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(Courtesy Meat N' Bone)

Meat N' Bone has you covered whether you want a full meal or just an Amish turkey

Figuring Out the Feast

Miami caterers and restaurants take the stress out of Thanksgiving

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There is nothing we are more grateful for this Thanksgiving than celebrating with friends and family. Rather than worrying about cooking the perfect Thanksgiving dinner, here are some options for hosting the holiday with more joy and less stress. There are catering services that offer delivery and pickup options, and many local restaurants are offering special Thanksgiving menus. May you gather together with grateful hearts and celebrate your blessings.

If you want to serve a scrumptious feast for Thanksgiving, but don't have time to shop and cook, call Bill Hansen Catering, (305-970-1623) 2167 South Bayshore Dr., Coconut Grove. They're catering Thanksgiving dinner for $45 a person plus tax, delivery and service charge, with a minimum of four people. The menu includes a roasted natural turkey with mixed greens and squash bisque; sides are sautéed asparagus with orange and shallots; Doris's Italian sausage stuffing; and roasted sweet potatoes with Vermont maple syrup glaze. For a sweet ending, there's pumpkin cheesecake with mascarpone and toasted pumpkin seed. Add-ons, such as pan-seared crab cake with local basil aioli, and grilled apple salad, are available for $15 each; chilled shrimp cocktail with wasabi aioli and cocktail sauce, market price; or a whole pumpkin pie, $34. Ask about the holiday libation, the Brugal coquito, a traditional holiday drink made with coconut, rum, spices, and egg yolks. To order Thanksgiving dinner and the add-ons, call 305.970.1623.

Meat N' Bone (877-448-6328) 2229 Coral Way, Miami, purveyors of quality meats, have got you covered for the perfect Thanksgiving meal with catering services and drop off. All you have to do is heat, finish, garnish, and serve your holiday repast. Their Thanksgiving menu features appetizer choices of honey-glazed, roasted root vegetables; portobello mushrooms stuffed with slow-cooked brisket; diced apples and caramelized onions; or a charcuterie board with artisanal cured meats and premium cheeses served with truffle-infused honey. Choices of mains include juicy Amish turkey, succulent prime rib, mouthwatering whole tenderloin, or caramelized honey-glazed ham. Sides are regular or sweet mashed potatoes, bacon brussels sprouts, turkey stuffing, creamy spinach, quinoa and brown or white rice. All are priced per item; order online at catering@meatnbone.com.

Best of all, Meat N’ Bone offers personal same-day free delivery service in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Let them know your preferred date of delivery at check-out. Orders placed after Nov. 17 require priority or overnight shipping to arrive by Thanksgiving. 

If you're cooking Thanksgiving dinner and you're looking for the perfect juicy turkey, try Meat N' Bone's Amish turkey – all natural, hatched, grown, and processed by local Midwest Amish family farmers in Michigan, 8-12 lbs., for $114.99. Meat N' Bone works with farmers who are extremely community-minded and express love and concern for each other, so it’s only natural that they treat their turkeys with the same care. Your Amish turkey will arrive de-feathered, cleaned, and hard-chilled (not frozen), ready for you to brine and cook. Giblets are included. Sides that you order will be added to the turkey order and shipped together. To pre-order, visit www.meatnbone.com. 

What's your favorite place for Thanksgiving pies? No surprise if it's Fireman Derek's Bakeshop, (786-703-3623); 2425 N. Miami Ave., Miami in Wynwood, and (786-502-2396). 3435 Main Hwy., Coconut Grove Fireman Derek Kaplan is a self-taught baker with a longtime passion for making pies. After retiring from his firefighting career at the Miami Station 1 Firehouse, he's been tempting Miamians and visitors alike with his delectable desserts. His Thanksgiving bestsellers include apple pie, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin cheesecake. The carrot cake and red velvet cake are also showstoppers. Get your favorite Fireman Derek's desserts in time for Thanksgiving: the dessert menu is available for pre-order until Nov. 20. Pick-up at either location from Nov. 21-23. Order online at firemandereks.com. Both locations will be closed on Thanksgiving. 

