18 hours ago
‘Soul of Palmetto Bay': A new neighborhood restaurant is opening on Old Cutler
Palmetto Bay is getting a new place to eat, drink — and meet the neighbors.
This weekend, the Old Cutler Inn opens across from the Deering Estate, a spiritual heir of the neighborhood's old landmark restaurant Snowden's that was famous for Friday fish fries, friendly hospitality and its starring role as a beloved community gathering place.
Snowden's was built on land that George Snowden purchased from industrialist and philanthropist Charles Deering in the 1920s neighboring the Deering Estate in Pametto Bay (the property, now a museum, was Deering's winter home). Fishermen would head out on their boats, returning with their catch to have it cooked at the restaurant. It closed in the early 2000s.
The new restaurant, built around the concept of a wood-fired stove, won't cook your catch for you. But it will serve you seafood, wahoo fish dip and specialties from a raw bar, in addition to items like Korean barbecue short ribs, filet mignon, flatiron steak frites and sourdough flatbreads.
Real estate investor and developer Drew Dorsy of Bindor and hospitality operator Benjamin Pascarella, founder of Ciotola Restaurant Group, are the force behind the new restaurant, located in the former space of a BB&T bank, close to where Snowden's used to be located.
Dorsy, who grew up in nearby Pinecrest, says that Palmetto Bay, known for being a bit of a restaurant desert, was ready for a new place to eat.
'I always felt there was something missing in the Palmetto Bay area,' he said. 'Establishing a neighborhood restaurant and bar and cafe really fits the mold for all the residents in this corridor. It's something new and different. Most of our food and beverage options down here are at least a 20 minute drive to the Gables or the Grove or Brickell. This felt like an opportunity to shorten that gap for people living in the area.'
With a 4,500-square-foot space with indoor and outdoor seating, the Old Cutler Inn will seat around 125 and will open for dinner on Aug. 23. After a few weeks, the plan is to add lunch service and a weekend brunch as well as a cafe where guests can buy sandwiches, drinks and other handheld items from a ventanita.
Dorsy envisions many of the walkers and cyclists who use Old Cutler Road for their exercise heading over for a drink or a sandwich afterward.
'The village has rezoned this area with the intent of making it a more walkable community,' he said. 'People like to ride or walk over to the Deering, so we put in 14 bicycle racks so people can stop by after their exercise. We really want to embrace the change that's happening in Palmetto Bay.'
The Old Cutler Inn will also have a full bar, with a wine list that leans heavily toward California Cabernets, what Dorsy calls an 'elevated' beer program and specialty cocktials, including his favorite, the white truffle martini. In the end, though, it's not just about the bar. He sees the Old Cutler Inn as a place that can attract and satisfy a wide swath of people.
'We want this to be a place for locals by locals,' he said.
His partner Pascarella agreed.
'There's a deep nostalgia for Old Cutler Inn in this community,' he said. 'We're not just opening a restaurant. We're restoring a piece of Palmetto Bay's soul and creating a space that brings people together.'
Where: 16800 Old Cutler Rd, Palmetto Bay
Opening: Aug. 23
Hours: 4-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 4-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday; in a few weeks the restaurant will add lunch and weekend brunch hours as well as a takeout cafe
Reservations: Resy
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