Casa Isola Osteria — Restaurant in Miami Beach

Miami Spice 2021: I've been wanting to visit this place since it opened earlier this year and there was no better time to visir than for Miami Spice (ok may happy hour is a close second 🙃). I had one of the best rigatoni alla vodka I've ever tried here! The rigatoni seemed to be made as half the size of regular rigatoni I've tried (same large pasta but cut in half). It made the perfect bite sized pieces. The sauce was slightly spicy and very flavorful. To start, we ordered the mushroom polenta and the octopus. The mushroom polenta was incredibly juicy, and made when a ton of butter (thats a good thing 😋). I didnt think the octopus would match up but it did! The outer edges of the octopus legs were the perfect level of cripsy and the pickled cauliflower was the perfect accompaniment. For dessert, we tried both the panna cotta and the tiramisu. The panna cotta was some of the best I've tried. The actual panna cotta was on the sweeter side from others I've tried, to be that was delicious. While the panna cotta was great, the tiramisu in a jar was amazing! Topped with coffee whipped cream and sprinkled with chocolate crisps. When you dug into the layers, you were greated with a creamy chocolate pudding that paired so well with the top layers. Very well made!

One thing to note, they do not have a liquor license, but they do a decent job of creating cocktails from prosecco and other liqueurs. Just something to keep in mind in case you were looking to get a cocktail with...

Arrived for our reservation for 4 , made on Open Table more than 6 weeks ago. We were looking forward to eating there from it's good reviews and recommendations from friends. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a maskless host, D.J. He told us our table was ready - and proceeded to take us outside... it was a hot, steamy, humid. 90 -something degree Miami night and I told him we wanted inside. We did not request outside. There were several open tables, which I pointed out to him. D.J. said these all have reservations... I told him we also had a reservation, made a long time ago.. He rudely told us it was outside or nothing. Perhaps Open Table reservations were not important to him. As a group of 4 locals who eat out very, very often and very well, they should have been. By the way - no evidence of covid precautions - no masks servers or host, tables huddled together. One thing Miami Beach is not lacking is a plethora of good restaurants, especially in that area. We left... and stopped by a favorite, a few blocks away, Osteria Morini, where Nick, the manager, gladly made a table for us in his busy restaurant , treated us royally and enjoyed a lovely and delicious dinner with all servers and hosts masked and tables well spaced. Morini...

What a charming place and the rigatoni alla vodka deserves all the hype (needless to say we ordered it and yum). We were thinking of ordering la travola charcuterie board, but were advised it was rather big for two people so we settled for the burrata panzanella and the octopus and although both were delicious, the burrata was our favorite. The portions were generous and the attention was excellent. We had such a great time, so I am very thankful for the staff. The wine is good too, can’t have pasta without it. We went on a date and it was pretty lively, but we sat by the bar which allowed for conversation. I would recommend this place for happy hour, dining out with friends and coworkers, keep in mind that it is an Osteria and the vibe is very much like one. Tables are pretty close to each other, so the noise level if you want to have a private conversation may not be the most desirable, but it was this vibe we loved the most. The decoration is beautiful and so it’s the ambiance. We will...