If you'd rather go out than cook or call a caterer, many local restaurants are offering holiday menus with the chef's special touches. Toro Toro (305-372-4710)  in the InterContinental Miami, 100 Chopin Plaza, Downtown Miami, is a Pan-Latin restaurant by acclaimed chef/restaurateur Richard Sandoval. Chef Sandoval puts a Latin American spin on his dishes with ingredients like pepitas, mole, corn mousse and corn husk powder. All dinners include pumpkin brioche dinner rolls with pepita bone marrow butter. For starters, there's a choice of ginger-scented butternut squash soup, with roasted pumpkin and toasted pepitas; or organic heirloom beet salad, with goat cheese, caramelized pecans, and white balsamic dressing. Entrée choices are oven-roasted turkey breast with guava creamy mole, Granny Smith apple stuffing, watercress salad and prune au jus; or oven baked halibut with green beans, Swiss chard, zucchini, broccolini, and pumpkin seed gremolata. For dessert, choose between caramel apple cheesecake; a New York style cheesecake, with buttery caramelized cinnamon apples, graham crust, and caramel sauce; or corn mousse pavlova, with mascarpone vanilla mousse, blueberry compote, and corn husk powder meringue.

At the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort and Spa (305-932-6200) 19999 W. Country Club Dr., Aventura, Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina is serving up luscious Thanksgiving menus. Bourbon Steak's executive chef, Mario Beabraut, is offering Chef Mario's Turkey Dinner ($190), with Joyce Farm Turkey and foie gras stuffing; cranberry mostarda; sweet potato casserole, and giblet gravy. Choose from yummy desserts, such as pumpkin pie with spiced white chocolate cream, candied pecans, and apple cider sauce; apple beignet with apple cinnamon and Chantilly cream; or opera cake with coffee French buttercream, chocolate ganache, and espresso gelato.

Also at Turnberry, Corsair Kitchen and Bar (305.932.6200) the Thanksgiving menu ($80) includes appetizer choices of butternut squash soup with pine nuts and créme fraiche, mixed green fall salad, or charred octopus. Entrées are roasted turkey roulade with stuffing, turkey gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, and cranberry sauce; or truffle and butternut squash pappardelle with fresh black truffles and butternut squash purèe. If you're not up for turkey, other options are a 7 oz. rib cap with potato pave, roasted brussels sprouts, and port wine demi-glace, or pan-roasted filet mignon. Enticing desserts are pumpkin pie, apple pie, or apple crumble tart. Reservations are available at 305-932-6200 or online at marriott.com.

WHAT'S NEW

Miami Beach's latest culinary and nightlife destination, Mona Lisa (305-522-7782) 739 Washington Ave., Miami Beach, is located in the heart of the Art Deco District. The menu is crafted by talented chef Benjamin Goldman, whose innovative approach to Asian-Mediterranean fusion cuisine showcases his remarkable creativity and dedication to sustainability. A must-visit for foodies, the menu screams luxury dining with every gorgeously plated course: on offer are a Colossus seafood tower; sashimi and nigiri; and the finest certified A5 Grade wagyu from Japan. Standouts are the 6 oz. wagyu filet mignon and the sticky short ribs. Be sure to save room for the tiramisu, which is a sweet artwork in itself.

Savor the Caviar Bomba – a table-side ritual that pairs premium Kaluga caviar with a tequila shot. Indulge in an exclusive collection of rare Clase Azul tequilas, some so limited that only 200 exist worldwide. Continue your night out on the town as the restaurant seamlessly transitions into a vibrant nightclub with a DJ and live performances. 

A fun new spot recently opened in Wynwood, Velvet Taco (786-408-9091) 2820 NW 2nd. Ave., Miami, and it’s their first Miami location after its first Florida opening in Fort Lauderdale. Specialty cocktails feature “Kick Ass” margaritas and the Miami-inspired “Bad Ass” mojito. Signature dishes include Velvet Taco’s lineup of over 20 boundary-breaking, globally-inspired tacos, each made from scratch, plus Korean fried rice, guacamole, elotes, and their house-made red velvet cake.

Irene Moore is a Miami-based writer and certified sommelier whose vivid descriptions take readers through culinary cultures around the world.