12 May 22-28, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | Back in 2018, the general manager of the Villa Casa Casuarina told New Times that al- though the front of the property remains one of the most photographed places in Miami Beach, the main attraction should be to “eat in the designer’s own dining room or have a smart cocktail inside his kitchen, now turned into the Onyx Bar.” This seems to imply that the ownership groups, the Nakash family and Vida & Estilo Hospitality groups, have banked on the tragedy and the family’s name and likeness for quite some time to attract visitors and tourists. The Versace fashion house currently has no connection to either property. In a statement to New Times, the Dona- tella Boutique Hotel & Restaurant team de- nied any intention to associate with the fashion designer, claiming the name “reflects the hotel’s Mediterranean-inspired vision of elegance” rather than any connection to Ver- sace. “The brand is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with Donatella Versace,” the statement to New Times reads. The reps also mention the hotel’s grand opening isn’t scheduled until Wednesday, May 21. However, the restaurant already has 49 Google reviews and is currently accepting reservations. The new 170-seat Italian restaurant show- cases “Southern Coastal Italian cuisine” un- der executive chef Alessandro Morrone, who draws from his Neapolitan background. Pas- tas anchor the menu, including a black truffle cacio e pepe with bucatini and “Linguini alla Vongole” featuring Manila clams. For seafood fans, “Skull Island Prawns” come grilled with Calabrian chili butter, while a grilled octopus pairs with Taggiasche olive purée and tomato ragù. The cocktail program blends Italian classics with Miami touches. The restaurant occupies a 1922 Wallace Tutt-designed building with an open kitchen and VIP lounge. Gold accents throughout the space serve as not-so-subtle reminders of the property’s implied connec- tion to the Versace empire. The timing makes Donatella’s public rejection espe- cially awkward for the hospitality groups, coming right as customers begin filling the restaurant’s seats for the first time. So far, the fashion icon’s position stands firm: despite its name and location, the Dona- tella Boutique Hotel & Restaurant has zero connection to the actual Donatella or the Ver- sace family legacy. Donatella Boutique Hotel & Restaurant. 1350 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; donatellarestau- rant.com. The hotel officially opens on Wednesday, May 21. The restaurant is now open and is currently taking reservations. Olee Fowler ▼ LITTLE HAVANA POP-UP BRINGS CRAFT COCKTAILS TO CALLE OCHO A decade after starting as a small pop-up in St. Augustine called Odd Birds Cocktail Lounge and Kitchen, craft cocktail makers Odd Birds have opened Odd Birds Miami Cocktails & Bites in the Little Havana neigh- borhood. The new pop-up, located at 925 SW Eighth St., marks the brand’s ten-year mile- stone and introduces its Latin-inspired drink menu to Miami and South Florida for the very first time. Operating inside of Pocho’s Express in conjunction with Colombian restaurant San- pocho, Odd Birds Miami Cocktails & Bites is open daily from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m., adding a new late-night option to the area’s food and drink scene. Founded in 2015 by Cesar Diaz and As- drubal Martinez, Odd Birds started as a pop- up in downtown St. Augustine. After working in the nightlife industry, the pair recognized the need for a space where customers could sip on spirits and cocktails with knowledge- able bartenders. “It’s absolutely surreal that we’re celebrating ten years of Odd Birds,” Diaz says. “We’ve made it through hurricanes, a worldwide pandemic, and personal and pro- fessional challenges, and here we are.” After finding success as a pop-up, Odd Birds moved to a larger space on Anastasia Island in 2020, featuring outdoor and indoor areas, din- ing, an events space, and a hidden speakeasy. In Photo by The Louis Collection Donatella Versace has fired back after a new South Beach Italian restaurant and hotel, Donatella Boutique Hotel & Restaurant, opened right by the former Versace Mansion using the family’s name and likeness without permission. The Stories Your Friends Are Sharing FOLLOW US
