Shop Local! Our 2022 Holiday Gift Guide

Mima Market

WHAT: The most local market in town! Alexandra and Raul source food, drink and artisan goods made in and around Miami. That incudes local art – Alex is also a visual artist – making Mima a one-stop-shop for thoughtful gift-givers.
GOOD CHOICES: Put together a 305 gift box. Veza Sur beer, Crystal Nuts, Pamela Wasabi Divine Chocolare Cookie, Gables Delight Dragon Fruit Key Lime Jam and a loaf of Clara Bakes Sourdough Bread, Tran An Grandma Sauce, Laurie’s Pantry Blueberry Crumb Cake Granola and Mimmo’s Mozzarellla. Or what about prepared foods from The Plantisserie, Whatsoup Miami, Love Bites (various prices)?
WHERE: 9725 NE 2 Ave., Miami Shores
MORE INFO: Mima Market

The Plantisserie

WHAT: All-plant-based organic market with an impressive selection of prepared foods, wine and artisan foods.
GOOD CHOICES: Create an all-vegan gift dinner box from appetizers to mains and salads. Add dessert by Pamela Wasabi and cookies from Courtney’s Cookies.
WHERE: 7316 NE 2 Ave.
MORE INFO: The Plantisserie

Robert Is Here

WHAT: South Florida’s favorite family fruit stand is always a fun visit. Fortify yourself with tropical fruit shakes and sandwiches, take a break to check out the farm animals out back and listen to Robert talk about whatever tropical fruits are in season.
GOOD CHOICE: Ship seasonal fruits to out-of-town friends. Stock up too on their extensive collection of local honey, key lime condiments, myriad hot sauces and preserves.
WHERE: 19200 SW 344 St., Florida City
MORE INFO: Robert Is Here

Artisan Food and Drink, Prepared Foods

Bon Appetreat Pet Treats

WHAT: Protein-driven small-batch pet treats, like dehydrated pork ears, full meals (just add warm water), turkey gizzards, all grain-free, gluten-free and dairy-free.
GOOD CHOICE: 4 Liver Lovers, made with dehydrated beef liver, is a favorite.
WHERE: Farmers markets (Legion Park Saturday, Vizcaya Village Sunday) and online
MORE INFO: Bon Appetreat

Burger Beast Frita Dust

WHAT: Want to make frita cubanas at home but don’t now how to season it? This magical spice blend will help. Just mix four tablespoons of Frita Dust ($10) for each pound of ground beef (ideally 80% lean/20% fat mix of ground chuck, according to the Burger Beast). Now, get to work on those little fries.
WHERE: Order online
MORE INFO: Burger Beast

Cao Chocolates

WHAT: Handcrafted chocolates from Miami’s bean-to-bar chocolatier Ricardo “Cao” Trillos.
GOOD CHOICES: A three-month chocolate subscription ($135, plus one month free for Cyber Monday). Recipients will get bonbons and truffle; chocolate bars made with new cacao farms, and a chocolate surprise. For the soccer fan, their Ode to Soccer box ($35) contains bonbons inspired by 12 qualifiers in this year’s World Cup.
WHERE: Order online
MORE INFO: Cao Chocolates

Chelle’s Cutie Pies

WHAT: Michelle Collins’ handmade vegan sweet potato pies use nutty Japanese white sweet potatoes.
GOOD CHOICES: Order her OG Christmas Pie for your holiday gathering – it’s made with Japanese white sweet potatoes, infused with holiday spices and topped with a vegan vanilla frosting and crushed pecans ($40).
WHERE: Order online. Pick up on Saturdays at the Coconut Grove Farmers Market, 3300 Grand Ave.
MORE INFO: Chelle’s Cutie Pies

Knaus Berry Farm

WHAT: Usually IOUs make lame gifts, but in this case, your recipients will be happy to wait until Jan. 1 when Knaus Berry Farms ships their cinnamon rolls. Or stand in line to buy them (insider tip: go there early on a weekday) and pick up fresh produce, strawberry jelly and a guava pie. Cinnamon rolls are $15.25/dozen plus shipping if you go that route.
WHERE: 15980 SW 248 St., Homestead
MORE INFO: Knaus Berry Farm

