When in Miami, eat pasta like the… Romans do

MIAMI, Nov. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 5,000 miles of wide, blue ocean separate Miami, Florida, from Rome, Italy. For the people who have traveled to the Eternal City, this distance might have the bittersweet taste of nostalgia. For those who have never touched Italy's soil, it might bear the curiosity of the unknown.

For both groups of people, there is now a remedy: "Osteria da Fortunata." Located in Miami Beach, Osteria da Fortunata opened last year, the fruit of strong-willed, Roman-born-and-bred "Nonna Iris"' drive and imagination. At 93, this lively lady has a story to tell and a string of successes behind her, including the bold decision to start a new business in the Sunshine State.

She was only 13 when she began helping her mother and grandmother in the kitchen, and, for eight decades, pasta-making has been her life's trade. One can still spot her wandering around one of her five restaurants in Rome (the other two are in Milan and in Bologna). She chats a bit with the customers here and manages her "household" there – her extended family of 40 plus another 480 employees.

"Dedicated" is the most appropriate word to describe her, and it's not just a personality trait but the philosophy she has ingrained in her business. First, it's a commitment to the authenticity of her recipes. Second, it's about her determination to make them available for those who have never tried them before: good food belongs wherever it can be comfortably enjoyed. That's how it is at Osteria da Fortunata, which lies almost in front of the same ocean from where the first Italian immigrants to the USA came.

Inside the venue, cooks make pasta from scratch along a counter that's fully visible to the public. The aromas of freshly made fettuccine, tagliolini, gnocchi and ravioli are distinctive features of this restaurant. As customers witness all these different kinds of pasta taking shape under their eyes, they can learn and appreciate the differences among them or just stare in admiration – both things are allowed. Those who have had the opportunity to visit Osteria da Fortunata in Rome can relive some fond memories, feasting their eyes on the deep yellow of the egg pasta.

Still wondering where the name "Fortunata" comes from? Curious to feel the difference between handmade semolina pasta and handmade egg pasta? At Osteria da Fortunata, traveling to Italy only takes the time of a bite.

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SOURCE Osteria da Fortunata