24 December 4-10, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | BRUNCH EVERY SAT & SUN BEST WATERFRONT VIEWS IN MIAMI 3201 RICKENBACKER CWY, KEY BISCAYNE, FL 33149 | 305.361.3818 WWW.THERUSTYPELICAN.COM BE SOCIAL WITH US! /RUSTYPELICANMIAMI purpose was simple. They wanted to take “a des- olate space with overgrown weeds” and turn it into a place to feed people and support the next wave of vendors. Owner Gaston Becherano said the mission from day one was to build a place where ideas could grow, as he stated on Instagram announcing the closure. “Small ideas became viable businesses, pop-ups matured into brands, and a weekly market grew into a recognizable community,” he said. The vendors, he added, did the heavy lifting through heat, storms, late prep, and early mornings. Before the market shuts down, the team will host its UbeFest event on November 29 and 30. It features Filipino and AAPI guest vendors, includ- ing halo-halo, ube desserts, lumpia, pork barbe- cue, pancit, and a Kamayan feast led by Sili Miami chefs Leicel Ros and Nancy Dominguez, along- side chefs Reiji Yoshizawa and Oliver Lustado. Becherano said the concept is not ending, only moving. “Soon after our closure, we’ll be opening in another location, ready to do the same thing we did when we opened our doors in March of 2022.” Smorgasburg Miami. 2600 NW Second Ave., Miami. Closing December 7. OLEE FOWLER ▼ MIAMI SHORES SWEET SPOONFULS For Deborah Shrem, the idea for Meli, her new, sugar-free, Greek frozen yogurt shop, came out of necessity. “I have a sweet tooth. So it’s been very difficult for me to satisfy my cravings, and I crave a lot of sweets every day,” she says. She started taking her health more seriously when she and her husband, Eduardo, were look- ing to conceive. “The doctor told me to slow down on the sugar, so it’s been kind of a process for me,” she adds. She quickly started researching recipes she could make without using regular cane sugar, stumbling upon the sweetener allu- lose, which is derived from fruits like raisins and figs and has a minimal impact on blood sugar. That research quickly evolved into the idea of frozen yogurt and starting a shop where she could serve guiltless sweet treats. However, according to Shrem, developing a frozen yogurt recipe sweet- ened with allulose was no easy task. “It took us six months to figure it out,” she explains.” We did a lot of formulation to get the recipe. We do all the reci- pes for the Greek yogurt ourselves.” The hard work certainly paid off as Sherm fi- nally made her dream of owning a frozen yogurt shop a reality with the opening of Meli. The doors opened to the public on November 19 after months of preparation. The spot at 210 NE 98th St. in Miami Shores was formerly the home of Paradise Beach Gelato, which Shrem and her hus- band took over in April as a crash course of sorts of running an ice cream shop. “It was amazing practice. We trained the staff and everything,” Shrem says. “We are trying to give people the best service, but it’s a small space.” Despite the space constraints, Shrem is al- ready seeing plenty of enthusiasm for Meli. The shop hosted a friends-and-family preview prior to opening, and Shrem says people would routinely try to open the doors before Wednesday’s open- ing, hoping to get a taste. So far, Meli is only operating one frozen yogurt machine, which can dispense two flavors: a tart, sugar-free flavor and a berry flavor. For now, these are the only options. However, Shrem hopes to eventually expand Meli’s menu with seasonal of- ferings once they can afford a second frozen yo- gurt machine, which can cost upward of $40,000. “We have a lot of formulated recipes already. We only need another machine,” she shares. Of course, like any good frozen yogurt shop, Meli is all about the toppings, which can, admit- tedly, make Shrem’s healthy recipe a bit more in- dulgent, if you wish, while also offering healthier options. Think granola with coconut chips, baklava flakes, guava bites, hazelnut-date butter, and pav- lova crumble, plus a generous selection of fresh fruit toppings. The menu also offers signature par- faits, such as “Meli’s Ex,” featuring granola, straw- berries, and chocolate crunch, and “The Gold Digger,” which includes Dubai pistachio kataifi cream, crushed pistachios, and baklava crunch. And if you are wondering who Meli is, she’s a fictional, almost aspirational character that Shrem and her husband created to serve as the shop’s fo- cal point. “It symbolizes a woman who can repre- sent several different things, that can have different moods depending on the day,” Eduardo explains. The Shrems eventually hope to expand Meli across South Florida, but for now, they are fo- cused on making sure the Miami Shores shop is a success. “I want my shop to stay. It’s a very cute spot. It’s a very small spot that people feel like home,” Shrem says. Meli. 210 NE 98th St., Miami Shores; instagram. com/melifrozenyogurt. JOSE D. DURAN So far, there are two flavors, including tart sugar-free and lactose-free. Screenshot via TikTok/@gabynjohnny
