New York City's well-known Italian sandwich shop, Regina's Grocery, opened its first Florida location at Urbanica the Meridian Hotel today, July 15.

Roman Grandinetti and his mother Regina have teamed up with Urbanica the Hotels owners Diego Colmenero and Charlie Porchetto to bring the concept to Miami Beach's exclusive South of Fifth neighborhood. It's one of many culinary concepts the duo has planned to offer through their hotels, including Orilla, a restaurant by the famed Argentine chef Fernando Trocca, who will open at Urbanica’s new Euclid Hotel later this fall.

Originating on New York's Lower East Side, Regina’s Grocery is the brainchild of Grandinetti and his mother, for whom the restaurant is named. Using high-quality and organic Italian ingredients, the duo is best known for their hot and cold sandwiches.

"We grew up with family-owned delis serving home-cooked Italian dishes and big, delicious sandwiches all around us," Roman Grandinetti says. "They were places where people from around the neighborhood would commune. These memories made us who we are, and we wanted to introduce the Italian-American classics you would find in New York City to Miami."

Regina’s will serve meatball, eggplant, and chicken parm sandwiches alongside a "family tree" of signature options named for Grandinetti relatives. Customers can turn any signature sandwich into a salad. "If we got it, we throw it on top," says Regina Grandinetti. Hot specials are available once a week and range from meatball parm to roast beef.

All sandwiches are made fresh daily with locally sourced charcuterie and fresh bread from New York’s Sullivan Street Bakery. They include the Grandma Lucy (Genova Italian tuna, provolone, Regina’s olive spread, arugula, red onions, and olive oil, and balsamic vinegar on stirato bread); Cousin Vinny (prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, broccoli rabe, roasted red peppers, and olive oil and balsamic on stirato bread); and Uncle John (prosciutto, provolone, mortadella, hot soppressata, smoked ham, lettuce, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and roasted red peppers on semolina bread). Sandwiches cost $12 to $16.

The deli will also sell Regina's homemade sauces and spreads, imported grocery items, and to-go picnic baskets. For after-hours eats, a menu of late-night panini sandwiches will be available at the hotel’s Minibar.

Regina’s Grocery. 418 Meridian Ave., Miami Beach; reginasgrocery.com. Daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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