{"id":408508,"date":"2026-09-23T18:58:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-23T18:58:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/408508\/"},"modified":"2026-09-23T18:58:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T18:58:19","slug":"la-sponda-by-gioia-hospitality-lands-in-coconut-grove","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/408508\/","title":{"rendered":"La Sponda by Gioia Hospitality Lands in Coconut Grove"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gioia Hospitality Group built its reputation on steak; Daniel\u2019s Miami was recently named the highest-ranked Florida steakhouse on the World\u2019s Best 101 Steak Restaurants list, and Daniel\u2019s, A Florida Steakhouse, has earned its own Michelin Guide recognition. Next, founders Thomas Angelo and Kassidy Angelo are turning to something considerably more personal. La Sponda, the group\u2019s first Italian concept \u2014 opened on September 19 at CMC Group\u2019s newly delivered Vita at Grove Isle \u2014 is built directly from Thomas Angelo\u2019s family history in Puglia rather than a generic idea of Italian dining.<\/p>\n

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Photo Credit: The Louis Collection<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in a family deeply rooted in southern Italy, where some of my favorite memories were made in the kitchen and my travels with my children to Puglia,\u201d Thomas Angelo said. \u201cThose memories became the foundation for La Sponda, and our hope is that every guest who walks through our doors feels that same sense of warmth, connection, and hospitality.\u201d Kassidy Angelo echoed the sentiment: \u201cThis restaurant is incredibly personal to us because it brings together our family\u2019s traditions with everything we\u2019ve learned while building Gioia Hospitality.\u201d<\/p>\n

At a Glance<\/p>\n

La Sponda is Gioia Hospitality Group’s first Italian restaurant, opening September 19, 2026, at CMC Group’s Vita at Grove Isle in Coconut Grove, led by chef Danny Ganem.<\/p>\n

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Photo Credit: The Louis Collection<\/p>\n

Orecchiette Pugliese con Salsiccia<\/p>\n

Chef Danny Ganem leads the kitchen, with fresh pasta made in-house daily alongside a rotating selection of crudo, antipasti, and seafood. Signature dishes include Spaghetti alla Chitarra al Tartufo with Burgundy truffles, cultured butter, and Parmigiano espuma; Paccheri al Campagnolo with Aquanaria branzino, Datterini tomatoes, capers, and olives; Branzino alla Vernaccia with Taggiasca olives, potatoes, tomatoes, and basil; and an Australian L\u2019Grow Ranch Wagyu Bistecca Fiorentina finished with rosemary, Balsamico di Modena, and Gioia olive oil.<\/p>\n

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Photo Credit: The Louis Collection<\/p>\n

Wagyu Carpaccio<\/p>\n

Wine & Beverage Director Daniel Bishop built the list around Italy\u2019s most celebrated regions: Barolo and Barbaresco from Piemonte, Tuscan selections, lighter Etna reds from Sicily, and wines from Puglia specifically honoring the Angelo family\u2019s roots, rounded out by French, Spanish, and California bottles and select vintages spanning 20 to 25 years. The cocktail program includes the Summer in Amalfi Spritz, the Zio Tony (a tropical riff on the Paper Plane), and a Garibaldi Fresca made with Campari and fresh-pressed pineapple and orange juices.<\/p>\n

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Photo Credit: The Louis Collection<\/p>\n

Battuta di Tonno<\/p>\n

Designed by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, the 120-seat restaurant blends European elegance with Coconut Grove\u2019s more relaxed register. Nearly every material was sourced from Italy: handcrafted furnishings, imported stone, custom tables, and artisan finishes, surrounding an intimate dining room with crisp white tablecloths, hand-painted architectural details, a baby grand piano, and a private dining room for special occasions. The neighborhood gets its own quiet nod, too: a local artist individually hand-painted custom lamps throughout the space with illustrations of Coconut Grove\u2019s iconic peacocks and tropical surroundings.<\/p>\n

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Photo Credit: The Louis Collection<\/p>\n

\u201cGrove Isle has long held a special place in Miami, with a history as one of the city\u2019s most celebrated waterfront destinations,\u201d said Ugo Colombo, Founder of CMC Group. \u201cLa Sponda is a natural extension of that vision, bringing exceptional dining, hospitality, and design together to create a destination that enhances the lifestyle at Vita and once again establishes Grove Isle as a place for the broader Miami community to experience and enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Photo Credit: The Louis Collection<\/p>\n

For more of Haute Living\u2019s Miami dining coverage, see The Haute Coconut Grove Guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Haute Read<\/p>\n

Gioia Hospitality built its name on steak, but La Sponda is the more personal project, Thomas Angelo’s own family history in Puglia translated into handmade pasta, a Martin Brudnizki dining room, and lamps painted with the neighborhood’s own peacocks. It’s the rare restaurant opening that reads less like an expansion than an actual homecoming.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Haute Black \u00a0\u00b7\u00a0 By Haute Living<\/p>\n

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Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is the signature dish at La Sponda?<\/p>\n

The Australian L’Grow Ranch Wagyu Bistecca Fiorentina, finished with rosemary, Balsamico di Modena, and Gioia olive oil, is among La Sponda’s signature dishes.<\/p>\n

What is Gioia Hospitality Group known for?<\/p>\n

Gioia Hospitality Group is known for Daniel’s Miami, the highest-ranked Florida steakhouse on the World’s Best 101 Steak Restaurants list, and Daniel’s, A Florida Steakhouse, which holds Michelin Guide recognition.<\/p>\n

Who designed La Sponda?<\/p>\n

Martin Brudnizki Design Studio designed the 120-seat restaurant, sourcing nearly every material from Italy.<\/p>\n

When does La Sponda open?<\/p>\n

La Sponda opened September 19, 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gioia Hospitality Group built its reputation on steak; Daniel\u2019s Miami was recently named the highest-ranked Florida steakhouse on…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":408509,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[162235,162236,162237,162238,162239,162240,123,125,124,162241,162242],"class_list":["post-408508","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-miami","tag-chef-danny-ganem","tag-daniels-miami-steakhouse","tag-gioia-hospitality-group-la-sponda","tag-la-sponda-coconut-grove","tag-la-sponda-italian-restaurant-miami","tag-martin-brudnizki-la-sponda","tag-miami","tag-miami-headlines","tag-miami-news","tag-thomas-angelo-kassidy-angelo","tag-vita-at-grove-isle-restaurant"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408508","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=408508"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408508\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/408509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=408508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=408508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=408508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}