Around Town

For everyone on our team, eating and restaurants isn’t just a work thing—it’s a life thing.
So here, we asked the chefs and managers of Scarpetta two simple questions:
AFTER YOUR SHIFT ENDS, WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO PLACE AND WHY?
WHAT AND WHERE WAS THE LAST ITALIAN MEAL YOU HAD THAT BLEW YOUR MIND?

SONNY GORUSHANOVICH
General Manager, Scarpetta Miami

Favorite Local Italian Spot
Sardinia Enoteca is a local Italian restaurant focused on traditional Sardinian cuisine with a great wine selection. Both owners, Tony [Gallo] and Pietro [Vardeu], are obsessed with serving wine at the correct temperature and in elegant glassware, which makes for a great dining experience, in addition to the fact that they offer great wines by the glass. I enjoy the homemade mozzarella tasting (they have six different types of this creamy goodness), and their paella di fregola with fresh seafood is to die for!

1801 Purdy Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139
305.531.2228, sardinia-ristorante.com

Last Italian Meal that Blew your Mind
A local Italian restaurant that is truly a memorable spot is Macchialina, headed by Chef Michael Pirolo. The decor is a mix between a rustic Italian home and a Philadelphia brick tavern. I went in with a group of friends and chose a tasting menu for the group that was just delightful. The menu started with tasty prosciutto and succulent carpaccio and then moved on to meatballs, lasagna, homemade pasta, and a crispy pork chop Milanese. Seasonal butternut squash incorporated into a fresh salad was worth the trip alone. Another heartwarming detail is all the familiar faces. Locals were dining with their dogs on the
terrace! Industry chefs were at the bar with their friends, and even some of my staff was there with family and friends!

820 Alton Road, Miami Beach, FL 33139
305.534.2124, macchialina.com

SANDRO COPPOLA
General Manager, Scarpetta Los Angeles

Favorite Local Italian Spot
Piccolo Paradiso in Beverly Hills. Everybody is Italian, and the owner is a friend of mine. Modern, intimate, and friendly, it’s a great place for a date or a nice relaxing dinner.
150 South Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
310.271.0030, giacominodrago.com

Last Italian Meal that Blew your Mind
Gusto restaurant. I worked with Chef Victor Casanova when I opened the Italian restaurant Culina inside the Four Seasons Hotel prior to coming to Scarpetta. Awesome pastas, from the spaghetti and the agnolotti to the ravioli. They will blow your mind! His homemade sausage is off the chart.
8432 West Third Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048
323.782.1778, gusto-la.com

GINA MARINELLI
Executive Chef, D.O.C.G. Las Vegas

Favorite Local Italian Spot
Mario Batali’s B&B Ristorante.
The food is so authentic and seasoned well. I love the music they play there and the laid-back atmosphere!

The Venetian
3355 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas NV 89109
702.266.9977, bandbristorante.com

Last Italian Meal that Blew your Mind
It was actually in Florence! I had the most amazing fish stew with turbot and shellfish. The broth had a strong red beer and juniper berry taste. The food was so fresh and really tasted like something my grandmother would have made (if she knew how to cook)!

TULIO REZENDE
Manager, Scarpetta NYC

Favorite Local Italian Spot
One of my favorite places to go for happy hour and dinner is Birreria, a rooftop restaurant at Eataly. You can drink a nice glass
of wine or beer and grab a great combination of cheeses and cured meats.
200 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
212.937.8910, eataly.com/birreria

Last Italian Meal that Blew your Mind
The last time that I was in Brazil I went to Restaurante Gero.
Owned by the renowned Fasano family, Gero serves exceptional Italian cuisine. My appetizer was octopus carpaccio and my main course was the house specialty, calamari ink pasta. The food was outstanding and everything about the restaurant was amazing!
R. Haddock Lobo, 1629
Jardim Paulista, São Paulo, 01414-003, Brazil
+55 11 3064-0005

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