{"id":22242,"date":"2021-09-05T22:56:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-06T05:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/?p=22242"},"modified":"2021-09-06T16:46:26","modified_gmt":"2021-09-06T23:46:26","slug":"maurizio-returns-to-somi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/maurizio-returns-to-somi\/","title":{"rendered":"MAURIZIO RETURNS TO SOMI"},"content":{"rendered":"<a id=\"maurizio-returns-to-somi\"><\/a>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"682\" src=\"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oct-2005-smtc-cover.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"22245\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oct-2005-smtc-cover.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/somimag.com\/?attachment_id=22245\" class=\"wp-image-22245\" srcset=\"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oct-2005-smtc-cover.jpg 500w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oct-2005-smtc-cover-220x300.jpg 220w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oct-2005-smtc-cover-97x132.jpg 97w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oct-2005-smtc-cover-202x275.jpg 202w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oct-2005-smtc-cover-220x300@2x.jpg 440w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oct-2005-smtc-cover-97x132@2x.jpg 194w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oct-2005-smtc-cover-202x275@2x.jpg 404w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"808\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Maurizio-Farenelli-808x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"22244\" data-link=\"https:\/\/somimag.com\/?attachment_id=22244\" class=\"wp-image-22244\" srcset=\"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Maurizio-Farenelli-808x1024.jpg 808w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Maurizio-Farenelli-237x300.jpg 237w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Maurizio-Farenelli-97x123.jpg 97w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Maurizio-Farenelli-217x275.jpg 217w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Maurizio-Farenelli.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Maurizio-Farenelli-237x300@2x.jpg 474w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Maurizio-Farenelli-97x123@2x.jpg 194w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Maurizio-Farenelli-217x275@2x.jpg 434w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 808px) 100vw, 808px\" \/><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption\"><em>SOMI Magazine\u2019s<\/em> first cover (October 2005) pictured the vibrant al fresco dining scene at Trattoria Sole on Sunset Drive. Having personally known Maurizio since 1988 from La Bussola and the Asti Sister-City program, I have appreciated witnessing his culinary journey and accomplishments over the years. He returns to South Miami later this year to open <strong>Mosaico <\/strong>in the former location of Blu la Pizzeria del Sole. Mosaico is a boutique fine-dining restaurant which will showcase Maurizio\u2019s four decade culinary journey from Italy to Israel and Japan.<br><em>&#8211; jes<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Maurizio Farinelli, an experienced, third-generation restaurateur born and raised in Torino, the gastronomic heartland of northern Italy, boasts an impressive track record of opening and operating successful, high-quality restaurants. Whether the concept is fine dining or casual, Maurizio truly has the \u201cgolden touch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>From <strong>Trattoria Sole, Trattoria Luna,<\/strong> and <strong>Blu la Pizzeria del Sole<\/strong> in South Miami to Coconut Grove\u2019s <strong>Strada in the Grove, Farinelli 1937 Pizzeria &amp; Cucina<\/strong> and more, Maurizio has always had a keen sense for what diners want, and the ability to deliver a winning concept that checks all the boxes: desirable location, inviting ambiance, excellent service and superb cuisine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maurizio, 61, got his start in the hospitality business nearly 42 years ago as the floor manager for a popular Monte Carlo restaurant. He returned to his hometown of Torino for a five-year stint as co-owner and operator of the Grand Bar Group before moving to the Dominican Republic to open Las Brisas Hotel Cabarete in 1989. After selling the hotel in 1991, Maurizio, on a whim, flew to Miami to visit some old friends. He instantly fell in love with the \u201cMagic City\u201d and, to the later good fortune of many an area diner, he decided to stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speaking no English, Maurizio enrolled in English language classes at Berlitz Language Center during the day. After classes, he would walk across the street to La Bussola, a fixture of the Coral Gables dining scene for 22 years, where he worked as a busser. In the coming years, he worked his way up through various local restaurants, eventually landing a job as general manager of Brasserie Le Coze, the popular Coconut Grove spot owned by Gilbert and Maguy Le Coze, the brother-sister team behind the famed New York seafood restaurant, Le Bernardin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"905\" src=\"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Japanese-Miyazaki-Wagyu-beef-cooked-at-low-temperature-served-with-shiitake-mushroom-roasted-purple-eggplant-in-a-sake-infusion-and-micro-green.-.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-22249\" srcset=\"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Japanese-Miyazaki-Wagyu-beef-cooked-at-low-temperature-served-with-shiitake-mushroom-roasted-purple-eggplant-in-a-sake-infusion-and-micro-green.-.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Japanese-Miyazaki-Wagyu-beef-cooked-at-low-temperature-served-with-shiitake-mushroom-roasted-purple-eggplant-in-a-sake-infusion-and-micro-green.--300x272.jpg 300w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Japanese-Miyazaki-Wagyu-beef-cooked-at-low-temperature-served-with-shiitake-mushroom-roasted-purple-eggplant-in-a-sake-infusion-and-micro-green.--97x88.jpg 97w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Japanese-Miyazaki-Wagyu-beef-cooked-at-low-temperature-served-with-shiitake-mushroom-roasted-purple-eggplant-in-a-sake-infusion-and-micro-green.--304x275.jpg 304w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Japanese-Miyazaki-Wagyu-beef-cooked-at-low-temperature-served-with-shiitake-mushroom-roasted-purple-eggplant-in-a-sake-infusion-and-micro-green.