When Carlos Suarez was 26 years old, he set out to open his first restaurant armed with a Wharton education, a brief stint in finance, and a deep passion for food. Inspired by his parent’s Italian countryside garden and the transformative role of sharing food around the family table, he sought to recreate the intimate, communal atmosphere. From personally demoing his first restaurant to building New York City-based Casa Nela Hospitality Group, the Cuban-English restaurateur remains steadfast in his mission to create authentic and accessible dining experiences.
Casa Nela is a collection of European-inspired restaurants including Bobo, a cozy townhouse restaurant in the West Village; Claudette, which brings the vibrant flavors of southern France to Greenwich Village; Roey’s, a casual, family-friendly woodfired pizza restaurant; and Rosemary’s, an Italian elevated concept named after Suarez’s mother and inspired by her home and vegetable garden in Lucca, Italy.
Rosemary’s has become the restaurant group’s flagship brand and grown from its West Village roots in 2012 to two additional New York City locations, and even an outlying outpost in Tokyo. Now, Suarez is bringing Rosemary’s to Miami’s buzzy arts district neighborhood, Wynwood, complete with the concept’s signature outdoor garden. Set to open next month in January, the Wynwood location will be the fifth Rosemary’s and the group’s eighth restaurant overall.
Rosemary’s Wynwood is housed in a single-story former shoe warehouse, and with the help of NYC interior design firm Dekar Design (which designed all Casa Nela’s restaurants) will transform the 7,000-square-foot space—including the adjacent empty lot—into “the most dynamic Rosemary’s yet,” Suarez says, with an urban farmhouse to cultivate in-house produce and herbs.
“It will feel like you’ve stumbled into a restaurant at an olive oil frantoio that’s been converted into a restaurant in the south of Italy. It’s going to be magical.”
Suarez enlisted Miami-based executive chef Craig Giunta to lead the kitchen. The Wynwood menu will highlight seasonal vegetables, handmade pastas, and fresh seafood. Diners can expect house-made mozzarella, a variety of focaccia, and house favorites like Eggplant Caponata with roasted vegetables, pine nuts, and agrodolce; the Orecchiette (pictured above) with house-made sausage, broccoli rabe, Fresno chili, and Parmigiano; and the Chopped Salad “Siciliana” featuring escarole, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, crispy chickpeas, ricotta salata, and almonds. Desserts will include favorites such as Olive Oil Cake, Tiramisu, and Bombolini filled with Nutella crema. The beverage program will feature Italian spritzes, zero-proof cocktails, and creative takes on classic drinks, alongside a curated selection of Italian wines.
FSR recently sat down with Suarez to learn more about how he’s reimagining the concept for a new market and audience.
Miami is a special place for you personally. What’s it like bringing Rosemary’s to Wynwood, and how do you plan to weave in that local Miami vibe while staying true to your brand? What steps are you taking to ensure that Rosemary’s Wynwood isn’t “just another Rosemary’s” but a unique experience that truly reflects the spirit of Miami and stands out in its own way?
Super special for me. While growing up in Florida I was sent away to chilly England as a 9-year-old to attend boarding school. I still get chills when I step off a plane in Miami. It feels like home. Rosemary’s was inspired by meals at the kitchen table, growing up in Coral Gables, and then later in life at my folks’ home in Lucca, with its vegetable garden and views of the Tuscan countryside. It feels like coming full circle to bring that kitchen table experience to life where it all started for me 20-plus years ago.
Miami’s climate provides us an opportunity to grow ingredients throughout the year, versus a seven-month season in the northeast, and the neighborhood’s architecture gave us an opportunity to set our dining amidst the garden, versus in New York, the garden is literally on the roof. Wynwood provides an incredible stage to show that urban agriculture is something for cities to start embracing; fittingly perhaps our passion for urban agriculture is partly inspired by the incredible organoponicos found in Cuba.
This will be the most dynamic Rosemary’s yet, with the garden and outdoor dining room intertwined, indoor and outdoor bars, and lush landscaping; it will feel like you’ve stumbled into a restaurant at an olive oil frantoio that’s been converted into a restaurant in the south of Italy. It’s going to be magical.
The garden in the Wynwood location is inspired by Tuscany. What role do you envision this space playing in the dining experience, and what unique Miami-sourced ingredients are you planning to grow there?
The whole thing is inspired in part by my folk’s house in Lucca and their orto (vegetable garden). Whereas in Lucca the orto is a short walk down the hillside, here diners will sit amidst the garden. It will be part of the experience; seeing what’s coming in, what’s in season.
How does having executive chef Craig Giunta, with his local ties, enhance the authenticity and connection to Miami’s culinary scene?
First, I must say how impressed I am with the Miami restaurant/culinary scene. Not only is the city on fire with great new restaurants (Vice Versa, Sunny’s, Walrus Rodeo, Tam Tam, Macchialina 2.0, etc.) due to an incredibly talented and passionate community of chefs and restaurateurs, but the restaurant community is incredibly warm and welcoming. The fact that we were introduced to chef Craig [Giunta] by chef Michael Pirolo at Macchialina is a perfect example of this. Chef Craig perfectly mirrors what we are seeing in the broader community—incredible talent, passion and humility. This guy can flat out cook—his flavors are exciting and lifted and his technique is really precise, but he’s also an amazing person who works with a warm smile that inspires all of us. We feel incredibly lucky to work with such a great chef—and yes, his ties to community are a huge bonus.
Are there any specific Miami ingredients or dishes that will debut on this location’s menu? How do you envision balancing the flavors of Miami with Rosemary’s Italian roots?
I would say that we plan to largely stick to our roots, we are excited to explore a more coastal expression of Rosemary’s—embracing crudi, seafood pastas, and whole grilled fish. Cubans and Italians both love pork—so we certainly have that going for us.
With Rosemary’s expanding internationally and now to Miami, what is your broader vision for the brand’s growth?
We are trying to do our best by working with fantastic talents like chef Craig, who share our values and are excited to champion Rosemary’s on their home turf. For now we’re focused on trying to open a truly great restaurant. Should we succeed there will be no shortage of desire to take on new challenges and continue doing what we absolutely love to do.
