Q&A: Serafina Dream South Beach Opening

Photography by Regina Arriola ; Photos: Rodrigo Gaya on December 6th, 2012 in Art Basel 2012, Openings, Parties

Miami Beach, FL – December 4, 2012 – They say that behind every challenge lies an opportunity, and so it was for Vittorio Assaf and Fabio Granato. During a traumatic experience when lost at sea, the now restaurateurs made a vow to bring an authentic Italian dining experience to New York.

Enter: Serafina

In 1995, the duo introduced Serafina Fabulous Pizza and quickly thereafter opened a string of other outposts spanning New York, Philadelphia and São Paulo. And after six years of scouring the city for locations, Serafina has finally arrived in Miami at the Dream Hotel. To toast the occasion after an insanely well-attended cocktail party and pasta ribbon-cutting ceremony, we caught up with Vittorio Assaf to talk truffles, truffles and, well, more truffles.

Q: There’s a great story behind how your idea for a restaurant concept came to be, can you tell us about that experience?

A: There is always a great story behind a great idea. If you are referring to my partner and myself getting lost at sea, it was definitely an experience that changed our lives. Thank God we survived and our pledge was that if we were to come out alive from this experience, we were to reinvent the Italian dining experience of NYC in the mid 90s with a great quality pasta and an exceptional quality of pizza with authentic Italian ingredients that were non-existent at that time, especially at a reasonable price range in a fun environment.

Q: What do you believe to be the ingredients for a successful restaurant?

A: The best quality possible for ingredients. Then a lot of energy and keeping in mind that the customer is the most important asset that you have. As my partner Fabio says, “Our motto is Welcome Home!” The restaurant should always be an extension of your own dining room or your own kitchen.

Q: If you had to choose favorites, what are some of your favorite dishes on the menu?

A: Definitely our Pizza with Black Truffle and Gnocchi with Pesto because they are so light that they evaporate when you put them on your tongue. Lately I’m in love with the Farfalle al Limoncello, and don’t forget our Tequila Popsicles!

Q: Will there be special dishes on the menu at your Miami outpost?

A: A trio of popsicles: one with tequila, one with vodka and one with champagne and raspberries. Also, the trio of tiramisu is a special edition for Miami: our regular, one with strawberries and even one with green tea.

Q: Why did you decide to open on such a large scale, during Art Basel Miami Beach?

A: It took us 6 years to finally open in Miami, so I decided I couldn’t wait one more second!

Q: We know that you’ve been looking into opening in Miami for some time now. Why was the Dream Hotel the right place for the restaurant?

A: Because the owner of the Dream Hotel, Vikram Chatwal, is a great friend of mine and we are working very closely together. We have a restaurant together in New York and we just opened in Mumbai. In Italy there is a famous saying ‘non c’e’ mai il 2 senza il 3,’ meaning ‘there is never a two without a three!’

Q: Tell us about the decor of the restaurant. What kind of atmosphere are you aiming to create?

A: We love the frescos! The frescos that Michela Martello did on the wall are phenomenal.

Q: What are some of your favorite Miami restaurants, besides Serafina, of course?

A:I love the crabs at Joe’s Stone Crab. I wish my friend Eric Ripert had a restaurant here because I love Le Bernardin in NYC.

Q: You’re in Miami for 24 hours, where are you going and what are you doing?

A: Waking up I will have breakfast at Dream Hotel because it is to die for. Then afterwards I will go to the beach at Continuum and have lunch there. I will play tennis and immediately after go shopping on Lincoln Road and then I will go have an aperitivo at Segafredo. Finally, I’ll enjoy a well-deserved dinner at Serafina starting with a Black Truffle Pizza and ending with our trio of tequila, vodka and champagne popsicles.

Q: Last meal on earth?

A: A tuna truffle sandwich until I can’t take it anymore!