Casa Tua Cucina, Brickell City Centre

Founder Miky Grendene

One of two Italian marketplaces at the sprawling new Brickell City Centre, Casa Tua Cucina is a bustling market and communal dining space with 10 dining stations. The concept is an offspring of Casa Tua, a longtime Italian restaurant and boutique hotel inside of a Mediterranean villa in Miami Beach known for its authentic Italian food and warm hospitality. It was launched in 2001 by Miky Grendene, an Italian from Padova, who teamed up with Saks Fifth Avenue last year to open Casa Tua Cucina.

“We’ve been able to keep the same standard of quality and translate it to a larger audience,” he says. The different stations – for pasta, charcuterie, desserts and so on, help people feel like they are in their own kitchen. “Guests can watch while our chefs prepare their pasta from scratch, how we season their steak and bake their pizza.” They can come in, buy handmade pasta and all of the ingredients used to make the sauce, then take it home to cook for their family.

“Italian homes are known for great food and warm welcomes,” he adds. “Casa Tua creates that same unique experience.”