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Miami has no shortage of big, glamorous Italian restaurants. And Erba has a lot in common with these extravagant spots: a giant glass chandelier, a VIP table next to the kitchen, and enough velvet to make you feel like a shiny ring in a jewelry box. But what distinguishes it from these opulent places with little substance is Erba’s deliberate use of local ingredients and care put into each dish. In other words: unlike those other guys, the food here is actually really good.
You don’t go to Erba to be seen and not eat, you’re coming here for the rich agnolotti with wagyu beef cheeks and a juicy porchetta chop. There’s no need to pull out the faja for an evening dress (although you can and won’t feel overdressed). It's a comfortable restaurant with attentive servers who are just as excited about the food as you—and are always prepared with extra focaccia for your butter candle.
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
Yes, a butter candle—the start to every great meal here that really sets the tone for all the delicious plot twists to come.
Like the tonnato in the tomato tonnato. This salty Italian sauce is typically made with canned tuna, anchovies, and mayonnaise. But here, Erba uses local smoked grouper, giving it a slightly sweeter and smokey flavor. Other dishes, like the eggplant appetizer, use vegetables harvested straight from the restaurant’s farm in Homestead. Pastas also feature Key West pink shrimp, Everglades tomatoes, and Bahamian conch. Erba is an Italian restaurant with Caribbean influences and Miami flavor—a taste only our small part of the world could give this food.
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
The restaurant is most alive on weekend nights, when it’s packed but not cramped—and the parking garage isn’t a chaotic mix of Trader Joe’s shoppers and UM students peeling the tires off their white Teslas. But if you want to have the place to yourself and enjoy one of the best deals in town, go for the pasta tasting menu from 5:30pm-7pm. It Includes six pastas served in half-portion sizes for only $45 per person. You might even see someone hand-making them at the pasta station on your way to the bathroom.
Erba is very flexible. It’s parent-friendly, a great place to catch up with friends, and there’s a large private dining room for events. But it really shines when it comes to dates. We’re not sure if it’s all the naked cherubs scattered around, the pink marble bartop, or the way the cocktail list is signed “XOXO Erba”—but this is a romantic restaurant. Sure it’s a little showy. But eating here is a lot like finding out that crush you’ve been shamelessly flirting with is more than just a pretty face—it’s respectful, well-mannered, and wants nothing more than to cook delicious food for you.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
Butter Candle
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
Tomato Tonnato
photo credit: Courtesy Erba
Wahoo Crudo
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
Agnolotti
photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc
Niman Ranch Iberico Porchetta Chop
photo credit: Courtesy Erba
Bistecca Alla Fiorentina
photo credit: Courtesy Erba
Pistachio Gelato