Merli Amor di Pasta — Restaurant in Miami

Apparently, the owners of this restaurant had a falling out and went their separate ways and a new one with the exact same name opened up in Edgewater. I had gone to the Edgewater one a few weeks ago and had the MOST delicious VEGAN dishes I have ever tried. Today, I wanted to order some vegan pasta, vegan pannacotta, and vegan tiramisu so I went on Uber eats and looked up the name of the restaurant and this one popped up. I didn't see the vegan menu on the app so I called the Edgewater location (I had no idea of this whole same name but different owner thing, naturally) and they told me just to put that I wanted the vegan versions of whatever I was ordering, which I did (next to each item AND on the restaurant notes just to 100% sure). Fast forward 50 minutes and I get my order which was missing the tiramisu for starters. I opened up the fettuccine which I assumed were made according to my instructions since nobody had called me from the restaurant to say it couldn't be made vegan, took a bite, and not only was the WHOLE salt shaker emptied into the fettuccine but it was definitely NOT the vegan dish I had tried when I went to the restaurant. I called them and spoke to the Manager, Liliana, and sure enough, NOTHING they sent me was vegan, so I had just eaten two whole bites of this salty dairy-based dish (which churned my stomach upon learning it was not vegan because I am also VERY lactose intolerant). I asked why they hadn't called me to let me know they had no vegan options at this location and they made up some flimsy excuse about my order coming in just as a shift change was going on and that they only had one cook Bla bla bla. I told them it is very easy to just prepare two different sauces (vegan and non-vegan) and then just add the one the customer wants and they kept telling me that then they would have to make it from scratch and a whole other slew of excuses. So, end result, I paid and waited for 3 things of which only two arrived and they weren't made according to my dietary restrictions and they tasted awful (the fettuccine at least I will not even be trying the pannacotta). My advice is to stay away from this place, they don't follow order instructions AND it tastes HORRIBLE (and it's NOT cheap!)....

Disclaimer: I feel like it's important that I say I am in no way affiliated with this restaurant and was not paid to write this review. Just a customer who discovered and went here for the first time last night. I don't write long reviews typically, but this time it's warranted.

Overview:

This place is an absolute hidden gem, located right next to MIA (Miami airport). Straight up Italian food that you can tell was made with a lot of love + quaint, cozy, and comfortable vibes, yet with modern touches that let you know you're someplace nice + very attentive staff all make this place quite special. Dress nice, put down your phone, have a conversation, and enjoy.

Food:

Everything from the starter bread (great mix of bread - olive oil, vinegar, black pepper ready to go on the table) to the appetizers, entrees, and desserts was excellent. For context, we had the olives selection, beef carpaccio, black fettuccini with lobster, tris pasta special (carbonara, tortellini with chicken, lasagna bolognese), tris dessert special (tiramasu, panna cotta, and chocolate salami), and espresso.

Pricing:

For what you're getting - quality of food, atmosphere, and service - the prices are very reasonable. Won't break the bank, but understand that this place is nice, so don't walk in with a t-shirt and shorts expecting common restaurant chain prices. Having said that, it would have been easy to spend less than we did and walk away satisfied.

Attire:

Anything between jeans and a polo to slacks and a button down.

Cons:

I know you're looking for them, but based on my experience, I don't have them. It was...

This is an absolute hidden gem of a restaurant. From the moment you walk in the door, you are transported to what i am sure is a true Italian grandmothers home kitchen. The outside appearance does not do it justice, as its tucked into the corner of a busy intersection and random small businesses of the area. But the food is absolutely top tier, and the cook must be of native Italian upbringing. The music, seating, artwork, and even table settings are perfectly set.

I had the Gnocchi Gorgonzola speck, and every bite was perfect. My partner had the linguine with clams. Scarcely a word between us was shared as we were too busy enjoying our mutually fantastic meals. The house wine is paired perfectly, no need to ask vintage. I Absolutely would recommend, and five stars are not nearly enough.

We came on a Tuesday, and parking was not terrible. No reservation was needed, but I’d recommend having one on a Friday or...