Food And Wine Are Perfectly Paired At Taste Of The Town's Uvaggio
CORAL GABLES (CBSMiami) - With more than 120 varieties of wine from around the world in the bar, 35 offered by the glass, the all new Uvaggio restaurant in Coral Gables is all about the pairing of the wine and food.
Heath Porter and his business partner Craig DeWald are often found behind the bar pairing those wines with the delicious food prepared by top chef contestant Bret Pelaggi.
"We look for things that tell a story in the glass. We ask…where they are from? We smell the earth, we smell the passion that went into wines," Heath said.
The 35 seat quaint eatery is all about sharing. It's about sharing food, wine and conversation. Almost all the tables are communal.
"A lot of people are standoffish at first. Then I then look over and I see the guests giggling and swapping numbers, exchanging wine and it ends up being a cool communal atmosphere," said Heath.
"So you make people make friends?" said CBS4's Lisa Petrillo. "No alcohol makes people make friends!" joked Heath.
Uvaggio is one of many area restaurants participating in the 7th Annual Coral Gables Restaurant Week which is actually on for three weeks and kicks-off June 9th.
"During Coral Gables Week it's 40 restaurants in downtown Coral Gables area that are participating. Basically what they are offering three course price fixe menus for every pallet and every pocket," said Marina Foglia, Executive Director of Coral Gables Restaurant Week.
Special on the menu at Uvaggio just for Restaurant Week is the roasted chicken with Ferro and Tuscan kale in a lemon olive sauce.
"That sauce is so delicious and he said there's an acidity with the olives and I also taste salt with a sweet" said Petrillo.
The pan seared octopus is served with roasted fingerlings and a pickled Jicama on top.
"The octopus has a smooth consistency and it's cooked perfectly, by the way," Petrillo said.
And then the piece de resistance:
"This is our signature dessert here at Uvaggio," said Chef Bret. "Cinnamon bun bread pudding, we make the cinnamon buns in house."
Uvaggio, where elegant food is paired with wonderful wines make it a must try.
Coral Gables Restaurant Week officially kicks off June 9 and runs through the 29th.
Uvaggio is open for dinner six days a week.
For more information on Coral Gables Restaurant Week, visit coralgablesrestaurantweek.com
