Grove Bay Hospitality Group and Giorgio Rapicavoli will open the restaurant in January 2016. The chef is designing the restaurant menu and cocktail program. Two years ago, Rapicavoli created the drink menu at his Drinking Room pop-up at Hotel Astor.
The restaurant is the first in what Grove Bay Hospitality Group calls its larger vision for Coconut Grove. In 2013, the group, helmed by Francesco Balli and Ignacio Garcia-Menocal, was awarded a 50-year lease with the City of Miami for a seven-acre property along Coconut Grove's waterfront. That property included Grove Bay Marina and Scotty's Landing. The project, called the Harbour, is still hotly contested by longtime
Grove Bay Hospitality Group's Garcia-Menocal says the restaurant with Rapicavoli is the cornerstone in his group's plans. "Glass & Vine is just the beginning of what we have in store. Peacock Park is a gorgeous setting for a restaurant, and we want to bring something unique to the area, an eatery that is a must-try destination. Foodies who don’t call the Grove home will want to experience
In keeping with its name, the 200-seat restaurant will feature a vine-covered roof with ceiling windows and gray and black accents. A 24-seat bar will boast garage-style glass walls to bring the outside in.
Balli says he and his partner had Rapicavoli in mind long before the project was a reality. “We are big fans of Giorgio’s food and have followed him for some time. We knew we wanted to work with him on what we think will be an important restaurant for the Grove and a
Rapicavoli has spent time in Europe to seek inspiration for the menu, which will feature sharable large and small plates inspired by the restaurant's garden. "I was definitely inspired by the environment. No other restaurant is located in a park, so I wanted to capture the atmosphere with vibrant, fresh dishes. Our menu will showcase flavorful as well as lighter fare that families can enjoy while their kids play in the park."
The menu is divided into three categories — "Garden," "Sea," and "Land." Offerings include Florida stracciatella with charred cabbage, black truffle, egg vinaigrette, and potato; fried cauliflower with chickpeas, black sesame, and dehydrated olives; whole roasted broccoli with red miso, togarashi, and soy; local fish tartare with frozen leche de
Rapicavoli came onto the Miami dining scene as executive chef at 600 at the Angler's in Miami Beach. His career took off after he became the first Miami chef to win Food Network's Chopped. The chef invested his $10,000 winnings into a small pop-up restaurant in Coral Gables called Eating House. The 48-seater was an instant hit, with customers sometimes waiting hours to sample the young chef's innovative take on modern American cuisine. The pop-up was reopened as a permanent restaurant in the same spot. In spring 2014, Rapicavoli and partner Alex Casanova opened Taperia Raca, a small tapas restaurant in the MiMo District. The restaurant closed about six months later, with the partners saying, "We simply received an offer for the location that we could not turn down."
Glass & Vine will be open for lunch daily from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 11 p.m. The bar will remain open "until whenever."
