five breweries (two of each selection) for $40 a month. For a beer fan, this is about as good as subscriptions get. Sorry, Disney Plus!