The Time Has Come For TimŌ

THE TIME HAS COME FOR TIMŌ
Chef Tim Andriola to open restaurant in Sunny Isles March 2003

Sunny Isles, once South Floridas sleepy haven for retirees and snowbirds, is going through a real estate boom, with notables such as Donald Trump developing hundreds of million dollar oceanfront condo units along Collins Avenue. This developing community will celebrate its first noteworthy restaurant when acclaimed chef Tim Andriola and partner Rodrigo Martinez open the doors of their intimate,
103-seat restaurant, Timō, in March 2003. Italian for thyme, Timō represents their dream project: an elegant yet comfortable restaurant where locals and tourists can sample fabulous Italian-Mediterranean fare in an environment both warm and welcoming  perfect for an upscale community in the making.

Andriola, acclaimed for his work as executive chef of Marks South Beach, chef Mark Militellos Miami Beach outpost, is dedicated to nurturing the growth of Sunny Isles. This is my neighborhood, the ten-year Sunny Isles resident says. When it came time to open my restaurant, I wanted it to be in my own backyard. Its a perfect spot for locals and visitors who love to dine out and dont want to get on a highway to do so. With the exception of Timō, Sunny Isles is mostly populated by ethnic restaurants and the large scale deli, Rascal House, a South Florida institution since its opening in 1954. Andriola wanted to open something more upscale than the neighboring restaurants and found the 3200 sq. ft. dream location during his studies in the Masters Program in Hospitality Management at Florida International University. The project was to design a restaurant on paper, for which Andriola used the Timō location as a model. Years later, after leaving Marks to explore a solo venture, he purchased it with partner Rodrigo Martinez, former general manager/wine director of Normans in Coral Gables, who will oversee day-to-day operations.

Though Timō will sport a cool, contemporary design  a comfortable dining room and sleek lounge with leather banquettes, warm lighting, exposed wood beams and matching wood floors  the restaurants focus will be on Andriolas robust Italian and Mediterranean menu. Expansive and simple, the menu profiles the clean, rich flavors that have given Andriola his superb reputation.

Diners can begin with soups or salads ($5-$12), including an aromatic brodetto of shellfish with orange and tomato and fried oyster salad with frisee, smoked pancetta and white beans or an array of small plates ($8-$12), such as crisp sweetbreads with bacon, honey and balsamic and braised stuffed squid. An Andriola specialty, handmade pastas ($8-$14) are in good supply, with rustic selections such as buckwheat spaghetti, tagliardi with wood roasted chicken and tomato and buccotine with cherry peppers, tuna and olives.


Entrees  meat ($12-$24), seafood ($13-$19), chicken & game ($10-$17) and pizzas ($7-$11) from the restaurants wood-burning oven  follow. Savory dishes of note include braised oxtail with semolina gnocchi; salt and pepper short ribs braised in Barolo wine over creamy mascarpone polenta; skate wing with Picoline olives, tomato and saffron; snapper al cartoccio with Meyer lemon and baby artichokes; prosciutto wrapped Vermont quail roasted with black Mission figs and confit of duck with homemade duck sausage and clay baked borlotti beans.

The menu was designed to be innovative yet accessible to everyone, Andriola notes. The quality of the food and the price value will go hand in hand. Though prices will stay on the moderate side, with entrees orbiting the $17 mark, Andriola promises some innovative multi-course tasting menus for those seeking a more adventurous dining experience. The restaurant will offer a well-crafted wine list, heavy on Mediterranean selections by the glass and bottle, handpicked to complement Timōs menu.