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The colorful Torno Subito, a casual-yet-polished Italian restaurant from world famous chef Massimo Bottura is now open in downtown Miami. It is Bottura’s first solo project in the US and a sibling to the restaurant of the same name (and a recipient of a Michelin star) in Dubai. A partnership with King Goose Hospitality, the restaurant is located on the rooftop of the chef-driven Julia & Henry’s food hall on Flagler St. To lead the Miami outpost Bottura entrusted Bernardo Paladini, the chef behind Torno Subito Dubai who relocated to Miami a year and a half ago to open the restaurant and familiarize himself with the farms, purveyors, and ingredients of South Florida.
“We all share a passion for the Italian Riviera’s retro Dolce Vita mood with Fellini’s dreamlike qualities, but each project is also the mirror of the chefs,” says Bottura. “Bernardo has been in Miami for a year and a half, and in that time, he has deepened his knowledge of the cheesemakers, farmers, ranchers, and fishermen of the South Florida area. We fully support him to express himself under a creative hat that is Osteria Francescana and our Francescana Family.”
Bottura, who as well as being a prolific chef and restaurateur, is also a gastronomic ambassador for his home region of Emilia-Romagna, drew inspiration from his childhood trips to the coastal town of Rimini to create the restaurant. The phrase, ‘torno subito’ translates to ‘I’ll be back soon!’ and is commonly seen on closed storefronts in Italy indicating an afternoon break.
“Torno Subito is a joyful Italian restaurant that embraces the Osteria Francescana motto of ‘tradition in evolution,’” says Bottura.” It’s a place for authentic Italian cuisine with a twist of irony, whimsy, and fun.”
Massimo Bottura (left) and Bernardo Paladini. Photo: Flow Gallery Food
Guests enter on the ground floor via a bright, red-arched entrance which leads to an elevator that transports guests to the historic building’s rooftop. From the hostess stand there’s a walk past the buzzing open kitchen with its yellow-tiled pizza oven and U-shaped bar that connects indoors and outdoors through to the glass-enclosed dining room which is a blast of more red, yellow, and stripes. The outdoor terrace, with its striped umbrellas and yellow cushioned chairs, feels like a beach club blended with a rooftop with dazzling views of downtown.
But we’re here for the food, mainly the pastas, which are uniformly unique and excellent. “We want to bring our guests on an imaginary trip all over Italy, while also honoring and taking inspiration from the rich history, culture, and landscape of Miami,” says Paladini. There are the signature tortellini, little pockets of dough stuffed with pork handmade daily by an Italian nonna that the restaurant relocated from Italy to Miami. These plump pouches nestle in a Parmigiano Reggiano sauce that’s both sharp and luxuriously rich. The tagliatelle al ragù is a recipe handed down from Bottura’s grandmother and is made with wagyu beef, slow cooked and hand-chopped before being combined with ribbons of fresh pasta.
The cacio e pepe dish has a Florida spin using the zest from local citrus to add brightness to what is a deceptively simple dish. Paladini explains: “I’m from Rome and cacio e pepe is one of the most iconic pastas from Rome. The original dish at the restaurant uses pecorino cheese and pepper, but I decided to add a small percentage of Parmigiano to make it more round and then to use my favorite ingredient from Florida, the citrus. The zest from oranges from northern Florida, the lime from the Keys, and local lemons. The aromatic flavors help you enjoy the dish more and more.”
The terrace. Photo: Flow Gallery Food
Besides the cacio e pepe, several other dishes were created specifically for the Miami menu. The seabass porketta is a filet of Mediterranean fish with a stuffing of bacon and pork while the Milano-Portofino is a combination of two risottos—one made with saffron and bone marrow and the other with langoustine juice. And the dessert, called Oops, I Burned the Key Lime Pie, is exclusive to the Miami location but is a take on Bottura’s classic Oops, I Dropped the Lemon Tart from Osteria Francescana (his three-star restaurant in Modena). “Besides just using local ingredients, which is very important for us, I believe that in the US I have the chance to play more with the irony, walking the line between traditional Italian and the American perception of Italian food,” says Paladini. “What is Italian and what’s not Italian? What is traditional and not traditional? I want to find a way to bring everyone together.”
The restaurant has partnered with 2019’s World’s Best Bar, Dante, for an inventive collaboration where American cocktail culture meets Italian tradition to enhance the dining experience. “Collaborating with Massimo and his team, we strive to retain our understating of Italian heritage and sensibility, while simultaneously creating accessible and enjoyable cocktails inspired by the Miami drinking culture,” says Rodrigo Leme, Dante’s Director of Business. “Dante was traditionally a hangout for Italian immigrants, so it was natural to embrace the idea of aperitivo and center around Italian drinking traditions. This connection to the community and our Italian heritage forged our concept and the offering created for Torno Subito.” This is most evident in the extensive negroni and spritz selections which feature aperitivo-esque sips like the Sbagliato Sicilia made with vermouth, limoncello, lemon bitters, and Prosecco to the Diavolo Daiquiri made with rum, ancho verde, lime, chili honey, and saffron syrup, blood orange and red pepper juice.
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