Miami Living Magazine features the best Miami has to offer. Click on any magazine below and enjoy. You can download our free app on iTunes. Ideal for iPad and iPhone users.
Issue link: https://digital.miamilivingmagazine.com/i/182118
ML40 81-96_Layout 1 9/27/13 12:35 AM Page 83 FOOD Have the Pleasure of Serafina Yet? Almost a year after opening in SoBe, the restaurant is a local's delight and tourist's must Words by Martin Haro I have developed a real fondness for 11th and Collins on South Beach, specifically for the northeast corner which houses the Dream South Beach. I think my love affair spot began a long time ago, but it became…inescapable when Jamie DeRosa's Tudor House brought this boy to the yard -- well -- to the terrace. Unfortunately, Tudor House's reign came to an early end late last summer. While the restaurant was delicious and fairly well-liked, its mastermind, Iron chef Geoffrey Zakarian and the Dream severed ties (there was no drama; it was som'in' about Zakarian wanting to expand his wings in the Magic City, which his partnership with the hotel prevented him from doing, if memory serves). I felt the loss. It came too close for comfort after I/we lost Joe Allen, y'see. I still had my lighter up for that; I saw a beacon of hope, and poof -- it went away. So, in the restaurant game the Magic City plays, ultimately, as they/I say, the whole thing turned into a whaddya gonna do moment. What the Dream South Beach – a relative hotel of the Dream in New York – did was invite a NYC-based restaurant concept to join the party on the sandbar. That's how Serafina came to town. And lemme tell you one thing: I likey. I absolutely enjoy that Serafina has (wisely) retained the property's laid-back vibe – I'm talking about the building in which it is, not (just) the Dream's vibe, which I know to be welcoming and fun. I really heart that Serafina has come to town to offer its delish Northern Italian cuisine, retained its beloved-by-NYCers identity, and adapted rather splendidly to the whims of SoBe. That's something to be respected and appreciated. There's an energy there, which combined with the menu, makes this a winning option. The food Serafina's entire shtick is based on an authentic approach to cooking. We're talking family recipes that have been passed down one generation to another. It may strive for a certain Itness, but it cannot be denied that the restaurant tastes pretty authentic. The gazpacho ($8.75) I was offered to start was pretty killer on the cool night I was there. Just winningly on point, y' know. For me, any time I see mussels on a menu I just have to have 'em, and the ones at S, done al prosecco ($14.50) – well, kids, if you keep with what I write about food then you know I love me some anything al prosecco. Now, you know what's fun about new joints? That, sometimes, they can make you try something you've never tried before. Such was the case when I tried the vitello tonnato, which unfortunately, seems to have gone bye-bye. Basically, it was veal carpaccio in tuna sauce. And, in the immortal words of Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, it was pretty f---in' awesome. I loved it, and – Putting It Out There Alert! – I hope it will be featured once more. At least when I stop by again. One dish that is most definitely still on the menu is the $23 ravioli al tartufo nero, which is phenomenal in that it is, as you can imagine, a sinfully accomplished plate of homemade black truffle ravioli (with a touch of butter). Hello, cheat night! As for the pièce de résistance, I gotta go with the Margherita V.I.P. pizza ($17). Talk. About. A good pie. So much sauce, and what…a crust. Thin enough not to feel gluttonous, yet thick enough to satisfy (that's what s/he said!). C'mon, people – hop to it. Call 305-534-8455 for a reservation and go fall for Serafina, too, at 1111 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach. For more information, visit serafinarestaurant.com. ML MIAMI LIVING 83