By Polly Campbell
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Since eating out seems to be everybody's favorite hobby, restaurants are logical places to look for holiday presents. Gift certificates are always popular, but logo wear and packaged food from someone's favorite restaurant might also be just the thing.

Local logos

Wear a T-shirt with a Skyline logo on it anywhere in the world and it's sure to be recognized eventually by a fellow Cincinnatian. I like the Skyline long-sleeve T-shirts best: They're $15 and very handsome, with the logo on the front. Or how about a Skyline yo-yo?

They're only $1.50, and tuck right into the toe of a Christmas stocking. Available at any Skyline.

A friend of mine who grew up on the west side nurtured by Skyline and goetta now lives in the sadly goetta-less city of Portland, Ore. (where they're completely out of it when it comes to breakfast meat). She clearly coveted my Glier's Goetta mug last time she visited. I'm sending her one for Christmas. (If you're one of her numerous relatives reading this, don't tell her) There are also Goetta Life T-shirts and hats. Order on-line from www.goetta.com or call (800) 446-3882 (4-GOETTA).

Maisonette doesn't print its logo on T-shirts, but it is on the Maisonette blend of Millstone coffee from P&G, which you can buy at any Kroger. Makes a classy and not too expensive Cincinnati-themed gift.

More stuff

Not local, but fun, are T-shirts and other items from Joe's Crab Shack.

They're the shirts worn by servers with sayings such as "Bite Me" or "Got Crabs?" T-shirts are $10-$15; more for tie-dyed - plus key chains, baseball hats, stocking hats, etc. (859) 581-6333

Sahara Mediterranean Cuisine, the new Moroccan restaurant in West Chester Township, is beautifully decorated with handcrafted Moroccan pottery, tile and leather, all of which are for sale. (513) 777-8677

Allyn's in Columbia-Tusculum has a tiny retail store that sells wine and beer along with a nice collection of decorated beer steins.

(The fancy steins on display in the restaurant aren't for sale: they were collected by owner Allyn Raifstanger's father.) The ones for sale include some antiques, including etched Mettlach steins, and some that were made in Germany commemorating Cincinnati's fire department. They range from $25 to more than $1,000, but most are about $100. 871-5779

Food items

Montgomery Inn barbecue sauce long has been a favorite item in gift baskets to out-of-towners and visitors. You'll find a gift shop in the original Montgomery restaurant, where you can buy sauce or put together baskets with sauce and other Cincinnati food products, including Clearbrook Farms preserves, Skyline and coffee. Montgomery Inn has all the logo wear you want, too, from polos to hats and jackets. 791-3482

Other favorite items bottled by local restaurateurs include Goodie's barbecue sauce, for sale at the College Hill restaurant, and Sturkey's new bottled salad dressing, a slightly sweet balsamic vinaigrette, which is for sale at Sturkey's in Wyoming (821-9200) and Encore CafÈ in West Chester (759-0200).

Gift certificates

Almost any restaurant you like will sell you a gift certificate. The Maisonette Group's are good at Maisonette, La Normandie, Golden Lamb and the Golden Lamb gift shop.

Buy them at one of the restaurants or order online at www.maisonettegroup.com. They don't ever expire.

The Tavern Group has a gift card good at deSha's, Nicholson's and the Pub at Rookwood Mews. They can be used for several visits, and are rechargeable. Buy at any of those locations.

For a more generic gift, certificates are available from the Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Association that are good at any member restaurant.

They come in denominations of $5, $10, $15 and $50. Order online from www.dineoutoften.com; call (877) 770-4438 or purchase at the Fountain Square visitors' center in the 5/3 Center.

E-mail pcampbell@enquirer.com