Haute Restaurants: Davidburke & Donatella

Vita Ristorante Pizzeria & Bar

As we enter Vita, Mynt Entertaintment Group’s supper lounge, we realize that we were not just in any local Italian Restaurant. Set up across the Famous Mynt Lounge and Rok Bar Clubs, Vita offers great food for the who’s who of Miami.

While the indoor seating is appealing, it’s the garden that offers the best seats in the house. The sleek, spare modernity of the décor includes dropped spotlights, shaded glass, Tuscan bricks and woven rattan chairs. Sitting down with Italian brothers Luciano Sautto, the executive chef, and Enrico Sautto, the pizza chef, we learned that the Sautto family has been in the pizza business for over 100 years. They were brought in specifically to deliver some of the finest Italian food on the Beach.

But the real treasure here is the multi-course meal, plated and served the way Italians intended it to be, starting with Tartare di Tonno (Yellow-fin tuna tartar) and Carpaccio di Manzo. Luciano recommended two dishes for the entrée, the special Fettuccine al Caviale Beluga and Medaglioni di Filetto alla Piemontese. Sautto credits proprietor Robert Caan and his love for caviar with the famous Fettuccine al caviale Beluga; Caan also loves great pasta. We tried the two together, and quickly designated it our favorite dish on the menu. We also sampled the Filet, which was just as good as any top steak house. For dessert, we tried a couple, but their speciality is obviously their cannoli.

1906 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
305.538.7855
www.vita-restaurant.com