The Amalfi Llama, set to open on January 26, combines the cuisine of Italy's coastline with the cuisine, culture, and cooking methods of Patagonia. This is emphasized by the restaurant's focus: an open-fire grill.
"The owner of the restaurant, Paul Frederick, was influenced by, and looks highly to, famous Argentinian chef Francis Mallmann," explains general manager Amanda Lester. The Argentinian chef is known for his barbecuing methods, which gained international attention due to his appearance on the Netflix series Chef's Table.
The restaurant prides itself on using the freshest ingredients, including a wide variety of high-quality meats, fish, and imported cheeses, and its Patagonian influence.
"We're not putting ourselves in a box of fine dining, but we're certainly providing a service standard," explains Lester. "Between our quality of product, the environment we've built here, and our beautiful farmhouse interior, dining here really is a home away from home feeling."
The restaurant is anchored by two towering wine displays and a sprawling dining space that spotlights the live-fire grill, a wood-burning oven, and seating for more than 250 people.
Amalfi Llama photo
"In my nearly two decades in the business, this — for sure — is the most energy I have put into anything," Eduardo Gomez, the CEO of Eureka! Restaurant Group and Grupo Carolo Hospitality, told New Times in November 2023.
Standout menu items include a cedar-roasted burrata bedazzled with charred leek and a baked tagliolini with prosciutto cotto. On the wood-fired front, look for pizzas like the "Alla Positano" topped with pepperoncini, salami, and spicy honey drizzle.
For cocktails, the "Sunkissed" martini with a white peppercorn and an infusion of sun-dried tomatoes promises to be the most unique, as well as the "Negroni di Amalfi," which includes an etching of a llama on the ice cube.
For espresso martini lovers, the one served at the Amalfi Llama uses vodka infused with waffle cone flavor. "It creates an experience that you can't just get at any other restaurant," says Lester.
The restaurant also has a wide selection of wines from Argentina, Italy, and the United States.
The Amalfi Llama has two dining spaces with farmhouse-inspired interiors, antique mirrors, natural greenery, and art made from Peruvian llama tassels.
The expo-style kitchen allows people to observe the wood-burning grill that features two spinning wheels driven by charcoal and two kinds of wood: red oak and cherry. "It gives the meat and fish offerings that we have a specific taste that you can't achieve from a regular oven," Lester explains.
The restaurant is anchored by two towering wine displays and a sprawling dining space that spotlights the live-fire grill, a wood-burning oven, and seating for more than 250 people.
Other visual highlights include two bars and two patios, the latter featuring canopy trees, candles, lanterns, and fire pits.
"The atmosphere and energy of the restaurant, combined with the level of service, music, and more, will have people wanting to come back," says Gomez. "We're not going to have that big of a menu either, to keep things simple."
The Amalfi Llama. 19505 Biscayne Blvd., Building D, Suite 4150, Miami; 305-726-0226; amalfillama.com.
This story was originally published on November 17, 2023.
