Stephanie D.
Yelp
DROP EVERYTHING AND GO TO THIS RESTAURANT. This is one of the best Italian restaurants in Miami, but also....the country in my opinion.
For reference, we can discuss Carbone (which is right around the street I think); I haven't been to the Miami one, but I have been to the NYC location a bunch of times as well as the Vegas one. Carbone is stellar for the rigatoni ($36) but everything else is ... ok. It's definitely good, but not like "WOW I need to come back and get just this." The rigatoni is usually what you go back for.
HERE EVERYTHING IS GOOD INCLUDING THE RIGATONI, BUT ALSO EVERYTHING ELSE. The rigatoni was mind-blowing and is just as good as Carbone's if not BETTER (in my opinion, it's better), but also the Carpaccio appetizer was *chef's kiss* perfection with the PERFECT blend of 5-6 different flavors and textures. It was creativity at its finest.
Then when we got the pasta, we were blown away by the RAVIOLI. We came in with the expectation that just the rigatoni would be the star of the show but the ravioli honestly was like elevated elegance walking into a dance room. Creative, beautiful, magical....that's how I would describe that dish. The cheese, the balsamic vinegar, the pillow-like texture of the dough mixed with the beautiful filling inside.....everything was perfect. We were obsessed immediately.
Then on top of that, we got the parmesan cheesecake which we had, again, very little expectations because a cheesecake is usually good, but like, very similar to the next cheesecake. This one was SO GOOD. It was like walking into a restaurant expecting a casual simple meal but being hit with a 3 Michelin star dish. The cheesecake is juicy, fluffy, moist, has essence of citrus, and pairs **perfectly** with the biscotti. If I could boil this review down to one word, it would be SYNERGY. All of the ingredients together create something more spectacular than if you were to try them separately and I think that is the mark of a very creative & brilliant chef.
I am so pleased with this meal & I hope they get accolades & awards for a long, long time.
OH and last but not least, our server (female) was incredibly nice, competent, and super friendly. Such a good personality! If you are reading this you know who you are!!!!