Sapore di Mare restaurant coming to town

I met the new owner of Sapore di Mare, the new Italian seafood restaurant taking over Focaccia Bistro at 3111 Grand Avenue. Meet Matteo Paderni, left, who now owns the premises with his wife Gioryia.

Matteo will be transforming the restaurant over the next month or so, hoping to open by the end of November. While Italian seafood will be a large part of the menu, so will lots of vegetarian dishes, special pastas, octopus salad, for which Matteo is known, burrata, zuchinni dishes and so much more. Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream.

Some of you may know the Padernis from their former restaurant called Nido Caffe which was at 72nd and Biscayne Blvd. They had a Mozzarella Bar there, great antipasti, raviolis, gnocchi, lasagna and all the great Italian things you would come to expect.  A lot of that will be brought here to the new Coconut Grove restaurant.

Matteo is very friendly, outgoing and welcoming; in all these years I've noticed that the first impression is usually the indicator of how the restaurant does in the neighborhood. This is a good indication of Sapore di Mare doing well, I think you'll feel welcome the second you enter and the Italian food seems to be a big draw for many. We wish them well.

Foccacia and Sapore di Mare are both closed for now while being renovated.