{"id":67961,"date":"2022-11-22T15:35:03","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T15:35:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=67961"},"modified":"2022-11-22T15:35:03","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T15:35:03","slug":"contessa-new-restaurant-in-miami","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/contessa-new-restaurant-in-miami\/","title":{"rendered":"Major Food Group’s New Trattoria, Contessa, Opens Its Doors in Miami"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Contessa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After Major Food Group landed in Magic City in early 2021, it wasted no time making a mark on the Miami culinary scene. Under the leadership of chef Mario Carbone and partners Jeff Zalaznik and Rich Torrisi, the company has opened hit after hit: classic red sauce celeb haunt Carbone, Mediterranean-inspired HaSalon, steakhouse Dirty French, private members club ZZ\u2019s, and bagel and schmear spot Sadelle\u2019s among others. \u00a0Now comes Contessa<\/a>, a two-story Northern Italian-style \u201cgrand trattoria,\u201d a term Carbone points out \u201cis an oxymoron and subcategory we somewhat invented.\u201d<\/p>\n

So, what can guests really expect from this new edition to the super buzzy Design District? \u201cContessa is a great neighborhood restaurant \u2013 a place you want to hang out all day, experience multiple meal periods, people watch, and eat through the menu in different ways,\u201d Carbone explains.<\/p>\n

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Contessa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Design District is lined with street after street of luxury boutiques and art installations and has a lively pedestrian vibe, making it an obvious choice for Contessa, where guests are meant to linger over Aperol Spritzes. \u201cFrom the moment we arrived, I fell in love with the Miami Design District and the most iconic corner inevitably made for our beloved Italian restaurant,\u201d MFG co-founder Zalaznik says.<\/p>\n

Drawing inspiration from classic eateries in famed cities like Portofino and Lake Como, Carbone notes Contessa is an \u201caristocratic\u201d restaurant with a \u201cdeceptively simple menu.\u201d Guests, however, shouldn\u2019t expect the same experience they get at his other beloved restaurants. \u201cA meatball at Contessa has nothing to do with a meatball at Carbone,\u201d he says, explaining this Italian staple at Contessa is \u201coff center of what you assume that dish would be\u201d since it\u2019s served in a mustard cream sauce that\u2019s almost like sauerkraut.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Contessa<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Other standout menu selections include antipasti, such as the Chianina beef or squash carpaccio and the octopus agrodolce with peppers. There is a selection of pizza that Carbone describes as \u201cthinner and crispier\u201d than standard Southern Italian-style pies as well as a primi section filled with mouthwatering pastas, like lobster capellini, tortellini en brodo, rigatoni carbonara, fusilli Genovese, and garganelli verdi bolognese. For secondi, the menu includes dishes sure to become perennial favorites: gamberoni al forno con fagioli, classic veal Milanese, braised veal osso buco Carbone calls \u201cvery quintessential\u201d and a celebratory 40-ounce dry-aged bistecca Fiorentin. The dessert menu boasts gelatos that are made in-house.<\/p>\n

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Contessa: Bistecca Fiorentina<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The wine list is curated by MFG\u2019s Wine Director John Slover, with a focus on Nebbiolo- based varieties from Barolo, Barbaresco, Alte Piedmont and Lombardy. The cocktail program, crafted by Nathan McCarley O\u2019Neill, former bar star at The NoMad Hotel Group and the iconic Claridge\u2019s in London, focuses on classics with a twist (think updated spritzes, bellinis, vespers, negronis and perfectly chilled martinis).<\/p>\n

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Contessa Menu<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With over 40 restaurants, bars, private clubs and hotels around the globe, Major Food Group is thrilled to be involved in elevating the local dining scene. \u201cYou\u2019d be hard pressed to find a more exciting place in the world right now than South Florida and Miami specifically,\u201d Carbone says. \u201cThe city is booming post-pandemic, and everything is rising collectively; it\u2019s an exciting time for dining and for all industries and categories.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Contessa: Chianina Beef Carpaccio<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For Carbone, the driving force behind Contessa is the overall dining experience and his aim is to convey an authentic Italian dolce vita feeling through the restaurant\u2019s food and atmosphere. \u201cI don\u2019t care about a Michelin star,\u201d he insists. \u201cI want to have a great trattoria.\u201d<\/p>\n

Visit Contessa; 111 NE 40th Street, Miami.<\/p>\n

Read GRAZIA Gazette<\/em>: Art Basel<\/em>, Edition 2:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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