Beer, Wine, Spirits

Wolfe’s Wine Shoppe, Coral Gables

WHAT: Proprietor Jeffrey Wolfe knows all about wine and food pairings. Tell him your budget and he’ll select exactly the right choice for your recipients.
GOOD CHOICE: While your wine gifts are being wrapped up, pick up some of Jeffrey's quick pickles.
WHERE: 124 Miracle Mile
MORE INFO: Wolfe’s Wine Shoppe

Azul Wine and Spirits, Sunset Harbour

WHAT: For nearly a decade, this compact liquor store has been providing locals and professionals with spirits and wines.
GOOD CHOICE: Amid their vast selection of wine and spirits, bitters, liqueurs and bar supplies is an impressive collection of mezcal and tequila.
WHERE: 1414 20 St., Miami Beach
MORE INFO: Azul Wine and Spirits

Gardens and Plants

Little River Cooperative, Redland

WHAT: Buy veggie starts, herbs, cut flowers, garden tools, soil and more.
GOOD CHOICE: A splurge for someone with a sunny yard: a modular metal raised bed by Vego Garden ($250).
WHERE: Shop at the nursery on weekends at 22305 SW 157 Ave. or order online for pickup or delivery.
MORE INFO: Little River Cooperative

Orchidscape, South Florida

WHAT: Orchid experts Sanna and her team will source customized orchids, such as Encyclia, Oncidium, Brassia, Vattleya, Schomburghia, Grammatophylums and select hybrids, design and install them in trees and palms for optimal viewing. They can maintain them regularly, too.
GOOD CHOICE: Blooming orchid arrangements are available delivered. You can also give gift certificates.
WHERE: They cover South Florida.
MORE INFO: Orchidscapes

Ready-to-Grow, Kendall

WHAT: Grow organic vegetables, herbs and fruit in your backyard or condo with the expert help of Dylan Terry and hs team.
GOOD CHOICE: A fruit tree makes a great gift and Ready-to-Grow has one of the best selections of rare and popular trees, including multiple varieties of avocado, banana, mango, sapodilla, loquat and carambola.
WHERE: Visit their nursery on Saturdays (sometimes only open by appointment; call first) at 4590 SW 122 Ave.
MORE INFO: Ready-to-Grow

Tree Amigos Growers, Davie

WHAT: Lots of veggie starts including a variety of tomatoes, herbs, eggplant; fruit trees; flowers; and medicinal plants. They also specialize in building soil and offer soil, fertilizer, cover crops, gardening tools, raised=bed systems and advice.
GOOD CHOICE: The Bokashi Organiko kitchen compost bin ($119), which fits easily under the counyer,  turns organic waste into nutrient-rich compost in less than half the time of traditional compost bins.
WHERE: 10900 SW 48 St.
MORE INFO: Tree Amigos Growers

Urban GreenWorks, Miami

WHAT: Order a dream home garden for someone you love.
GOOD CHOICE: They can do Zen, edible, native, butterfly, rock and pond gardens and food forests.
WHERE: Call 305-981-6226 or email gardens@urbangreenworks.org.
MORE INFO: Visit them on Instagram.

Urban Oasis Project, Miami

WHAT: In the spirit of giving, sponsor a home garden for someone who needs access to fresh healthy food.
GOOD CHOICE: For $300, you can donate to Urban Oasis Project’s G.I.V.E. Gardens, where volunteers build raised-bed gardens for those in need. You can also donate for other programs that make fresh, local food available, including their Fresh Access Bucks SNAP Doubling program and community food box programs.
WHERE: Donate online
MORE INFO: Urban Oasis Project

Restaurant Gift Cards

Please, none of those last-minute chain restaurant gift cards at the grocery store. Choose your favorite ocal independent restaurant and get a gift certificate/gift card.

