MIAbites: Holidays “At Home” 2025 and gift guide:
While there are plenty of dining options for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, if you prefer a cozy celebration at home or need a thoughtful gift for your host/hostess, there are excellent local options to make your holiday special. Consider ordering a festive take-out meal, or appetizer platter, or picking up a unique treat from a neighborhood shop to share the spirit of the season.
Some local “holiday at home” or hostess gifts to celebrate the season of giving:
Take-Out Holiday Meals at Sufrat Mediterranean Grill
Family-owned, Sufrat Mediterranean Grill offers a menu rooted in authentic Mediterranean recipes meant for sharing, from falafel and chargrilled octopus to lamb chops and customizable mixed grill platters. For those looking to skip the cooking and mess this holiday season or interested in bringing something impressive to your Christmas feast, Sufrat’s catering platters have you covered. Below are the three holiday packages, available at all locations.
· Holiday Catering Feast #1 ($300 – serves 10 people)
o Sufrat Sampler (Large Hummus, Baba Ganough, Tzatziki, 8 Kibbeh, 8 Grape Leaves, and Pita), Large Sufrat Combo (6 Chicken Kebab, 6 Beef Kebab, 4 Kefta, 6 Lamb Chops, portion of Chicken Shawarma and Beef Shawarma), Basmati Rice and Greek Salad.
· Holiday Catering Feast #2 ($220 – serves 10 people)
o Sufrat Dip Sampler (Large Hummus, Baba Ganough, Labneh, Muhammara, and Pita), Sufrat Roastery (½ tray Chicken Shawarma and ½ tray Gyro), Basmati Rice and Greek Salad
· Holiday Catering Feast #3 ($220 – serves 10 people)
o Sufrat Dip Sampler (Large Hummus, Baba Ganough, Labneh, Muhammara, and Pita), Sufrat Build Your Own Combo (24 skewers of your pick of one or more of: Chicken Kebab Skewers, Beef Kebab Skewers, Kofta Kebab Skewers, Shrimp Kebab) with Basmati Rice (Yellow or Angel Hair) and Greek Salad.
o Sufrat has three South Florida locations: Pines City Center, Pembroke Pines (10430 Pines Boulevard); Doral Yard, Doral (8455 NW 53rd Street); and Miami Beach (1570 Alton Road).
Holiday Treat at Lily's Handmade Ice Cream
This holiday season, Lily’s Handmade Ice Cream is rolling out its limited-edition December flavor: Peppermint Stick. It starts with a smooth, naturally colored peppermint base that keeps the flavor clean and refreshing without any artificial dyes. The crisp mint blends into Lily's signature dairy base for a cool, creamy finish. Then it is folded in crushed candy cane pieces, giving a festive crunch and little hints of extra peppermint in every bite. It is now available for delivery and online pint orders at lilyshandmadeicecream.com, making it the perfect holiday dessert to bring to holiday gatherings or enjoy at home. Lily's Handmade Ice Cream is located at 14871 Biscayne Blvd in North Miami Beach, 3837 West Woolbright Road in Boynton Beach, and 4900 Linton Blvd #4, in Delray Beach.
Pastis Miami
Pastis Miami is adding a little extra magic to the holidays this year with a limited-edition Holiday Cookie Tin created by Executive Pastry Chef Trew Sterling. Designed as the sweetest gift of the season, each custom tin features a curated assortment from Chef Trew’s festive cookie collection, perfect for gifting, hosting, or indulging yourself. We would love to work with you on any holiday coverage. Below are the details:
Inside the Tin (12 cookies – 2 of each flavor)
Chocolate Chunk
Eggnog Snickerdoodle
Panettone Shortbread
Chocolate Peppermint
Fig Newton
and
English Almond Toffee Bar
Price: $49 per tin (excluding tax)
How to Get One: Pre-orders open December 15 at 11:30AM, with pick-ups available December 23–24 from 11:30AM–11PM at Pastis Miami. Orders can be placed directly through pastismiami.com.
THE SALTY
The Salty is rolling into the holiday season with a lineup of festive treats. The holiday specials are available at all Salty shops.
To celebrate Hanukkah, the shop brings back its annual sufganiyot from December 14–22. Priced at $3.95 per donut, the once-a-year favorite features a 24-hour mini brioche filled with house made strawberry jam and finished with a snowy dusting of powdered sugar, perfect for hosting, gifting or simply indulging in a seasonal classic. Orders can be placed through The Salty’s catering pickup or delivery on the website or app, and special requests can be directed to orders@saltydonut.com.
Then, from December 22–24, The Salty shifts into Christmas with two new drops:
· Gingerbread Cheesecake Donut ($4.95): A 24-hour gingerbread-man-shaped brioche filled with house made gingerbread cheesecake and tossed in gingerbread graham sugar.
· The “Not Little Debbie” Christmas Tree Donut ($4.95): A nostalgic nod to the iconic holiday snack cake, it is made with a 24-hour tree-shaped brioche, filled with housemade marshmallow fluff, dipped in white chocolate glaze and finished with natural red drizzle and green sugar
EDAN BISTRO
Edan Bistro brings back its whole Basque Cheesecake, the perfect dessert for friends and family gatherings during the holiday season. The cheesecake is priced at $75 and serves 12-15. Orders for the cheesecake must be placed a minimum of 24 hours before and pickup will take place at the restaurant on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day between 10am and 1pm. Orders can be placed by calling the restaurant at (305) 517-6801. Edan Bistro is located at 650 NE 125th Street in North Miami. www.edanbistro.com | @edan.bistro
Uchi Miami & Uchiko Miami Beach - Omakase at Home
For the month of December, both Uchi Miami and Uchiko Miami Beach are offering a festive Omakase at Home package, a multi-course to-go and delivery experience to spend the holidays with some spectacular sushi. While both concepts are closed on Christmas Day (open on Christmas Eve), guests can bring some of the magic home with this beautifully wrapped box featuring twelve pieces of dressed nigiri, two makimono and the signature hama chili. It’s paired with two house favorites—crispy Chicken Karaage with cucumber and seasonal pickles, and Brussels Sprouts with fish caramel, lemon and chili, finished with a pint of ice cream. Uchi guests will receive Fried Milk—a sweet-cream base layered with salted fudge, Dulcey chocolate–covered cornflakes, and blondie pieces—while Uchiko serves up S’mores, a blend of salted fudge, toasted blondie, Dulcey chocolate and cornflakes.
A half bottle of Laurent-Perrier Champagne is available as an add-on. The package is priced at $120 for the food-only box or $150 including champagne and is available for pickup and DoorDash delivery at all Uchi and Uchiko locations from December 1–30. Address: Uchi: 252 NW 25th St., Miami, FL 33127; Uchiko: 1759 Purdy Ave., Suite 102, Miami Beach, FL 33139
NOTE; Subject to availability. Please order and call ahead!