Ciao bella
Ciao bella
Torno Subito, reader survey, Coral Gables listings, Wynwood Walls, Villa Mabrouka Tangier, best tasting menus, MORE
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Bottura’s world
The Skinny: Iconic Italian chef and restaurateur Massimo Bottura — of two-time World’s Best Restaurant winner Osteria Francescana — has opened his first solo venture in the United States, a circus-inspired Italian restaurant on the rooftop of a historic building in downtown Miami. Ladies and gentlemen, following Dubai and Singapore, welcome to Torno Subito Miami.
The Vibe: Through a bright red entrance, take an elevator to the rooftop above the Julia & Henry food hall. Upon entry, you’ll be welcomed with bright primary colors and ’70s Italian pop culture ambiance. The indoor section of the restaurant is on the smaller side, but an outdoor patio with downtown views doubles the space. Head chef Bernardo Paladini, who also opened the Dubai location, has been in Miami for nearly two years getting to know the city and local producers. Service is quick and friendly and no detail is overlooked.
The Drinks: The cocktail menu, created by renowned NYC cocktail bar Dante, skews classic and Italian, heavy on Negronis and martinis. For something unexpected, opt for the Nuovo martini made with parmesan-infused Grey Goose, Cinzano 1757, Martini Riserva Ambrato, walnut bitters, and parmesan garnish. Sommelier Mauro Vitali has curated a top list from around the world, featuring many small Italian producers with whom he’s cultivated personal relationships.
The Food: The choose-your-own-adventure menu ranges from wood-fired pizzas and bar bites (e.g., a lobster roll and a burger) to perfectly-executed a la carte dishes and a “La Dolce Vita” tasting menu featuring eight courses for $165 per (with optional wine and cocktail pairing for $110 per). One dish that may be familiar if you’ve been to any of Bottura’s restaurants in Italy is the tortellini filled with beef and pork and served in a creamy parmigiano reggiano sauce. It’s $52 for a (fairly small) portion, but each of the perfectly filled pieces is made by a single woman who folds hundreds of them fresh every morning before service.
Other dishes of note include “A Cacio E Pepe In Miami,” in which citrus essence brightens the Italian pasta standard, and a sea bass “porketta” that’s stuffed with pork bacon, rosemary, and dill and covered in a lemon emulsion served with a bed of grilled lettuce. Among the pizzas, the eponymous Torno Subito is made using focaccia with stracciatella cheese, coppa ham, apple mostarda, balsamic vinegar, and basil.
The Verdict: An upscale, yet cheeky, Italian restaurant in an unexpected location by one of the world’s most well-regarded chefs. Once the weather cools, the outdoor rooftop will be one of the hottest hangs in town. –Amber Love Bond
→ Torno Subito (Downtown) • 200 E Flagler St • Sun-Thurs 6-10p, Sat-Sun 6-11p • Reserve.
MIAMI RESTAURANT LINKS: Temporarily shuttered downtown spot Meraki Greek Bistro reopens today • Ecuador fusion sushi chain Noe Sushi Bar debuts in South Miami • Smorgasburg Miami to reopen Sept. 28 with new vendors, new look • The battle for the name Pastis has been settled.
WORK • Feedback Loop
Take our survey, please
We kicked off the first FOUND reader survey last week. If you missed it, you can find it here. It should take just a minute or so to complete. As a thank you, we’re offering a couple of annual paid subscriptions (or subscription extensions) and also our sincere gratitude for your commitment to the cause.
In the early days of a startup, feedback can be tricky. Anecdotal reactions can have an outsize effect on mood and direction, if you’re not careful. Somebody casually mentions they heard someone’s sister’s husband isn’t a fan of x feature and all of the sudden you’re questioning your entire existence, wondering if it’s time to get a real job, probably something with a formal annual review process.
So some of the early work is just keeping your head down and doing the work that you set out to do. I’ve read the jacked-up LinkedIn posts about the value of constant user-testing and probing, which makes sense for some businesses, but not exactly for media and definitely not for the media we’re trying to build — or the kind of business that we want to be running. It’s not meant to be for everybody (just you, of course).
