On Thursday, December 11, Cibo Wine Bar opens at the luxury Continuum condominiums. This is the second Cibo Wine Bar in South Florida, with the first opening in Coral Gables in October 2011.
The large space features 12,000 square feet of indoor dining. But what's sure to be the largest draw is the 6,000-square-foot patio, featuring Italian craft beer, including a special beer custom crafted for Cibo by Due South.
See also: Cibo Wine Bar To Open at Continuum in SoFi
Nick Donato, president and CEO of Liberty Entertainment Group, Cibo's parent company, explains that Cibo will incorporate three different experiences in one, but each have one thing in common -- authentic Italian food. "Cibo literally means food in Italian." Donato, whose family comes from the Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy, wants the cuisine to be true to his roots. "I was born near Naples and the one thing I do, is bring our food to true Italians. My family tests the recipes and they will tell me if something is not authentic."
Cibo's open kitchen, helmed by Salerno-born executive chef Massimo Giannattasio, cooks everything to order. Pastas are made fresh in-house, prosciutto is sliced to order, and pizzas are made on demand. Even cannolis are stuffed as they are ordered, so the pastry shell remains crisp. Menu items include ravioli stuffed with lobster, lemon, béchamel, and lobster cream sauce ($20); orecchiette with rapini, spicy Italian sausage, fontina, parmigiano, garlic, and extra-virgin olive oil ($19); and pappardelle with slow cooked lamb ragu and pecorini shavings ($21).
The space will consist of a bar with a full menu, a dining room (with a wine room that holds 2,000 - 3,000 bottles of wine), and the outdoor patio, accessible by private elevator, that will feature about a dozen craft birras on draft and more in bottles.
Cibo Wine Bar will also feature kegged wines by the glass and a market where you can take home the restaurant's freshly baked breads, house-made pastas, and sauces for your own home-cooked meal.
Cibo will be open for dinner daily, at 4 p.m. starting December 11 and will be open for Sunday brunch. Lunch and Saturday brunch will follow shortly.
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