On Sunday, November 12th, a new restaurant had its Grand Opening where Town Kitchen + Bar had served guests for some seventeen years. Enter VERACE CUCINA ITALIANA. When Town’s new owner acquired the restaurant over a year ago, being from Verona, Italy, he was keen on opening an Italian restaurant. The young, energetic, and affable Matteo Muzzolon decided to offer South Miami a new experience – living and loving the Italian Amalfi coast vibe. With new investors and a lead hospitality team of Italian nationals, six weeks were spent in renovating and creating a new lounge and dining experience in SOMI.
VERACE means “true” “authentic”. Matteo assembled a team of hospitality professionals, the chef from Napoli, general manager from Ferrara, and staff from Florence, Rome, Pompei among other locations to create a true Italian experience. Family recipes passed down for generations are incorporated into the menu.
Verace’s carefully curated menu, from the antipasti to delectable desserts, is a testament to Italy’s rich culinary heritage, prepared with the freshest ingredients and a touch of flair.
Come enjoy a culinary journey that blends the familiar with the unexpected. VERACE Cucina Italiana is open seven days a week.
7301 SW 57th Court | 305.740. 8118
Our walk takes us to the other side of town to the historic Dorn building location at US1 and Sunset, for a sit-down with Jahn Kirchoff.
Deli Lane
And Now there are three
Deli Lane, SOMI’s iconic casual eatery and entertainment hub has just grown, with the founding partners bringing on a new business partner to propel the brand for the next several decades.
Jahn Kirchoff and Mike Mailer have been at the helm of this SOMI favorite since August 1988. With the advent of outdoor dining in the 90s and the picturesque, paved brick and tree canopied Dorn Avenue, Deli Lane has been a memorable location for four decades. In December 2000 they acquired Your Father’s Moustache (remember?) and opened Sunset Tavern in January 2001.
“Interior renovations and constant upgrades from the patio to the inside have always been important to us,” notes Jahn.
“However, it is time to take a fresh new look, and bring in a younger team member.” That choice came down to Michael Altman, a long-time and much-regarded chef in the Maimi area. Mike was executive chef at Town Kitchen Bar for many years, prior to the pandemic. Altman came on board on November 3rd. He is developing a dinner menu which is anticipated to be launched in mid-January. Customer service is paramount. After the Covid-19 changes, Deli Lane/Sunset Tavern are now back to full tableside service, which is critical for an evening dining program.
The trio brings 120 years of combined hospitality experience to the SOMI icon, and we look forward to the changes as our town center undergoes its own dynamic changes.
7230 SW 59th Avenue | 786.674.2599
Walking down Sunset to head to the Red Road area, you can’t help but notice the fabulous artifacts in the windows of DAVID’S BEEN HERE located at 5832 Sunset Drive.
Meet South Miami local David Hoffmann, an eclectic bohemian adventurer – and gourmand. He started his David’s Been Here in 2008 fresh out of college, with the vision of bringing his passion for traveling the world into a full-time occupation – and he’s been in 110 countries so far. David’s Been Here is a digital media company meant to supply travel inspiration, reliable first-hand information, and entertainment.
To date, he’s hosted over 2,000 travel episodes that dive deep into the culture, history, and cuisine of thousands of unique destinations around the world. And check out his hot sauce, a delicious combination of sweet pineapple, spicy Kashmiri chili, and tropical guava in every drop. Visit the store and online at davidsbeenhere.com.
5822 Sunset Drive | davidsbeenhere.com
After traveling around the world with David, it’s now time for a sweet treat at a new destination spot on Red Road.
Churros, a Latin American favorite has taken on a new “heavenly” appearance at SOMI’s newest confectionary spot, Santo Dulce! on Red Road across from Sunset Place. The creative handcrafted presentation incorporating a halo over the ice cream was born in 2018.
In South Florida they first started in Wynwood and have a presence in the Doral Yard. With two mobile units, Santo Dulce! is being seen and enjoyed making its way around Miami. They opened in SOMI on October 5th with their first “bricks and mortar” location.
Santo Dulce! offers a menu of ice cream flavors, coffees, shakes and more.
Catering is also provided. Santo Dulce! Is open seven days, from 2-9p. Come by and try the “Santo Sundae!”
6907 Red Road | 786.858.4242 | www.santodulcechurros.com
Staying on the “Gables side” of our town center, we happened upon the Montauk Lobster House former site of Gringo’s Oyster Bar. This new SOMI restaurant is one of three locations established by founder and owner Diego Flores. His restaurants in Long Island’s Montauk and Sag Habor are popular destination restaurants.
Diego Flores, the founder and owner, started his journey in the hospitality industry as a bar back, bus boy, server, and even donned a toque. With an unwavering passion for flavor, he believes in offering an experience where every customer feels like they’ve discovered their go-to spot.
Diego invites SOMI readers to come for the lobster, stay for the atmosphere, and become a part of our story at Montauk Lobster House.
We expect to take a longer and tastier visit. Look forward to reading more about Montauk Lobster House in an upcoming issue of SOMIonline.
In this walkabout, three new fitness enterprises had opened: first on Sunset in Pulse Fitness, a Pilates studio at 5864 Sunset Drive, offering 50-minute classes which are high intensity and low impact. The second is Sweat 440 a franchise location on 73 Street on the ground street level of the Municipal Parking Garage. You can never be late again for a work-out session, as they start every ten minutes. Go Sweat….
And we just happened on the third, when visiting at M’italia and Root and Bone. It’s in this neat architectural building on US1 & 73 Street – CROW Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Crow has not recently opened; in fact, founder Rodrigo Crespo opened his studio in January 2023. It’s new to us here at SOMIonline, and thought our readers would be interested in learning more about this person’s passion and commitment.
Rodrigo is a Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt under the legendary Renzo Gracie HQ in New York. He started his career in Jiu-Jitsu in 1991 at the original Carlson Gracie Academy in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro. Jiu-Jitsu became his passion since day one being born and raised in Rio and surrounded by friends who train the “Gentle Art” ”It was more than a hobby, it was and is lifestyle that brings you so many benefits in life like self-confidence, discipline, making new friends and much more.
Like the 10x World Champion Surfer, Kelly Slater used to say: ‘Put your kids in Jiu-Jitsu before any other sports.’”
At the academy, students will develop their physical, emotional, social and cognitive skills. by having an understanding of and ability to apply the martial arts, students will also develop their self-defense capability.
5958 South Dixie Hwy | 305.206.1303 | https://www.crowjiujitsu.com/
