Piccolo Ristorante

  Small, family-owned and operated Italian restaurant. Perfect for a relaxing night out. Come in and savor our delicious food and wine pairings.www.piccolofl.com  

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Piccolo closes...Adventure awaits

Yes, Piccolo is closing!

Chef Andres and the entire Piccolo family want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your patronage over the last 4 years. We are so proud to have provided thousands of guests with our unique dining experiences that went beyond the ordinary Italian restaurant - from our seasonally-inspired special events like the Feast of the Seven Fishes Christmas Eve dinner and our Lionfish Tasting dinners benefitting REEF.org to our one of a kind culturally-intertwined wine dinners, it has been our great honor to break bread with you.  We have so many great memories of our "regulars" who have shared special meals with us, who have watched our own family grow and who have indeed become family themselves. 

Alas, the time has come for a metamorphosis.  2018 is going to bring amazing culinary creations from Chef Andres and we can’t wait to share!  For the remainder of the year, however, we are indulging in a bit of world traveling, definitely some scuba diving in new places and most of all, some treasured family time with our little 8-month old Logan. Keep an eye out for updates from the road and follow our journey as Chef gathers inspiration from around the world.

Follow us on Instagram: @avayuadventures

Email us: [email protected]

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The holidays have arrived and do we have some treats for you!

We all know that the minute Halloween is over, everyone begins planning their holidays. Not to be out done, Chef Andres has a few treats up his sleeve.

First off, he has decided to host his 2nd annual Thanksgiving Wine Dinner on Thursday November 16th!  But no worries...there will be no turkey (since we know you all will be getting enough of that on the actual day of Thanksgiving).  Check out our events page for more information.

For the 4th year, Chef Andres will be doing what almost no Italian Restaurant in Fort Lauderdale is doing....a full "Feast of the Seven Fishes" dinner for Christmas Eve. He is currently finalizing the menu...so stay tuned here for details as they are available.  But make sure to call to reserve your table because this dinner sells out quickly!

And we save the best for last! We can't give away too many details at the moment, but make sure to follow us on social media as we release details on some up coming pop-up dinners and collaborations with other local Chefs. We are thrilled and can't wait to share all the deliciousness with you all!

Cheers and Happy Holidays!

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Thanksgiving Wine Dinner

For the 2nd year, Chef Andres will be offering his very own special version of a "Thanksgiving" dinner.  The menu is inspired by the traditional Thanksgiving dishes we will all be eating a week later....but with a twist ;-)  Call 954.776.8066 to reserve your seats today.  Tickets are $75 + tax/tip

1st course - Mash potato caserole (this dish is Chef's take on a shepherds pie or pastel de papa)

2nd course - Duck Confit Pot Pie (last year's favorite dish...oh so yummy!)

3rd course - Sweet Potato Angolotti and Charred Brussel Sprouts

4th course - Cranberry Panna Cotta & Orange Sherbert

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Copy of HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY TO US!

Wow, 4 years ago this month we opened our doors for the very first time!  What an incredible first 4 years we have had!  Thank you to EVERYONE who has dined with us over these past 4 years!  We greatly look forward to sharing our passion for fine dining with you for many years to come.

Being a small, Chef and family owned restaurants has many perks.  One that we cherish the most is the fact that our guests become like family to us.  We pour our hearts and souls into the food and dining experience at Piccolo and we love sharing that with you all.  So thank you for joining our family for dinner and sharing your passion for food and wine with us.

Looking back on the past 4 years we have shared some incredible moments with you all, here is a list of some of our favorites:

This is only a small sample of some of the amazing events and dinners we have been blessed to be a part of over the past 4 years.  Thank you to everyone who has allowed us to host your birthday, anniversary or wedding celebration.  We are truly honored to share these memories with you all.

From all of us at Piccolo (Chef Andres & Alison Avayu, baby Logan and brother Josiah)

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HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY TO US!

Wow, 4 years ago this month we opened our doors for the very first time!  What an incredible first 4 years we have had!  Thank you to EVERYONE who has dined with us over these past 4 years!  We greatly look forward to sharing our passion for fine dining with you for many years to come.

Being a small, Chef and family owned restaurants has many perks.  One that we cherish the most is the fact that our guests become like family to us.  We pour our hearts and souls into the food and dining experience at Piccolo and we love sharing that with you all.  So thank you for joining our family for dinner and sharing your passion for food and wine with us.

Looking back on the past 4 years we have shared some incredible moments with you all, here is a list of some of our favorites:

 Waterway Soiree to benefit Children's Diagnostic and Treatment Center

Seaside Eats at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival

Hosting the 1st ever Foodie Freaks dinner

Salute! Cheers!

From all of us at Piccolo (Chef Andres & Alison Avayu, baby Logan and brother Josiah)

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Food for thought....

How many of us are truly AWARE and present when we are eating? Do you notice the scent of the herbs used in the dish? Do you feel the texture of the pasta or the vegetables? Do you see the art the Chef designed just for you on the plate; each ingredient, each color and position speficially chosen to convey a certain image?  If you have dined with us, then you understand that THIS is what we strive for each of our guests to experience - being PRESENT while dining so that you get the opportunity to EXPERIENCE the food and wine as they come together in harmony.

The phrase "Food is Art" is more than just a saying to us.  It is what we live and breathe each and every day, and what Chef pours into each and ever dish he puts out of the kitchen.  From prep to cooking to plating - Chef Andres does it all.  He does it because he loves what he does.  He does it because he wants to share his passion for food and art with you. 

