Miami Real Estate

Danny DeVito’s restaurant is featured in the first Winter Miami Spice. DeVito South Beach is one of many restaurants participating in the much loved Miami Spice tradition, back to satisfy Miami Spice enthusiasts.

Organized by the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the month-long event features restaurants stretching from Miami Beach to Coral Gables. Participating restaurants include Ortanique on the Mile, Prime Blue Grille, Table 8, China Grill and The Capital Grille. Rub elbows with celebrities at The Forge or Nikki beach.  A complete list of participating restaurants as well as a look at the menu, visit the Miami Spice website.

The event runs from January 12-February 12, 2009 and features many local restaurants offering samplings of their fabulous menus.  Three-course lunch runs $23 and dinner runs $36.  Taste an array of artful creations. Indulge yourself this winter and take advantage of Miami’s limited time, month-long extravaganza! Yet another reason to live in Miami!

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Il Gabbiano, on the edge of Biscayne Bay at the mouth of the Miami River, claimed one of the absolute top water-view spots in all of Miami.  Adding to that, the ambiance, the exquisitely prepared Italian delicacies, and the flirty, attentive barrage of waiters, make it stand out.  And… the locals have taken notice.   Offshoot of Il Mulino in New York, the Masci Brothers opened Il Gabbiano here in Miami, and despite the fact that you’ll never find it if someone doesn’t tell you where it is, it is packed….   You need a reservation…. without which, you are basically up the creek without a paddle.  Waterfront, and not at all visible from the street, it’s tucked away behind the Inter Continental Hotel and One Miami’s “Prime Blue Grille”.  Drive in and leave your car with valet.

Between the floor-to-ceiling glass, open terrace, vast expanse of open water,  yachts, tugboats and an occasional dolphin, the setting is spectacular.  Go early… before twilight.  The view is to die for, and the terrace is inevitably breezy, so be prepared if you’re sitting outside.

Barely in your seat, you’ll be treated to ”tocchettini” (chunks)  of fresh parmigiano reggiano…. and  garlic-rubbed bruschetta covered with vine-ripened tomatoes, basil and olive oil… and an appetizer of fried zucchini sliced paper-thin with a spicy crushed-red-pepper zip.

Pasta is as mouthwatering as anything I’ve found (here or in Italy!).  Several versions are homemade (and the chef is amenable to ‘swapping sauces’… something I’m notorious for asking for!).  My choice … Pesto (over long homemade noodles)!  

Dover Sole is another favorite.  The wine list is good.   The Limoncello is a delight.  (And the recipe for limoncello is so “simple”:   Lemon rind, sugar, liquor… a couple of days soaking … sounds easy…  but I think you have to have just the right lemons, and just the right touch!)  Il Gabbiano is one of my favorite restaurants  to recommendation in Miami.   Great romantic place to go.  Equally wonderful for entertaining clients and business associates.   Beautiful bar.  Exceptional ambiance.  A find!  For menus and more information: www.ilgabbianomiami.com     I’d love your comments about Il Gabbiano (the “Seagull”) … or other Miami restaurants with water-views, great ambiance, or remarkable food.

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Hidden from sight behind a thick hedge of ficus (with no signage to  indicate that it even exists) Casa Tua is a gem you could literally walk right past, never realizing it was was there.  Located on Miami Beach,  at 1700 James Avenue, Casa Tua was once a private home.  Now it’s a hide-away for elegant, secluded dining (and with five guest rooms … it’s also an uber-chic bed and breakfast/hotel).  Casa Tua reminds me of another restaurant I’ve loved for eternity: The Ivy in Los Angeles, California.

Casa Tua is owned by the Grenedene family.  Micky Grenedene opened the restaurant, members club, and boutique hotel in 2004. This beautiful Spanish Style Villa  has the feel and warmth of a private home, but on a grandiose scale.  

Casa Tua has indoor and outdoor dining, both… with the patio areas well-shaded and private… open for lunch and dinner.  Unique to Casa Tua is a large chefs table (reserved for single diners … as opposed to large parties!)  set within eyeshot of the open kitchen.   Photographs by Helmut Newton adorn the walls.

Wrought iron gates open to an outdoor brick terrace, and both the outdoor patio and the interior ambiance will make you swoon… Casa Tua is one of the most romantic restaurants around.  

On the second floor of Casa Tua (which has another lovely outdoor terrace as well)  is a private member’s lounge/ club and another terrace. 

Patrons and guests come from literally around the globe. How they find it,  I really don’t know… except that word of mouth spreads like wildfire… in Miami (as well as elsewhere!)  … and local concierges taut it highly.

Make a reservation. 

While the restaurant may appear to be 1/2 full when you get there,  they will not hurry you through your meal … so the table is yours, for as long as you choose. 

My favorite:

Pasta with creme fraisch and caviar (sinfully wonderful…  Just don’t be surprised when it arrives tepid, as that’s truly how it’s to be served) …  tuna tartare …  a wine list to admire …  desserts to make you melt.   Portions are small, and exquisite!

Among my top restaurant choices in Miami is Casa Tua!  

For more information:  www.casatualifestyle.com 

Please leave your comments on this restaurant, and your other favorites anywhere in Miami Beach or South Florida.

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