--300x272@2x.jpg 600w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Japanese-Miyazaki-Wagyu-beef-cooked-at-low-temperature-served-with-shiitake-mushroom-roasted-purple-eggplant-in-a-sake-infusion-and-micro-green.--97x88@2x.jpg 194w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Japanese-Miyazaki-Wagyu-beef-cooked-at-low-temperature-served-with-shiitake-mushroom-roasted-purple-eggplant-in-a-sake-infusion-and-micro-green.--304x275@2x.jpg 608w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption>Japanese Miyazaki Wagyu beef cooked at low temperature served with shiitake mushroom, roasted purple eggplant, in a sake infusion and micro green<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1996, Maurizio felt the time was right to venture out on his own. He opened Trattoria Sole in South Miami, the city\u2019s first fine-dining, white-tablecloth establishment since Grentner\u2019s for Steak in the late 1960s.&nbsp; Sole proved to be an instant success, drawing a well-heeled crowd that included, among others, actor Michael Douglas and Miami Heat president Pat Riley, a regular there for years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Loving the laidback lifestyle, he found in the \u201cCity of Pleasant Living,\u201d he bought a home here and has been a resident for nearly 25 years.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Buoyed by his success with Trattoria Sole \u2013 and eager to grow as a restaurateur-entrepreneur Maurizio opened Trattoria Luna in 1998, followed by Blu la Pizzeria del Sole in 2000, and then Blu Pizza &amp; Cucina in Brickell in 2008. He later shifted his focus to Coconut Grove, whose restaurant and retail sector was still a few years away from a major revival when he opened Strada in the Grove in 2013.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like his previous establishments in South Miami, Strada was an instant success, and the restaurant was awarded the Seal of Approval and Authenticity, presented by the Italian-American Chamber of Commerce and the Italian Ministry of Culture and Tourism to the very best Italian restaurants around the world. Maurizio followed Strada up three years later with Farinelli 1937 Pizzeria &amp; Cucina, an homage to his grandparents, who opened their very first restaurant in Bologna that year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Never one to rest on his laurels, Maurizio in 2019 decided to sell his Coconut Grove restaurants and travel the world to expand his culinary horizons. He spent months traveling throughout Italy and Israel, visiting acclaimed restaurants, wineries and markets to learn from fellow culinarians about different customs, cuisines and<br>cooking methods.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Homemade-tagliolini-24-months-aged-parmigiano-cream-Umbrian-black-summer-truffles-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-22248\" srcset=\"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Homemade-tagliolini-24-months-aged-parmigiano-cream-Umbrian-black-summer-truffles-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Homemade-tagliolini-24-months-aged-parmigiano-cream-Umbrian-black-summer-truffles-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Homemade-tagliolini-24-months-aged-parmigiano-cream-Umbrian-black-summer-truffles-97x129.jpg 97w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Homemade-tagliolini-24-months-aged-parmigiano-cream-Umbrian-black-summer-truffles-206x275.jpg 206w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Homemade-tagliolini-24-months-aged-parmigiano-cream-Umbrian-black-summer-truffles.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Homemade-tagliolini-24-months-aged-parmigiano-cream-Umbrian-black-summer-truffles-225x300@2x.jpg 450w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Homemade-tagliolini-24-months-aged-parmigiano-cream-Umbrian-black-summer-truffles-97x129@2x.jpg 194w, https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/Homemade-tagliolini-24-months-aged-parmigiano-cream-Umbrian-black-summer-truffles-206x275@2x.jpg 412w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption>Homemade tagliolini, 24 months aged&nbsp; parmigiano cream, Umbrian black summer truffles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>He then spent two and a half months as a student at Japan\u2019s prestigious Tokyo Sushi Academy, where he learned virtually everything there is to know about fish and its preparation. Maurizio is now certified by Japan\u2019s Ministry of Food Industry to prepare sushi, sashimi and Japanese cuisine according to the country\u2019s stringent standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maurizio is an honorary ambassador of the city of Asti for promoting food and culture throughout the world, and also serves as secretary of the Italian Comites, an organization that, under the direction of Italy\u2019s government, develops and promotes Italian culture across the globe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A warm and affable host who speaks Italian, English, Spanish and French, the unpretentious, soft-spoken Maurizio has worked every aspect of the business and knows exactly what it takes to build a successful restaurant. With each and every one of his establishments, he has always been respected by his staff, beloved by his guests and welcomed by surrounding businesses who appreciate his ability to bring increased traffic to their neighborhood.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8211; Peter B. <strong>Laird<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maurizio Farinelli, an experienced, third-generation restaurateur born and raised in Torino, the gastronomic heartland of northern Italy, boasts an impressive track record of opening and operating successful, high-quality restaurants. Whether the concept is fine dining or casual, Maurizio truly has the \u201cgolden touch.\u201d From Trattoria Sole, Trattoria Luna, and Blu la Pizzeria del Sole in<\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/somimag.com\/maurizio-returns-to-somi\/\" title=\"Read More\">Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":22346,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19,318,1,312],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22242"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22242"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22242\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22346"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22242"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22242"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/somimag.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22242"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}