Biscayne Diner Closes, Pubbelly Vets Coming Soon

Biscayne Diner has closed, with windows papered up and all lights off. The telephone has also been disconnected.

The eatery, which opened in January 2015 at 8601 Biscayne Blvd., just north of the growing MiMo District, was supposed to be an upscale version of your friendly neighborhood diner.

The husband and wife team of Tara Nicosia and Alfredo Alvarez had grand plans for the small restaurant, with both having plenty of experience under their belts. Alvarez was the opening chef for the chic Seasalt & Pepper (now Seasalt) and Nicosia had previously opened a restaurant in her native New York City. 

The diner was supposed to be open 24/7, serving farm-to-table or organic versions of comfort food. The couple had also commissioned artist Don Rimx to paint murals on the walls of the restaurant. 

Biscayne Diner, however, never seemed to hit its stride. A day after it opened to the public, New Times writer Carla Torres found that about half the menu items weren’t yet available. A few months later, the couple tried making pizzas in an attempt to hone in on the tastes of the neighborhood.Then, the restaurant, originally slated to be open around the clock, started keeping erratic hours — not opening until after noon and closing by 10 p.m. some days. 

Finally, the little diner closed. 
It looks, however, that the space won’t be vacant for long. A sign has already been placed in the menu window touting the upcoming Pinch Miami. The restaurant is billed as a “new, freestyle American eatery with an eclectic craft beer and wine menu”.  More interesting are the chef/partners behind the endeavor — John Gallo and Rene Reyes. John Gallo was the sous chef at Barceloneta in South Miami and is also a veteran of L’Echon Brasserie. Rene Reyes worked at L’Echon Brasserie. Neither has anything to do wth Pubbelly anymore, but if some of that  magic rubbed off on these two chefs, Biscayne Boulvard is about to get even more interesting.