report by Miami New Times<\/a>.<\/p>\nKey Biscayne was not immune to closures. Sake Room was the first Island spot to close in the Galeria Shopping Center. Pita Pockets, the popular Lebanese spot in the Arcade, followed, driven in part by health problems suffered by longtime operator Federico Elkarout. Cl\u00e1sica Victoria, the upscale bakery and restaurant, was sold and changed names to a new concept in B\u00eb Bakery.<\/p>\n
A major challenge for many Island restaurants came in the form of the closure of the Ritz Carlton Key Biscayne, Miami resort for seven months during renovations, and the sale, and eventual closure of the Silver Sands Resort after the sale to Terra and David Martin (see cover story).<\/p>\n
This left the Island without two major resorts during the spring, summer and start of fall at a time when they could ill afford to lose potential traffic from tourists staying and dining on the island. Many restaurants depended on guests from those hotels to help during the typically slower months, leaving many looking for alternate ways to generate.<\/p>\n
The Island\u2019s operators once again showed their resilient nature by innovating, adding services and new products and focusing more on the local market.<\/p>\n
Over at Milanezza, the lively spot in the CVS Shopping Center, creativity helped the husband-and-wife team of Gladys Arneri and Max Waxman thrive during the summer and fall months. A special lunch menu was launched, along with special events, like a Hollywood Glam Martini Night.<\/p>\n
KeBo Spanish Restaurant, in the Key Colony Shopping Center, doubled down on the local market and used its extensive wine collection to launch monthly $99 wine-pairing dinners, featuring 5-course especially curated menus, paired with exclusive wines from renowned wineries like La Fleur de Vivaltus and Ribera Del Duero.<\/p>\n
At Costa Med Bistro + Wine, owner and operator Antonio Braschi has invested and added a full liquor offering, with specially created drinks and classics, all with the quality and attention to details you have come to expect from the spot in the Square Shopping Center. Braschi also added some new menu items and expanded hours Thursday to Saturdays at Kazumi Modern Japanese, also in the Square.<\/p>\n
Golden Hog co-owner and operator Jorge Gonzalez Capeillo added new offerings while investing in his operations, with a new point of sale system providing more efficient and accurate service to his customers. To close the year, Gonzalez Capeillo completed a renovation and expansion of the kitchen at the Harbor Plaza store. Over at The Donut Gallery, also owned and operated by Gonzalez Capeillo and his wife Mariana Tello Sucre, they are adding expanded evening hours to go along with a draft beer tap service and expanded menu.<\/p>\n
As part of this look back and look ahead, we asked some of the Island\u2019s dining scene operators for their thoughts.<\/p>\n
Reina and David Gonz\u00e1lez, owners and operators of Boater\u2019s Grill, The Cleat and Lighthouse Caf\u00e9 inside Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, are looking forward to 2026.<\/p>\n
![\"LS](\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAQAAAADCAQAAAAe\/WZNAAAAEElEQVR42mM8U88ABowYDABAxQPltt5zqAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\")
<\/p>\n
Reina and David Gonz\u00e1lez.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will continue to enhance our restaurants to match the stunning surroundings of Bill Baggs State Park, highlighting the expansion presently under construction at Boaters Grill, as well as a new and refreshed look at Lighthouse Caf\u00e9,\u201d Reina said. \u201cOur goal is to improve our visitors\u2019 experience through eco-friendly upgrades.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reina added that they want to continue nurturing the atmosphere at The Cleat, to capture the moment of every Island sunset.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a challenging 2025 for us, not only due to the Ritz and Silver Sands closures, but we faced some adversities and limitations with our outdoor seating environment in the Center, one we are still trying to work through,\u201d Braschi commented on his Costa Med establishment, which has tweaked and improved its menu and will focus on a new rull liquor offering for 2026. \u201cWe were forced to look at every corner of our operation to overcome challenges while continuing to offer the over-the-top service our customers have come to expect. While our operational challenges remain, we look to 2026 with hope and enthusiasm and a desire to continue working hard to serve our loyal customers.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Milanezza, co-owners Arneri and Waxman said optimism is high for 2026.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Team members at Milanezza.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter a challenging 2025 marked by rising costs and slower tourism, we at Milanezza, we were no exception and had to adapt,\u201d Ameri said. \u201cThe upcoming FIFA World Cup is expected to bring renewed energy and visitors to South Florida, creating opportunities for local businesses and restaurants like ours.<\/p>\n
