The Place: In the former Calamari space on the quiet end of the Main Highway in Coconut Grove, Spasso is a sprawling restaurant with white tablecloths, a bar, a long open kitchen and a patio with a fountain, hanging potted ferns and a huge oak tree strung with twinkly lights. Spasso means enjoyment, amusement and entertainment, and folks come for housemade pastas and stone-fired thin crust pizza.

The History: Owner and Chef Gaetano Asciono, from Salerno near Naples, graduated from the Instituto Albberghiero di Stato, a government-run culinary school in his hometown. He then worked as a chef in Italy, Germany, England, Korea, Singapore, South Africa and the Bahamas and is still involved with his restaurant Gioco in Chicago.

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Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/