Bottega La Dolce Vita, 
Coral Gables

Franco Di Blasi and Joan Bovaresco

A simple desire for traditional Italian cookies made by Mulino Bianco inspired Franco Di Blasi and Joan Bovaresco to open their market in a little strip center on LeJeune Road in 2011.

Today, Bottega La Dolce Vita is the go-to for everything from classics like prosciutto, olive oils, double-zero flour, anchovies and mozzarella di bufala, to nostalgic favorites like Nutella from Italy (glass jar, more hazelnutty, fans claim) and Rossana hard candies – “the kind my grandpa used to have in his pocket,” says Di Blasi, who is from Sicily. For holidays, the little shop does a brisk business in traditional cakes like La Colomba di Pasqua for Easter, panettone and panforte for Christmas.