Photo courtesy of Vinya Wines
Allegra Angelo Sommelier for Vinya Wines 266 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables 305-203-4228 Sommelier Allegra Angelo has seemingly lived nine lives everywhere from the West Coast to the Northeast before settling in Miami. Since 2019, her love of wine, food, and community is on display at Vinya Wines, where she works alongside founder Nicholas Garcia as in-house sommelier. Angelo has been honing her craft for 15 years, developing more than 20 unique wine-and-spirit programs across the nation and working with local staples, including Mignonette, Stiltsville Fish Bar, and Café La Trova. Angelo s work doesn’t end in the dining room while serving as sommelier for La Mar and Mandarin Oriental, she worked wine harvests in Burgundy, Tuscany, and Spain. She has passed all levels of the Master Sommelier Exam and is preparing to retake the tasting portion this year a top honor for any wine pro. During COVID, Angelo has been conducting Zoom wine tasti
Jackie Mercandetti Photo
Anhelo 628 East Adams Street One of the more romantic-looking spots in town is the 1900-built Silva House, home to Anhelo. Ivan Jacobo is the executive chef at this contemporary restaurant at Heritage Square, and he seems to have a keen sense for the ol Reduce, Reuse, Recycle mantra. As we reported after our first visit, “Rather than junking old wine, he uses it for braising. He trades carefully managed kitchen compost to Grace Farms in Chandler and gets microgreens in return. In a warming world, this is the kind of mindset a young chef needs to have. The menu also supports local and organic farming and uses Arizona-based Alaskan Pride Seafoods. You’ll also want to take a gander at that cocktail menu. Anhelo’s tequila drinks are incredible.