Latest news with #JacquelinePirolo
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
A new hot spot just opened in the original Macchialina space in Miami Beach
It's dark. It's cool. And you can't make a reservation, but you're going to want to go anyway. Fluke is the new venture from the team at the Italian gem Macchialina, one of Miami Beach's most beloved restaurants (one of Miami's most beloved restaurants, for that matter). Located next to Macchialina, Fluke is an oyster and crudo bar with a cocktail program that focuses on martinis. Chef Mike Pirolo, who opened Macchialina 12 years ago with his sister Jacqueline and partner Jennifer Chaefsky, said the renovation and expansion of the restaurant space in 2024 offered the opportunity to dream. Last year they took over the adjacent Miami Hostel, transforming the space into the newer, more comfortable Macchialina, leaving their original location a blank canvas for them to create a new concept. 'What started as 'the little restaurant that wouldn't quit' turned into a 5,600-square foot expansion with a newfound opportunity to build on our roots and bring Fluke to life,' he said. 'This stroke of luck is how we landed on the name 'Fluke' — it's a celebration of those happy coincidences that aligned perfectly to make this exciting new chapter possible.' Fluke is darker and moodier than the original Macchialina, with a new black marble bar and the familiar brick walls. The restaurant uses a sort of self-service model, where guests mark their choices on paper menus and servers deliver the orders from the kitchen, which is led by chef de cuisine Trevor Zwaan, formerly of the sushi giant Uchi. Expect oysters and crudo, including fluke with tomato guazzetto and baby caponata; madai with plum vinaigrette and Thai chili; and branzino with artichoke gremolata, citrus oil and preserved lemon. Fried options include mussels marinara and shrimp as well as rosemary salt fries. Most importantly, Macchialina's beloved Big Macch Burger — served with Fontina cheese and mushrooms — is on the menu permanently. 'We wanted to do seafood the way we love to eat it — simple, high-quality, and always inspired,' Mike Pirolo said. 'We're bringing that same philosophy to Fluke; it's all about letting the ingredients shine without overcomplicating things.' The wine list is different than Jacqueline Pirolo's Macchialina list, which features only Italian wines. At Fluke, diners can find French whites, light reds and more than a few sparkling wines. Fluke follows the path of what Macchialina has always highlighted: great food, great atmosphere and 'zero pretense,' said Jacqueline Pirolo, who won the 2025 Michelin Guide Sommelier Award. 'The idea was to reimagine the OG indoor space at Macchialina for the community that's supported us for over a decade while bringing a fun and fresh idea to the neighborhood,' she said. 'No reservations — just drop in for a martini and oysters or stay for a full meal.' The opening comes just after the Macchialina team opened Bar Bucce, a casual pizzeria and market in Little River. Fluke Where: 820 Alton Road, Miami Beach Hours: 5-11 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday; Lucky $7 Martini happy hour 5-7 p.m. More information: 305-534-2124 or @flukemiami
Miami Herald
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
A new ‘pizza and wine' spot from the owners of Macchialina opens in Miami
The team from one of Miami Beach's most beloved Italian restaurants has opened a new — and very different — spot in Little River. Bar Bucce, from Chef Mike Pirolo, Jennifer Chaefsky and Jacqueline Pirolo of Macchialina, bears little resemblance to the cozy, friendly and insanely popular Miami Beach restaurant, which manages the tricky feat of luring both tourists and locals with great food, warm service and intriguing wines. Bar Bucce is a bit less formal — which is not to say Macchialina is stuffy in any way, because it's not. Instead, the new spot is three things in one: a pizzeria, a retail wine shop and food market. Jacqueline Pirolo, who was just awarded the Michelin Sommelier Award for 2025, said it aims to be a neighborhood space. 