Vino e Olio Opens This Saturday Night

Chef Menichetti has Michelin in his blood.

We've been looking forward to this one more than most. For one thing, Vino e Olio is a beauty. The 5,600-square-foot space looks very cool with glass-lit walls and all, plus there are 200 seats on a 2,500-square-foot outdoor terrace too. As owner Alessandro Cecconi says, "Life is too short not to eat well and we want guests to do so in a beautiful space." But it's the food we are really drooling with anticipation over.

Chef Andrea Menichetti has surely seen and tasted his share of great cuisine growing up - his mom is Michelin star rated Valeria Piccini, his dad is Maurizio Menichetti, a sommelier and vineyard owner. Together his parents the founded Da Caino, a renowned restaurant in Maremma, Italy. The food here will tilt towards rustic Tuscany. "Quality is the key" insists Menichetti. "That's why we're (using) olive oil direct from my family's farm in Italy. These ingredients are what make our cuisine authentic." Then he adds, with a smile: "Well, that and myself."

Vino e Olio
139 NE 39th St., Miami
305-573-0707