Get a Look Inside Michael Schwartz's New Italian Mecca, Fi’lia

The godfather of farm-to-table dining in South Florida, Michael Schwartz, is at it again with his sixth Miami restaurant, a rustic Italian eatery named Fi’lia, officially opening its doors today inside the SLS Brickell at 1300 South Miami Avenue.

[Clockwise from top: entrance; seating area; Grillworks rig; souvenir plates from Italy]

This marks the first Italian concept for the James Beard award-winning chef, and it showcases a menu filled with Italian classics with that signature Schwartz twist.

The kitchen is overseen by chef de cuisine Tim Piazza, and is creating dishes like Caesar salads prepared table side, with the dressing made in front of the guests and the garlic croutons toasted on the cart; pizzas topped with items like pancetta, ricotta, and tons of local produce; plenty of house-made pastas ranging from the traditional Cacio e Pepe to the more hearty corn agnolotti topped with roasted lobster sauce plus a variety of small plates like bruschetta. And, of course, the restaurant now also features its own first press, cold press Italian extra-virgin olive oil blend, which we're sure will be in just about every dish.

To wash it all back there are tons of beverages to choose from including four bottled drinks (opened table-side, naturally), a section devoted to the Italian Spritz with six different versions of the drink, a beer list filled with craft and seasonal styles, and a wine list focused on Italian regional varietals and American wines.

[Clockwise from top: Caesar salad table side cart; Fi'lia's house olive oil; bottled cocktails ]

The space designed by Philippe Starck also with the "simple is better" theme, with a focus on clean lines, minimalist teak furniture and a vertically stacked citrus planters that frame the room. The open air kitchen features a wood-burning oven complete with a Grillworks rig, who also happens to be the same manufacturer as the grill in Schwartz's own house.

Fi’lia is now open daily for breakfast from 7 to 11a.m., lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30pm, and dinner Sunday to Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to midnight, with bar menu of snacks and small dishes served daily from 3 to 5:30 p.m. To make a reservation, call 305.912.1729 or email filiamiami@sbe.com.