Arneri mentioned their investment in the future with an expanded pergola, updated dining space and remaining committed to their high-quality ingredients and homemade food, as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur hope for 2026 is a stronger year for Key Biscayne, one where local business thrive, tourism returns, and Milanezza continues to be a place where people feel at home,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The team at Vinya Wine & Market, the neighborhood gathering place in the Galleria Shopping Center. took time to look back with gratitude.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Vinya Wine & Market team members.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to extend our warmest thanks for helping make Vinya Wine & Market the spot to be in Key Biscayne,\u201d General Manager Daniel Alonso said. \u201cYour continued support, your memorable celebrations and the joy you bring through our doors have truly shaped who we are. It has been our pleasure to share our wine selection, delicious bites, and unforgettable moments with you. We are incredibly proud to be part of this wonderful community and even more excited for what lies ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chandra de Silva, who owns and operates La Scala Italian in the Arcade, took a more philosophical approach.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Chandra de Silva alongside Bill Durham holding a framed version of his Lighter Side column feature in the Islander.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, there were challenges facing our industry this year, but at La Scala, we work hard at ignoring the outside environment and choose to focus hard in offering an incredibly friendly experience to the customers who come in,\u201d she said. \u201cWe believe that is the best way to continue to thrive. We want our customers, more than ever, to think of our kitchen as an extension of theirs.\u201d<\/p>\n
At Kebo, Jos\u00e9 Castellano was thankful and reflective. \u201cI\u2019m thankful for the chance to share my thoughts and hope that in 2026 we continue to enjoy the freedom to speak our minds and the liberties this country gives us every day. I\u2019m grateful to God and to the health care professionals who keep us safe, and hope people in every profession keep growing, and trying to be better at what they do.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor our community, no matter where we come from, my wish is that we find happiness in what we have and who we are.\u201d Castellano hopes to continue offering quality products while \u201cdoing our best to keep prices fair.\u201d As a message to the Island\u2019s business community and those in his industry, he hopes his peers do not lose heart. \u201cLet\u2019s believe that better days are ahead and keep working together, united, for the good of our community. I wish everyone all the best in the year ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nicol\u00e1s Antonio Salvatore Barroso, manager at Toscana Mare, the fine dining Italian spot inside The Towers of Key Biscayne, had an uplifting message for his customers.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom our hearts to our beloved Key Biscayne community, thank you for sharing another beautiful year with us,\u201d he said. \u201cThis holiday season, we wish you peace, health, happiness and prosperity as we welcome 2026 as we look forward to creating many more memories together at Toscana Mare.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chef Joao \u201cJuca\u201d Oliveira and his wife Louissell Brito, who operate the popular Tutto Pizza and Pasta restaurant in the Galleria, also offered an uplifting message for Island residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur wish for 2026 is to continue serving the Key Biscayne community that we appreciate so much. We are grateful to our customers, many of whom are also our friends and neighbors, and we wish everyone a new year filled with blessings, and above all, peace and good health.\u201d<\/p>\n
Happy New Year and remember to continue supporting our local restaurants.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It was an interesting year to say the least for Island restaurant operators. The industry endured a challenging…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":104693,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[126,54207,51403,123,125,124,43237,16904,774],"class_list":["post-104692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-key-biscayne","tag-local-food","tag-local-restaurant","tag-miami","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news","tag-new-year","tag-taste-of-kb","tag-taste-of-key-biscayne"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104692"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104692\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}