'It's meant to be a space for everyone in the Little River community, whether you're looking to host a killer dinner party or just want a place to wind down with pizza and a glass of wine after work,' she said. Inside, Bar Bucce, which will be run by chef de cuisine Marcellus Ramsey and general manager Olivia Kiddon, offers a market and a kitchen with counter and coffee service, while a 2,000-square-foot garden that seats 120 offers outdoor tables and self-serve wine stations. The idea is that during the day, it's a market where you can grab a slice or coffee or prepared Italian dishes. At night, you can grab a bottle of wine or stick with a glass, choose your pre-prepared meal at the counter and servers will plate the food and carry it to you. Some of the items available include baked ziti, eggplant parm, chicken cutlets fried to order and a variety of sandwiches. You can also order prepared salads and starters like grilled mushrooms, roasted peppers and zucchini scapece, fried zucchini chips tossed in vinegar and fresh mint. And if you're looking for gifts, there are plenty of items to create a food basket — salumi, cheese, preserves, fresh pasta, homemade pomodoro sauce and pantry goods. The biggest draw is likely to be Mike Pirolo's highly sought-after pizzas, which use his special dough recipe that's made with a poolish (a fluid yeast-cultured dough) and high-protein flour with a 72-hour fermentation period. Varieties include classics like the margherita and marinara as well as special creations like the shrimp pie (tomato, cream, rock shrimp, sweet onion) and the soppressata (sauteed leeks, button mushrooms, mozzarella, marscapone cream, stracciatella and no sauce). The 16-inch pies range between $29 and $38, with slices at lunch costing $5. The wine shop offers more than 100 international wines, with a focus on low intervention grapes and unique varietals and prices starting at $30. You'll also find more than 20 spirits, including vermouth, sherry and sake. Jacqueline Pirolo assures us that 'sake and pizza is a thing.' There's only one way to find out. 'We want to offer our guests an approachable wine and spirits experience,' she said. At the moment, Bar Bucce is only open from 5 p.m. five days a week but plans to open lunch and daily service soon. Seating is first come, first served, with no reservations accepted. Bar Bucce Where: 7220 N Miami Ave, Miami Hours: Currently 5-11 p.m. Thursday-Monday, but the opening time will be extended to 11 a.m. The market will also plans to transition to daily operations. More information:
Axios
18-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
Miami's Itamae AO gets Michelin Star as guide's Florida offerings expand
Miami added to its haul of stars by the famed Michelin Guide last night, with recently opened Itamae AO joining the prestigious club. Why it matters: Recognition by Michelin is seen as an international certification of excellence, putting restaurants and their cities on the worldwide culinary map. What they're saying: Chang said he was "very thankful" for the honor of being one of the night's four newly starred restaurants — and delivered a message to match the political moment. Asked what the award meant, he said, "It just means that people like my father, undocumented immigrants who came to this country over 30, 35 years ago, still have a future in this country." Inside the room: The stars were doled out during a ceremony yesterday evening at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando. Hundreds of people in cocktail attire attended, packing a ballroom that offered hors d'oeuvre worthy of an event celebrating the state's best chefs. Zoom in: Stars weren't the only honors on offer. Jacqueline Pirolo of Miami's Macchialina was selected for Michelin's sommelier award. The young chef award went to Juan Camilo Liscano of Palma. And the green star award, which recognizes sustainability, went to Entrenos Miami's Even Burgess and Osmel Gonzalez and Stubborn Seed's Jeremy Ford. Catch up quick: The guide expanded to Florida in 2022, becoming the fifth U.S. destination after New York, D.C., Chicago and California. At the time, only restaurants in Tampa, Orlando and Miami were eligible — because for your city to make Michelin, you have to pay up. Joining the guide this year are Pinellas County, Fort Lauderdale and the Palm Beaches. How it works: Florida's tourism board and tourism agencies representing those cities spent nearly $1.5 million to bring Michelin to the Sunshine State. That includes about $116,000 per year for three years from Visit Tampa Bay, per the Tampa Bay Times. In February, Visit St. Pete-Clearwater signed a two-year contract to pay Michelin $90,000 a year for inclusion, Brian Lowack, the CEO of Pinellas' tourism agency, told Axios. Discover the Palm Beaches and Visit Lauderdale told Axios they are each paying $90,000 per year. Zoom out: Chef's Counter at MAASS in Fort Lauderdale got a star in the city's debut year, as did Konro for West Palm Beach. Ômo by Jônt added to Orlando's star haul.
