Set in the posh Soho Beach House, Cecconi's Miami Beach serves up a taste of the sweet savory and boozy life for an affordable price. As the clock climbs from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday, you can get drinks and small and medium plates priced at either $4 or $7.
"This is the first time we've featured a special aperitivo menu, and we hope locals can join us for light bites and craft-cocktails following work or before dinner and enjoy an elegant place to host friends and colleagues," says Jerry Bock, general manager of Cecconi's. Because of this menu introduction, Short Order was invited in to try out these happy offerings.
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The 150-seat indoor/outdoor Italian restaurant is the place to sip, dine, and take in your surroundings. As the sun still beams down from the open slats of wood, you get to indulge in a heavily discounted menu. In the $4 corner, you can have draft Peroni, fried cheese balls, meatballs, eggplant bruschetta, chilled tomato soup, ham and cheese croquettes, and much more. The two varieties of balls were our favorite in this section of the menu.
The fried pecorino is ooey-gooey warm in the center as it melts our heart and taste buds. It is served atop a fig and rosemary compote for something as complex as a deconstructed cheese plate.
Any way you slice it, five meatballs for $4 is a good deal. These balls are served in a rich tomato and basil sauce. Pro tip: use the complimentary bread and olive oil on the table to make your own makeshift meatball sandwich table-side.
In the $7 section is where the big guns come out. For drinks, you can have your choice of a negroni, dolce fragola, spritz, bellini, prosecco, or a choice of two whites and two reds. The strong negroni was our choice to wash down the larger $7 plates, including burrata, veal tonatto, lamb spare ribs, and two pizzettas.
All other burrata should be green with envy in this preparation served with english peas, fava and pistacchio. Everyone's favorite prehistoric-looking vegetable, romanesco, was served alongside this soft and creamy cheese.
The vegetarian pizzetta features asparagus, ricotta and pesto. The meaty versions with spicy sausage, mushrooms, and the sweetest caramelized onions won us over, however.
We were pleased to discover that this happy hour is quite the steal, especially considering you can still score street parking in these early hours. Also, the fact that it is offered on Saturdays is the proverbial cherry on top -- or orange slice in the $7 negroni.
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