Alright, so maybe in Miami we'll only ever dream of a white Christmas. Maybe the closest we'll get to walking in a Winter Wonderland is Santa's Enchanted Forest. And maybe we'll never roast those chestnuts over an open fire because, well, who owns a fireplace here anyways? We may not have a traditional holiday season per say, but it doesn't mean we can't get festive where it matters most- on our plates! There's a slew of restaurants that have taken traditional holiday dishes and flavors, only to add in their own tasty spins. And while some of these offerings are only available on Christmas Eve and Day (make your reservations stat!), many are menu regulars, so you can indulge even when you aren't wearing your hefty winter coat and treading through snow. Oh wait...
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When Nat King Cole sang about chestnuts being roasted on an open fire, he clearly had never tried them in a soup. While 3030 Ocean is known for its decadent seafood, the Fort Lauderdale joint has added a roasted chestnut soup appetizer on their Christmas Eve and Day menu. Top it off with a custardy peppermint pots-de-crème and biscotti dessert and you’ll have quite the holiday meal.
In Miami, a Noche Buena pig roast is about as traditional as it gets. Michael Mina 74 picked up on this Cuban Christmas Eve delicacy and added a gourmet spin to create their Tamworth ‘Caja China,’ which is made nightly. The pig is actually roasted in the 'Caja China' box and accompanied with a kumquat and chile relish, pigeon peas, annato rice, cilantro and mojo.
When it comes to cooking traditional dishes, an Italian chef can do no wrong, especially when that chef is Giorgio Rapicavoli and that dish is panna cotta, albeit with a twist. His version of panna cotta is egg nog flavored, with pumpkin ice cream, pecan mousse and brown butter caramel.
You can only get so creative with hot chocolate, but hey, this is Miami and we put our own spin on everything. When the thermostat dips below 75, every local knows to head over to Morro Castle for churros and hot chocolate, the only remedy for a blistering cold Miami day. It’s served year round. Hallelujah.
What’s Christmas without a pecan pie? A disaster, that’s what. Luckily if you head to Michael’s Genuine, your holidays will be pie-filled if you order their miniature-sized maple pecan pie with a side of creme fraiche sherbert, which is conveniently on the menu during and after the holiday season.
Gingerbread, eggnog and ice cream are synonymous with dessert on Christmas, so naturally when you put them together magic happens. Timon Balloo has created the sandwich of all christmas sandwiches: two gingerbread cookies hugging a slab of egg nog ice cream with a winter spiced caramel drizzle. Indulge on December 24 and 25.
Pears are as Christmassy as Christmas gets (they wouldn’t make a song about a pear tree if it wasn’t, right?), so when Bourbon Steak pulls out a roasted pear bread pudding with maple ice cream and gingerbread, you know they’ve gotten into the holiday spirit. The best part is they currently have it on the menu, so you don’t have to wait until the night before Christmas to dig in.
Coquito is the Puerto Rican answer to eggnog, with hints of coconut sprinkled throughout. The Local has created a coquito flavored homemade ice cream, which will be available throughout the Christmas season. And if you aren’t there on the day this is served, then you can spoon into their homemade peppermint or eggnog ice cream as well.
Just because Chanukah is over, doesn’t mean you can’t still indulge in Latkes. Blue Collar has Chanukah Latkes year round with homemade apple sauce, just like your bubbe used to make them. Latkas for breakfast. Latke for lunch. Latka for days.
If you dream of waking up on Christmas morning to the scent of pancakes, you’re not alone. Tongue and Cheek has added gingerbread pancakes with chestnut butter and peppermint to their brunch menu. Best of all, they’re available through Christmas! This is sure to give IHOP a run for its money.
If you’re the gourmand in the family, then duck is as traditional for you as gingerbread is to the average American. The Federal’s Jar O’Duck is a mainstay on the menu, plus it’s accompanied by a candied sweet potato. Although it may be available year round, the holiday season seems like the most opportune time to dig in to this Federal classic.
Whether you like your pig “caja china” style or honey glazed, at Edge you’re in for a treat. For Christmas brunch, the joint is offering a tupelo honey glazed ham with spicy apple mustard as well as a full-on “Caja China” style pig roast. But if you’re more keen on guzzling down a turkey, they’re offering that on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with old-fashioned stuffing and traditional fixin's. Top it off with a milk chocolate yule log, eggnog brulee, cranberry sauce and vanilla bean ice cream, and you’ll unbutton that top button of your pants proudly.
Tres leches is a beloved Hispanic cake soaked in three kinds of milks. SUSHISAMBA has put their own brazilian holiday spin on this to create an Eggnog Tres Leite cake, made of pisco, coconut, cranberry gelée, gingerbread tuile and vanilla bean ice cream. Soak it all in on Christmas Eve and Day.