Books and Periodicals

Books & Books

WHAT: Shop first at local independent bookstore, where you can enjoy coffee and browse at your leisure.
GOOD CHOICES: Food books we love this season include The Cookie Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum; MASA: Techniques, Recipes and Reflections on a Timeless Staple by Jorge Gaviria; Rambutan: Recipes from Sri Lanka by Cynthia Shanmugalingam.
WHERE: 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables; 533 Eaton St., Key West; 11297 S Dixie Hwy., Pinecrest; 3409 Main Highway, Coconut Grove; Bal Harbour Shops
MORE INFO: Books and Books

Edible Communities Subscriptions

WHAT: Did you know there ate 80+ Edibles in the U.S. and Canada, each telling the story of their communities? GOOD CHOICE: We’re partial to edible South Florida, of course ($28/year), an ideal gift for friends and family who have moved away so they can keep up with the scene. But we’re not the only title in the Sunshine State – there’s Edible Sarasota, Orlando, Tampa Bay and Northeast Florida, plus all these other locations.
MORE INFO: Edible South Florida subscription

The Islandia Journal

WHAT: A print quarterly that focuses on subtropical voices dealing with the themes of myth, folklore, ecology, history, paranormal activity and cryptozoology related to Florida and the Caribbean, with art, poetry, fiction and nonfiction.
WHERE: Find copies here or subscribe.
MORE INFO: The Islandia Journal

Giving to Nonprofits

Your donations support causes that enrich our community. Below are some food and food justice causes making a difference in South Florida.

305 Feeds

They buy warm meals in bulk from local restaurants impacted by the pandemic and distribute them to local organizations to help those in need.

Black Girls Cook

Established in 2014, Black Girls Cook is a nonprofit organization with a mission to teach adolescent girls of color self-actualization activities and life skills through the use of culinary arts and edible gardening with an emphasis on Black foodways.

Buddy System MIA

Buddy System is fighting food insecurity by creating unique and innovative ways to support the community, beginning with access to free, healthy food.

Coconut Grove Crisis Food Pantry

They organize and distribute groceries to approximately 175+ households every week, relying on the generosity of private individuals as well as educational, civic and religious organizations for food donations and financial support.

Common Threads 

This national nonprofit that provides children and families cooking and nutrition education to encourage healthy habits that contribute to wellness, equipping under-resourced communities with information to make affordable, nutritious and appealing food choices wherever they live, work, learn, and play.

EatWell Exchange  

Working with diverse communities to promote wellness with a focus on their culture, they show communities how to still have their cultural foods and live a healthy lifestyle.

Empowered Youth 

They offer at-risk youth the possibility to learn culinary and entrepreneurial skills while receiving on-the-job training in our their Cafe and on the Vibe305 truck, the only nonprofit food truck in Miami.

Feeding South Florida

Their mission is to end hunger in South Florida by providing immediate access to nutritious food, leading hunger and poverty advocacy efforts and transforming lives through innovative programs and education.

Food Rescue US

Committed to reducing food waste and hunger in the community, they help the environment by keeping food from decomposing in landfills. Using technology, they engage volunteers to transfer unused surplus food from local businesses to local social service agencies providing for the food insecure.

Good Samaritan Meals 

Their mission is to help feed the underserved, vulnerable, and homeless populations through partnerships with local Miami restaurants, grocery stores and bakeries.

Health in the Hood

By providing access to fresh foods and health education in low-income neighborhoods, Health in the Hood puts children on the path to healthy futures, giving parents useful information, and creating environments that encourage healthy choices.

Homestead Soup Kitchen

Their mission is to serve those members of the greater Homestead/Florida City community in need of a hot meal, regardless of circumstances, by having a "no questions asked" policy.

Slow Food Miami 

This grassroots, all-volunteer board organization brings the healthful benefits of real food to children and families by building and sustaining raised-bed, organic school and community gardens across Miami-Dade County.

Urban Oasis Project 

They make healthy, fresh, local food accessible to all using a multi-faceted approach forging relationships to connect diverse issues and communities, operating farmers markets, an online virtual farmers market, and distribute literal tons of produce from local farms to consumers. Most activities incorporate business practices to create economically self-sustaining programs that serve a wide demographic of incomes.

World Central Kitchen

From serviing hundreds of thousands of meals in Southwest Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian to feeding people in Ukraine, WCK is first to the frontlines, providing meals in response to humanitarian, climate, and community crises. They partner with organizations on the ground and activating a network of local restaurants, food trucks or emergency kitchens, serving comforting meals to survivors of disasters quickly and effectively. We are inspired daily by founder José Andrés and his team's work across the globe.