A Breezy Italian Patio Hangout Courtesy of Jose Mendin Arrives in Mimo

Out with the old, and in with the new. Chef Jose Mendin closed his frequently embattled Puerto Rican restaurant La Placita earlier this year, and in its place he has debuted Patio Isola, an alfresco sister restaurant to Mendin’s popular Italian spot Casa Isola on Miami Beach.

“We’re keeping the cozy, homegrown mood that La Placita established but taking it in a different direction,” said Mendin.

Located at 6789 Biscayne Boulevard, the 8,000-square-foot space has been reimagined by designer Sergio Navarro complete with plenty of greenery, rustic wood furniture and fixtures, a cobalt and white color scheme, and seating for 60 indoors and 140 outdoors.

Fans of Casa Isola will recognize several dishes on the menu including the arancini, carpaccio Milanesa, soft polenta, vodka rigatoni, and branzino. But Mendin, alongside his executive chef Santo Agnello, have created plenty of new dishes for this location. New to the Patio menu are a large variety of pizzas and calzones, like the Vecchia Signora topped with braised short rib, Taleggio cheese white sauce, truffle oil, and pecorino, which all come in traditional style or “Isola style,” where the crust is brushed with butter before and after going into the oven then sprinkled with sea salt, sesame seeds and finely-chopped fried garlic. Mendin likens this version of when people go to In-N-Burger and ask for their fries “animal style.”

In addition to the pizzas items like the baked clams, cheesy garlic bone marrow, taleggio fettuccine, chopped salad, and more. The drink program is also heavily influenced by Italian flavors so expect plenty of aperitifs, spritzes, Negronis, and Bellinis on the menu, alongside a full bar.

Patio Isola is located at 6789 Biscayne Boulevard and is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesdays and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursday to Saturday, with brunch service offered every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call 305-400-8173.