Before Casadonna opened its doors along the Miami waterfront in late October, co-owner Noah Tepperberg could already see the writing on the wall. “I’m sure it’s going to be the hardest table to get by the time Art Basel comes around in a few weeks,” says the Tao Group founder.
Casadonna, located in Miami’s buzzy Edgewater neighborhood, marks Tao’s first foray into the Miami market, in collaboration with Groot Hospitality, led by local entrepreneur David Grutman. The longtime friends had been looking for the ideal opportunity to work on a project together, and Casadonna fit the bill.
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“Groot and Tao, two real hospitality behemoths, combined into one project — it definitely sets the bar,” Tepperberg says. “The expectations are high for what we have to deliver. But when you do something with people that you’re also friends with, it’s going to be a lot more fun to enjoy the success.”
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Around seven years ago, Grutman signed a lease on the Miami Women’s Club building, a historic but rundown property along Biscayne Bay, and pitched the location to Tepperberg. “We recognized automatically that this property had amazing bones,” Grutman says of the space, located right on the bay, without a sand barrier between the water. “There’s nothing like this.”
The idea was to create a scene-y, quintessential Miami dining and nightclub experience that would also appeal to the growing neighborhood. “Edgewater’s really becoming one of the hottest neighborhoods in Miami now,” Grutman adds. “We’ve all heard about neighborhoods with a lot of talk. This one actually came alive.”
The pair tapped designer Ken Fulk, who also worked on Grutman’s recent Goodtime Hotel opening on Miami Beach, for the interiors. Casadonna is an Italian portmanteau meaning “house of the woman,” and the team leaned into the Mediterranean Revival building’s historical significance as a meeting space for women, taking a feminine approach to design with a dusty pink and blues color palette. For the large outdoor lounge area, landscape architect Raymond Jungles created a lush oasis of greenery.
“It’s very Instagrammable,” Grutman says of the restaurant’s visual appeal.
The restaurant brings together culinary talent from both the Tao and Groot teams. The menu veers coastal Italian, drawing inspiration from French and Spanish cuisines. “A lot of olive oil based dishes, a lot of fish, a lot of fresh pastas,” says Tepperberg, who also highlights the appeal of lighter menu-anchoring selections including multiple crudo options and salads.
Casadonna kicked off with a launch party that attracted some of Miami’s biggest VIPs, including David and Victoria Beckham, DJ Khaled, Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian, Caroline Wozniacki, Camila Cabello, Timbaland, Skrillex, Michael Bay and Alec Monopoly. Consider the bar set.
“I think people are going to be blown away when they come and they get not only the fine dining, but also this social dining experience, too,” Tepperberg adds. “Because what we’re doing is combining great food with great atmosphere in a great backdrop.”