But today, we’ve got enough foundation that we’re ready to hear it all. The early results are in, and it’s been extremely edifying to learn about FOUND’s (very accomplished) readers and rewarding to get the feedback (we see you, “I literally read every one top to bottom.”) — even the constructive criticism, most of which we’ve registered without existential dread.
Of course we’re going to use some of the responses to sell some fancy luxury advertising (inquiries to sales@itsfoundmiami.com!), but also to shape the product. Watch this space. And please, dear FOUND reader, fill out our survey. –Josh Albertson
REAL ESTATE • On the Market
Dreaming in Coral Gables
A low-slung, 2500-square-foot, five-bedroom in Coral Gables was the most expensive listing to go into contract last week in Miami-Dade, per Eklund Gomes. Listed for $12.2M less than a month ago, the property features 363 linear feet on the bay with direct bay access. Alas, no interior shots — “build your dream home”!
Or you can consider one of these Gables properties, each listed in the last 10 days in the $2.5M to $4M range.
→ 1225 Alhambra Cir (Coral Gables) • 3BR/3BA, 2024 SF house • renovated Spanish-style residence • Ask: $2.5M • Days on market: 8 • Agent: Angel Gonzalez, Douglas Elliman.
→ 2615 Alhambra Cir (Coral Gables) • 3BR/3BA, 2878 SF house • ‘full of potential’; open house Fri & Sat 1-4p • Ask: $3.299M • Days on market: 2 • Agent: Jeannie Montes de Oca, BHHS EWM.
→ 203 Ridgewood Rd (Coral Gables, above) • 4BR/4.1BA, 2834 SF house • U-shaped floor plan around pool onto 80-ft pines; open house Sat 11a-2p • Ask: $3.89M • Days on market: 6 • Agent: Alex Larmier, Compass.
MIAMI WORK AND PLAY LINKS: Renderings revealed for Ken Griffin’s 54-story Citadel skyscraper by Foster + Partners • Barry Sternlicht taps Bjarke Ingels to add condos at Miami Beach’s Standard Hotel • Top VC firm Andreessen Horowitz shutters Miami office • Claim: wealthy Floridians are buying up all of NYC’s real estate • The battle for Palm Beach’s last remaining development site.
WORK • Thursday Routine
Street heart
JESSICA GOLDMAN SREBNICK • founder & CEO / co-chair • Goldman Global Arts / Goldman Properties
Neighborhood you work in: Wynwood
It’s Thursday morning. What is the scene at your workplace?
Every day at Goldman Global Arts / Goldman Properties is different. That’s why I love what I do. Our offices are as busy as they are colorful. We’re not your typical real estate company. Walls filled with paintings, murals, art figures, prints, neons, and even New York City subway signs lend to an environment of creative thinking. We revitalize neighborhoods, and we infuse creativity into the places we work and for the clients we advise.
What is on the agenda today?
Wow… we have so much going on with various projects and businesses. Today included a 7 a.m. weight training session, followed by breakfast, then I head to the office. Everyone in our company works in person; it makes all the difference to the culture and productivity of the organization. My meetings include an update with my director of operations, a product development meeting for the Wynwood Walls shop to review merchandise.
There’s also an on-camera interview with the BBC for a travel show, an in-person orientation for the incoming class of 30 students for the University of Miami Masters in Real Estate program, and a programming meeting in preparation for Art Week. I review contracts, finalize the copy of our next book (being published by Assouline), respond to emails, take a Zoom call with a GGA client. Dinner at home with the family, an evening walk with the dog, then, I jump into bed to watch whatever I’m binging at the moment. Sleep. Repeat!
Any bar or restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Weekdays are for dinner at home with the family. My favorite spots for lunch meetings are Pastis and Joey’s in the heart of Wynwood and Mandolin in the Design District. Dinners out are saved for weekends. I love Joe’s Stone Crab, Makoto, Delilah, Komodo, and Uchi.
