First Date- Salumeria 104 (Midtown Miami)

                                          

I excitedly ventured out on another first date today.  This time it was at an enticing neighborhood Italian spot that recently opened in the Shops at Midtown Miami . Who could resist?  Salumeria 104 is run by chef/owner Angelo Masarin who hails from the Northern Italian town of Treviso.  He spent the past few years working in the Italian kitchens of Casa Tua, Sardinia and Cecconi's.  Early reports I read focused on the salumi which makes sense based on the name and visible cured meats plus the three Italian meat slicers in plain view.  But I wouldn't get hung up on that.  There is more going on here including several housemade pastas and sauces.  There is also a daily specials board which the chef told me was a major focal point of his vision for the place.  They also feature several reasonable priced wines by the glass, carafe and bottle.  The setting was on the casual side with friendly and knowledgeable service. 

Fresh bread and three Italian slicers

I had heard through the grapevine from a reliable restauranteur and chef that Chef Masarin made a mean amatriciana sauce so that's what I was gunning for when I arrived. After taking a seat at the bar, I was immediately advised by the pleasant server of their daily specials.  They all sounded great but when she blurted out trippa with parmesan and polenta I got wide eyed and uncontrollably blurted out "oooh" and quickly ordered it along with the rigatoni amatriciana.

Rigatoni Amatriciana

The rigatoni was cooked  perfectly al dente and paired with a tasty and lightly spicy tomato sauce that included guanciale and onions.  I really enjoyed the combination. The only possible issue people may have is the portion size at $15.00.  

Tripe with Polenta

Next up was the trippa.  Chef Massani prepared the tripe in the traditional roman style with parmesan cheese and a fantastic tomato sauce. It was accompanied by three bricks of perfect polenta that served as a nice contrast to the tripe and sauce.  The tripe (I believe the chef mentioned a 24 hour process) was super tender and had a great soft texture. The flavor off the tripe and the wonderful accompanying tomato sauce made for a knockout dish.

Look at that ass oops the prosciutto di parma

 As with all great first dates, halfway through, I was already planning the second one.  Obvioulsy I need to try the salumi next go round as well as some of the housemade pastas.  But my focus is going to be on the special board.  If Chef Massani continues to deliver more dishes of the tripe caliber we will have a neighborhood gem on our hands.

Salumeria 104 is the type of place we need more more of if we are going to continue to evolve into a legitimate food city.  My first visit was a great experience and I highly recommend checking it out.



3451 NE 1st Ave
Miami, FL 33137