Pernetti’s Way

CAFFE ABBRACCI MAKES YOU PART OF THE FAMILY

Abbracci is one of those places that speaks of tradition just by its presence. A mainstay of over three decades, the restaurant just off Miracle Mile has stayed in the Pernetti family since proprietor Nino Pernetti first opened its doors in 1989. Following his passing three years ago, his daughter, Tatiana, has run the establishment with the same gracious connection to clientele, greeting each guest by name. “We want people to feel like they’re in the family, [like] they’re at home and they can ask for whatever they want,” she says.

We asked for a traditional Italian meal – and got more than we bargained for, since that means a marathon of courses (antipasto, primo, secondo, and dolce!). We started with the Grilled Mediterranean Octopus ($24), which is boiled, marinated, and grilled, then served with chopped arugula, roasted pine nuts, black olive sauce, and red pepper puree. It’s a savory bestseller, partly because of how it’s cooked, using a recipe from the Lake Garda Region of Italy where the Pernettis are from. Another Old-World recipe we tried: Mozzarella in Carrozza ($17). Slices of fresh cheese are breaded using homemade breadcrumbs, fried, and served with pesto, balsamic, and hot bruschetta tomatoes. Mamma mia.

Then came what we’d all been waiting for: the pasta course. Our round corner table was sizable, which gave us plenty of room for the pasta parade. Under a cut-glass chandelier, we rotated plates so everyone could have a forkful of each dish. Our favorites were those named for Nino’s daughters: the Tortellini Tatiana ($25) and the Cappelletti Katerina ($28). The tortellini is bathed in a surprisingly light vodka sauce, made with Prosecco instead of vodka. The pasta is stuffed with Asiago cheese and stewed pear, a textural complexity with a nice hint of sweetness. Katerina’s dish is also stuffed, but with veal. The sauce is made from the meat itself, a reduction with rosemary, cream, and white truffle oil. Chef Elmer Moreno tells us everything is portioned “delicately” so as not to overpower the meat, the real star of the dish. The Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe and Rigatoni Pesto (both $25) were also delicious, both traditionally prepared.

Left: Grilled Mediterranean Octopus In a black olive sauce with red pepper puree
Top Right: Tortellini Tatiana made with a light vodka sauce
Bottom Right: Cappelletti Katerina made with stuffed veal and reduced sauce with cream

The main dining area of Abbracci has a wonderfully intimate feel to it. There is another dining area off to rear, and a bar (with an intricate stained-glass ceiling) just off the entrance to the restaurant. But the cozy main dining room is where you want to be, with its chandeliers, muted prints, and smoked glass dividers. There is a sense of privacy here, enhanced by sound-studio wall materials that absorb the noise and allow something rare in busy restaurants: the ability to hear the person next to you, sotto voce.

Abbracci was once the haunt of the global famous and powerful. Before South Beach and Brickell arrived, Abbracci was among the only fine dining places in town, so when celebrities like Robert De Niro, Frank Sinatra, Robin Williams, Matt Damon, etc. visited Miami, they dined at Abbracci. Presidents Clinton and Obama also ate here, partly because of its quality, but also because (until a few years ago) there were no windows, so it was easy to secure. 

For us, however, it was about the food. The second course arrived with aplomb, featuring the Red Snapper al Cartoccio ($41) baked in parchment paper with a blend of sauces, herbs, and tomatoes that infused it with flavor. The fish was dressed with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon, and thyme, with bruschetta tomatoes cooked alongside for a light sauce overlay. The parchment wrap ensured a moist, tender fish.

Another standout was the Tuna Siciliano ($45), a slab of tuna steak grilled to medium rare and then adorned with red bell peppers, olives, capers, and tomatoes. It looked like a thick cut of filet mignon – and had a similar consistency. Not quite as flavorful as the snapper, but more substantial.

Left: Red Snapper al Cartoccio baked in parchment paper, fused with herb and tomato sauce
Top Right: Tuna Siciliano – a steak grilled to medium rare, served with peppers and tomato
Bottom Right: Classic profiteroles – puff pastries filled with double cream vanilla & gelato and topped with Grand Marnier liqueur and bittersweet dark chocolate sauce

With just enough room for dessert, we sampled the profiteroles, the classic dessert claimed by the French but said to be introduced to the world by the Italian Catherine de Medici in the 1500s. The French recipe – pastry puffs filled with whipped cream and coated with dark chocolate – is doctored at Caffe Abbracci, using vanilla ice cream instead of the traditional thick cream, then drizzled in Grand Marnier liqueur. It’s a must-have – and what Abbracci does best: traditional Italian, with a little flair.

318 Aragon Ave.
305.441.0700
Caffeabbracci.com