"Casa Gianna, which opened yesterday inside the Gale Miami Hotel & Residences at Miami Worldcenter, marks the first dining venture for the newly launched hotel with its 9,000-square-foot space that transforms from cafe to full-fledged restaurant and cocktail destination as the day progresses. Executive chef David Caceres, formerly of Mayfair Grill, helms the kitchen, where house-made plates of pasta and pizzas anchor the menu. The pastas include pappardelle alla rosa de ricotta bathed in brown butter sage and short rib fagottini with parmesan sauce. A custom pizza oven turns out pies like the ai funghi e tartufata topped with black truffle cream, grana padano, and mushrooms. The seafood selection offers dishes like pistachio-crusted Chilean sea bass served alongside tomato puttanesca. The restaurant’s layout, designed by New York-based Laseu Studio, updates the classic Italian trattoria with modern touches. The main dining room features high ceilings, layered custom lighting, and wood accents, while a 360-degree bar extends into an outdoor terrace for alfresco dining. Drawing inspiration from Miami’s ubiquitous Cuban ventanitas (window service counters), the restaurant also features Café Gianna, a walk-up window offering Italian pastries and espresso in the mornings. The bar program leans heavily on Italian spirits and aperitivos, with cocktails like the Sunset in Sicily with amaretto, orange juice, and Aperol and a Tuscan mule made with vodka, limoncello, and ginger beer. An extensive Italian wine list and daily aperitivo hour are also in place to catch pre- and post-game crowds from the nearby Kaseya Center. The restaurant joins Miami Worldcenter’s growing roster of restaurants, with more on the horizon: Bodega Taqueria y Tequila and two additional restaurants at the Gale Hotel will open in early 2025. Casa Gianna serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily at 601 NE First Avenue. It plans to roll out nightly programming and entertainment in the coming months." - Olee Fowler
