Forget Brickell for fine dining, the new Trattoria Blu is the real deal and it’s in Palmetto Bay. From the moment you enter, you know this is a foodie’s restaurant. Exceptional, not snooty. The long rectangle-shaped eatery with high ceilings adorned with floating pallets, modern art elements and industrial hanging lights sets the mood, as does the live guitar music. The smiling staffers rush to greet people even before they cross the threshold. 

Food-wise, there is so much that can be said. The menu has a wide selection of dishes, blending Italian with hints of Portugal, France, Spain, Peru, Colombia and Brazil taste and style. But the statement that says it all was what owner Antonio Dasso Chopitea told me with fervor, “We are not here for the money. We are here for the passion of food!” Every moment of your experience at Trattoria Blu enforces that statement.