How about a little leisure or culture?
Miami Dolphins games, long walks on the Miami Beach boardwalk, jet skiing in Biscayne Bay, a visit to the Wynwood Walls, maybe pick up a spray can at the Street Art Experience to really appreciate what it takes to paint the glorious walls of Wynwood, and a visit to the Goldman Global Arts Gallery for those in the market to buy the best fine art work of the street art genre.
What was your last great vacation?
Girls trip with my lifelong best friends to Majorca. Other recent great ones: Aspen in the summer, Tel Aviv to visit family, and a trip to London for the opening of the exquisite Peninsula Hotel London.
What was a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
My husband and I recently bought two new works of art. An amazing painting by artist Timothy Curtis and a cracked glass portrait by Swiss artist Simon Berger. I am obsessed.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Hurricanes Season
Childish Gambino • Amerant Bank Arena (Sunrise) • Thurs @ 8p, section 118, $125 per
Florida A&M vs Miami • Hard Rock Stadium (Miami Gardens) • Sat @ 6p, section 118, $89 per
Flor Berlotti • James L Knight Center (Downtown) • Sat @ 8p • section 109, $120 per
GETAWAYS • Morocco
Tangier tango
“Tangier is more New York than New York,” Paul Bowles wrote in his 1952 novel Let it Come Down.
The best time to visit the Moroccan port city of Tangier is in the fall — and the best hotel there is Villa Mabrouka, which opened last year.
Just above the Kasbah and the Medina, and with breathtaking views of the Strait of Gibraltar and the North Atlantic Sea, Villa Mabrouka is an intimate, 12-room hotel housed in a 1940s modernist building on a 12-acre hillside. The property was once the holiday home of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, and was transformed into a hotel by British designer Jasper Conran in 2019. Its unveiling was stalled by the pandemic, with a soft opening only last year. But now the kinks are all worked out, creating an unmatched luxury hotel experience, without ritzy affectation.
The design of Villa Mabrouka reflects a blend of modernist architecture and traditional English country house aesthetics, with elements like floor-to-ceiling glass windows, intricate fretwork, and antique furnishings. The gardens, initially designed by landscape architect Madison Cox, feature cascading terraces, lush with over 6500 trees, shrubs, and flowers, including banana palms, ferns, bamboo, citrus trees, hollyhocks, nasturtiums, roses, bougainvillea, and agapanthus. A variety of bird songs and the five-times-a-day calls to prayer from the mosque next door add to the Tangier experience.
The villa features two crystalline swimming pools, three restaurants, and a rooftop coffee and cocktail bar. The dining options emphasize local Mediterranean ingredients, offering dishes like grilled lobster, sauteed sole, and tagines (lamb, beef or chicken).
To get here from Miami, the best option is to spend a couple of days in Paris or London and then fly directly to Tangier — a 2.5 hour flight.
To prepare for your trip, read Bowles's classic novel The Sheltering Sky, which will put you in the mood for this storied north African city. –Brad Inman
→ Villa Mabrouka (Tangier, Morocco) • 1 Sidi Bouknadel.
GETAWAYS LINKS: The St. Regis Longboat Key is now open • New Exuma beach club, Coconut Club, only reachable by boat • New villa opens at Round Hill Resort in Montego Bay • Six Senses are suddenly everywhere • Is Clear still worth it?
ASK FOUND
First, a quick primer on how this works: You send us the pressing questions of the day (on dining, services, living in Miami and surrounds). We all put our heads together (us at FOUND, + you, FOUND subscribers, who are also FOUND) in search of truth and beauty.
Today, three FOUND subscriber PROMPTS for which we are seeking intel:
Where are you excited about dining this fall?
What’s your favorite bookstore in Miami?
Which spa are you booking to escape the chaos of the season?
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundmiami.com.
RESTAURANTS • The Nines
Tasting menus
The Nines are FOUND's distilled lists of Miami’s best. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@itsfoundmiami.com.
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon (Design District), Florida’s only Michelin two-star, exquisite French fare; nine courses for $225 per