If you’re looking for a holiday brunch dish that will be served year round, then look no further than PB Steak’s decadent pumpkin pancakes. While pumpkin may be more reminiscent of fall than winter, in Miami anything associated with cold weather goes once a breeze comes in.
When Nat King Cole sang about chestnuts being roasted on an open fire, he clearly had never tried them in a soup. While 3030 Ocean is known for its decadent seafood, the Fort Lauderdale joint has added a roasted chestnut soup appetizer on their Christmas Eve and Day menu. Top it off with a custardy peppermint pots-de-crème and biscotti dessert and you’ll have quite the holiday meal.
In Miami, a Noche Buena pig roast is about as traditional as it gets. Michael Mina 74 picked up on this Cuban Christmas Eve delicacy and added a gourmet spin to create their Tamworth ‘Caja China,’ which is made nightly. The pig is actually roasted in the 'Caja China' box and accompanied with a kumquat and chile relish, pigeon peas, annato rice, cilantro and mojo.
When it comes to cooking traditional dishes, an Italian chef can do no wrong, especially when that chef is Giorgio Rapicavoli and that dish is panna cotta, albeit with a twist. His version of panna cotta is egg nog flavored, with pumpkin ice cream, pecan mousse and brown butter caramel.
You can only get so creative with hot chocolate, but hey, this is Miami and we put our own spin on everything. When the thermostat dips below 75, every local knows to head over to Morro Castle for churros and hot chocolate, the only remedy for a blistering cold Miami day. It’s served year round. Hallelujah.
What’s Christmas without a pecan pie? A disaster, that’s what. Luckily if you head to Michael’s Genuine, your holidays will be pie-filled if you order their miniature-sized maple pecan pie with a side of creme fraiche sherbert, which is conveniently on the menu during and after the holiday season.
Gingerbread, eggnog and ice cream are synonymous with dessert on Christmas, so naturally when you put them together magic happens. Timon Balloo has created the sandwich of all christmas sandwiches: two gingerbread cookies hugging a slab of egg nog ice cream with a winter spiced caramel drizzle. Indulge on December 24 and 25.
Pears are as Christmassy as Christmas gets (they wouldn’t make a song about a pear tree if it wasn’t, right?), so when Bourbon Steak pulls out a roasted pear bread pudding with maple ice cream and gingerbread, you know they’ve gotten into the holiday spirit. The best part is they currently have it on the menu, so you don’t have to wait until the night before Christmas to dig in.
Coquito is the Puerto Rican answer to eggnog, with hints of coconut sprinkled throughout. The Local has created a coquito flavored homemade ice cream, which will be available throughout the Christmas season. And if you aren’t there on the day this is served, then you can spoon into their homemade peppermint or eggnog ice cream as well.
Just because Chanukah is over, doesn’t mean you can’t still indulge in Latkes. Blue Collar has Chanukah Latkes year round with homemade apple sauce, just like your bubbe used to make them. Latkas for breakfast. Latke for lunch. Latka for days.
If you dream of waking up on Christmas morning to the scent of pancakes, you’re not alone. Tongue and Cheek has added gingerbread pancakes with chestnut butter and peppermint to their brunch menu. Best of all, they’re available through Christmas! This is sure to give IHOP a run for its money.
If you’re the gourmand in the family, then duck is as traditional for you as gingerbread is to the average American. The Federal’s Jar O’Duck is a mainstay on the menu, plus it’s accompanied by a candied sweet potato. Although it may be available year round, the holiday season seems like the most opportune time to dig in to this Federal classic.
Whether you like your pig “caja china” style or honey glazed, at Edge you’re in for a treat. For Christmas brunch, the joint is offering a tupelo honey glazed ham with spicy apple mustard as well as a full-on “Caja China” style pig roast. But if you’re more keen on guzzling down a turkey, they’re offering that on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with old-fashioned stuffing and traditional fixin's. Top it off with a milk chocolate yule log, eggnog brulee, cranberry sauce and vanilla bean ice cream, and you’ll unbutton that top button of your pants proudly.
Tres leches is a beloved Hispanic cake soaked in three kinds of milks. SUSHISAMBA has put their own brazilian holiday spin on this to create an Eggnog Tres Leite cake, made of pisco, coconut, cranberry gelée, gingerbread tuile and vanilla bean ice cream. Soak it all in on Christmas Eve and Day.
If you’re looking for a holiday brunch dish that will be served year round, then look no further than PB Steak’s decadent pumpkin pancakes. While pumpkin may be more reminiscent of fall than winter, in Miami anything associated with cold weather goes once a breeze comes in.
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