Chef Adrianne Calvo's original namesake will open later this summer at the foot of Kendall’s own “Love Lock Bridge” in the Palms at Town and Country, a move that allows the restaurant to accommodate 270 patrons — a sizable jump from the old location's capacity of 60.
"I never wanted to leave the original location, but I wanted to expand because the demand was higher than we could accommodate," Calvo tells New Times. "We tried taking the spot next door and couldn't and we also tried for a liquor license but zoning wouldn't allow us."
The 8,000-square-foot space that once housed Devon Seafood & Steak will include a large indoor dining area, two private dining rooms, and a social-distance-friendly terrace outfitted with a large retractable projection screen for special events and programming, including monthly "dark dining" events. Calvo says guests will find a Napa Valley vibe at the new spot, down to the wine barrels, dark wood, and copper accents.
Wine barrels, dark wood, and copper accents create a Napa Valley-reminiscent vibe at Chef Adrianne's Vineyard Restaurant & Wine Bar.
Photo courtesy of Chef Adrianne's
The COVID-19 pandemic has restaurant owners struggling to keep up with constant changes in regulation and reduced seating capacity, but Calvo says that aside from incorporating CDC guidelines to the new operations plan, nothing changed.
She plans to open the new restaurant sometime in the next few weeks. In the meantime, she has been keeping busy with her South Miami fine-casual concept Cracked by Chef Adrianne, and for the past three weeks, she has been leading the kitchen at the renovated Red Fish in Mattheson Hammock Park. The restaurant shut down after extensive damage caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017; its revamped structure now includes a 10-seat oyster bar, a 44-seat dining room, and 106 seats on the outdoor patio, with 4 waterfront cabanas.
"I'm no stranger to opening restaurants in the midst of trouble. I opened my first restaurant during a major recession. I had no reputation and had to build it one mouthful at a time," the chef says. "If we have to shut down or do takeout and prepare for go-time again, we'll just have to pivot quickly and be that much better. You just have to do what you have to do."
Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant & Wine Bar. 11715 Sherri Ln., Miami; chefadriannes.com. Open Tuesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
