Taste Of The Town Takes A Bite Out Of Dolce Italian
MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) - Located on Collins Avenue in the heart of South Beach, Dolce Italian is a hip dining spot inside the recently renovated Gale Hotel.
The menu reads like a contemporary take on Italian classics from wood-roasted pizzas to home-made pastas, salads and more. General Manager Kevin D'Antonio told CBS4's Lisa Petrillo how this trendy spot stands out from the many other Italian restaurants in the neighborhood.
"For us alone, reinventing the Gale Hotel, gutting everything and the transforming it to what it is now, sets it apart. Miami is a town where you catch a wave, then it reinvents that wave over and over again. It's a nice way to create a wave and follow it to the end" D'Antonio said.
Back in the kitchen Chef Lauris prepares a delicate risotto boiling in chicken stock that will be the base for his Veal Cheek Risotto dish. He has his own secret way of stirring the risotto that makes dish's texture, consistency and taste superb.
"You make the number 8 when you stir; from rice to ocho (eight) ric- ocho! Risotto!" Chef said.
A large space, the walls are adorned with hung photos of vintage shots of Italy. The restaurant, for many reasons, has an overall feel of what's old is new again; the sweet life, La Dolce Vita.
Chef brings out a colorful arugula salad with asiago cheese and spec, a lightly smoked prosciutto.
After the salad, the chef bring out a classic thin-crust Margarita pizza, followed by a dish Petrillo herself had never tried before: Veal Cheeks with Risotto.
"That is a melt in our mouth dish," Petrillo said. "The veal cheek is so tender, I don't have to cut it. I have a knife in it, but it doesn't need it—the meat falls off. Beautiful!"
Dolce Italian, which is participating in the Miami Spice Program, has something for everyone. From affordable light bites, to high end dishes , to family fare..
The pizzas start at $13.
"If you have a family and want to share a pizza , it's very reasonable, and then if you'd rather have something more like a 3 hour meal with great wines and fish or meat, you can have that too. We wanted to be available for all sides of it," said Kevin.
For more information, visit Dolce Italian's website at dolceitalianrestaurant.com.
