Top Chef alums and James Beard Award semi-finalists Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth may have made their name with fried chicken at their first restaurant concept, the southern-accented Root & Bone, but their newest venture takes diners on a tour of the diverse flavors of Italy—and gives Miami a true neighborhood Italian hangout in the process.
Interiors (ph. Giovanny Gutierrez)
“Italy has always astounded Jeff and me with its culture, beauty and incredible volcanic soil growing some of the most delicious produce I have ever tasted,” says Booth, who, along with McInnis, currently operates restaurants in Manhattan, Miami, and Puerto Rico. “From the country’s northern comfort food to its southern seaside cuisine, that beautiful, sun-filled country is a huge source for culinary inspiration for Jeff and me, and we’re so excited to cook from our memories and bring our version of these flavors to Miami.”
Interiors (ph. Giovanny Gutierrez)
Owned and operated by Grove Bay Hospitality Group, Mi’talia Kitchen & Bar celebrates these flavors in bright and airy dining spaces that meld Italian and Miami style in details like black-and-white patterned tiles, wooden shelves lined with jars of preserved lemons, and pots of both tropical plants and Mediterranean herbs. A communal table encourages mingling with other patrons, while a palm tree-ringed patio has both lounge and table seating.
Interiors (ph. Giovanny Gutierrez)
Settle in to one of the ten seats around the bar to enjoy some of the mixologist-created signature drinks, which include creative cocktails featuring house-made limoncellos; the Ms. Cesario pairs Elyx limoncello with lemongrass green tea and fresh lemon, for example, while Umbrellas in Amalfi is a mix of Bacardi limoncello with peach, prosecco and fresh lime.
Pumpkin Agnolotti (ph. courtesy of Grove Bay Hospitality Group)
Once you’ve worked up an appetite, the menu of made-from-scratch dishes awaits. Find modern takes on Italian classics, from cauliflower arancini with green tomato mostarda and truffle-crusted filet mignon with king trumpet mushrooms and Marsala wine jus, to bucatini carbonara with crispy pancetta and English peas.
Tuscan Brick Chicken (ph. courtesy of Grove Bay Hospitality Group)
The “Not Your Nonna’s Bolognese” sauce is served with fresh ricotta gnudi, while the uniquely shaped, stone oven-cooked “Sunflower” pizza is topped with sun gold tomatoes, yellow squash, mint and pistachio pesto, sunflower seeds and whipped ricotta. Chefs McInnis and Booth feature chicken at Mi’talia, too—just with an Italian twist: the Tuscan brick chicken, for example, is served with hazelnut romesco and an herb and pomegranate salad.
Sunflower Pizza (ph. courtesy of Grove Bay Hospitality Group)