Taste of the Town: Open-air destination at Esplanade in Aventura
MIAMI - It's an all-new open-air destination at Esplanade in Aventura.
Spanning an impressive 215,000 square feet Esplanade will feature retail, unique entertainment, and casual and fine dining, and more.
With completion slated by the end of 2024, Eric Dinenberg, Esplanade's COO, unveils the exciting culinary offerings. Four of the 6 restaurants planned are open now.
"That includes everything from full service, sit down to quick-serve restaurants to even some additional dessert type offerings. So, we want everybody to be able to kind of pick their own adventure," Dinenburg explained.
CBS News Miami's Lisa Petrillo asked him why they chose the city of Aventura.
"Food is the beating heart of any community and we felt like in this community growing, that beating heart would be a good thing for everybody. We wanted the food offerings to reflect the diversity of people and cuisines in this area," he said.
So, let's roll through a few of them. We begin with Pinstripes Aventura where you can really get your game on with 5 bocce courts and 12 bowling lanes. This 2-story, 30,000-square-foot space featuring a ground-floor bistro and a rooftop bar area has something for everyone. So does the menu.
"We have flatbreads, pizzas, chopped steaks, burgers, salads, tuna poke is very popular in the city. We also have that pastas, gnocchi, fettuccine fusilli," said Executive Chef Robert Lavalee.
Petrillo raved about Chef Robert's tenderloin sliders with house-made mini brioche buns, topped with balsamic shallots and truffle potato sticks on top.
"This is an amazing little slider. It's super juicy, super crunchy. Perfect for after bowling," she said.
After she had no luck in the lanes, she was off to North Italia, an inviting space featuring a 9,000 square-foot dining room and expansive covered patio.
This is the 5th location in Florida for this fast-growing brand. Regional Manager Kevin Brown says his team is happy about the number of restaurants opening at Esplanade.
"I always say the more competition, the better. It brings people here", Brown said. "Pack the valet and come in and check us out. The more exposure we get just helps everybody."
Petrillo tastes the hearty and delish Pasta Bolognese and a creative dish called Smoked Prosciutto Frittatine with a side of spicy vodka sauce.
"I think of it like a fried macaroni and cheese," said Brown.
"That cheesy pull says it all. Hot, crunchy, cheesy, warm hug with a little sauce on the side," said Petrillo.
And finally, introducing The Amalfi Llama - a brand new, high-end strikingly beautiful restaurant featuring 9600 square feet of space with warm, modern farmhouse interiors, intertwined with organic design elements.
Miami's own executive chef Jeffrey Mondaca created a menu which features a never-before-seen fusion of flavors from Italy's Amalfi coast to Patagonian cuisine.
"We marry it along with southern South American cooking, Patagonia, which there's a lot of live embers, wood fire, charcoal, very straightforward cooking," Mondaca said.
"After savoring creative cocktails, we indulge in the signature dish, Branzino, made simply with olive oil, lemon capers, and salt."
"I love the the hint of lemon and of course the capers, but it's also that fresh fish. Incredibly fresh, light, aromatic, and delicious," said Petrillo.
All of the restaurants serve lunch and dinner.
Click here for more information on Pinstripes Bowling, Bocci, and Bistro.
Click here for North Italia.
Click here for The Amalfi Llama.