With literally thousands of restaurants in Fort Lauderdale to choose from, we like to be different.  So, if you are looking for something new, something different, something out of the ordinary - join us for dinner.  Take a seat, sit back, relax and savor each flavor, texture, color and smell. 

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FOODIE FREAKS

Foodie Freaks is a new "underground" foodie group that just started in Broward County.  It is similar to the "Cobaya" group in Miami. "The mission is a very simple one - to get talented chefs to cook great, interesting, creative meals for an audience of adventurous, open-minded diners. Every invitation comes with a disclaimer: there is no "menu". There are no choices. You'll be eating what the chef chooses to make for the night....Just come and enjoy."

Chef Andres and all of us at Piccolo were ecstatic that we got to be the first restaurant in Fort Lauderdale to host one of these incredible dinners!  Chef Andres had a blast planning the menu and Alison loved working with her vendor to pair the wines.  The end result was, as you can imagine, incredibly delicious! Make sure to check out our facebook page for all the awesome pictures from the fabulous evening! A huge thank you to all the adventurous eaters who joined us for this decadent evening!

Check out the exquisite menu Chef Andres created for the evening:

#1 Crispy Pork Belly served over a Baby Arugula Salad with Honeydew Melon and a Proscuitto Vinaigrette.  (Chef's inspiration for this dish came from the very popular Italian "Proscuitto e Melone")  Pairing ~ Pagliatura, Vermintino, Marema 2015

#2 Squab Knots in a Tuscan BBQ Sauce with Roasted Corn Polenta (Inspiration for this dish was for a finer version of your typical Summer BBQ with Chicken wings)  Pairing ~ Valle, Refosco, Friuli 2014

#3 Charred Octopus in a Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce & Mint Squid Ink Air (Chef makes the most tender octopus you have ever tasted and his inspiration for this dish comes from an Italian tradition of switching basil out for mint in the summer months to lighten dishes) Pairing ~ Occultum Lapidem, Rhone Red Blend, Roussillon Village 2014

#4 Branzino baked in Salt Dough served with a Mustard Cream Sauce, Asparagus and Faux "Caviar" Pickled Mustard Seeds (Chef used the salt dough to season and steam the fish, guests were warned not to eat the dough....although some were curious)  Pairing ~Grgich Hills, Chardonnay, Napa Valley 2013

#5 "Ham, Egg & Cheese" Raviolo in a Black Truffle & Parmesan Cream Sauce (This was quite possibly the crowd favorite - inspiration coming from the very popular breakfast sandwich.  A Raviolo is a ravioli made with a raw egg inside)  Pairing ~ Cesari, Valpolicella Ripasso, Veneto 2014

#6 Ode to Parmigiano Reggiano - Parmesan in 4 different forms: raw, crisp, creme brulee, suspended sphere 

#7 Chocolate Mousse served in a Molded Dark Chocolate Box with Chianti Caviar Pearls and a Dark Chocolate Chianti Ganache (Any chocolate lovers delight!) Pairing ~ Domaine Bousquet, Malbec Dulce, Mendoza 2015

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Hand-made EVERYTHING!

There truly aren't that many Chefs out there who make everything by hand.  That is where Chef Andres sets himself apart from the rest - his handmade dishes.  Recently, Chef Andres has even begun to make all of his own pastas and he has also added a few different breads as well!  So if you are in the mood for something truly handmade, give us a call and make your reservation today!

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Time to treat your taste buds to something new!

Chef Andres loves to push the envelope when it comes to creating specials and new dishes.  He is always pushing the limits and experimenting with new ingredients and/or techniques.  Recently, his newest dessert is a decadent Black Cherry Panna Cotta.  

Panna Cotta originated from Northern Italy and is sadly not too common here in the States.  Chef Andres frequently creates new flavors for his dessert specials.  From Key Lime to this week's Black Cherry - they are ever changing and ALWAYS delicious!

So if you are tired of the same old menus at the same restaurants in Fort Lauderdale - give us a call and join us for an exquisite dining experience where we will help you "transcend the ordinary"!

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A little something special to say THANK YOU!

Here at Piccolo Ristorante, we pride ourselves on being Chef/Family owned and operated.  This allows us the ability to connect, one to one, with each of our guests - and that is something we cherish.  Creating a warm and inviting atmosphere and offering our guests unique, hand-crafted dishes is incredibly important to us.  With so many restaurants in Fort Lauderdale for people to choose from, we have to find unique ways to ensure people have a memorable dining experience with us. 

So how do we create a memorable and unique dining experience for our guests?  The details.  Chef Andres makes each dish, each sauce, each dessert in house.  That alone sets us apart, but he likes to take it a step further.  Now offering each of our guests a complimentary home-made Chocolate Truffle as a "Thank you" for dining with us.  It is homemade items like this, our Biscotti and Foccacia that help distinguish Piccolo Ristorante from the many other Italian restaurants in Fort Lauderdale.  

If you have dined with us, you know what we are talking about - but if you haven't dined with us yet...what are you waiting for?  Join us tonight and transcend the ordinary - come see what dining with us is all about!

Cheers!

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Food is Art at Piccolo Ristorante

One of the very first reviews we received talked about how "Food is Art" at Piccolo Ristorante (see article here).  But lately, Chef Andres Avayu has been taking his food and art to a new level - molecular gastronomy.  

Food is Art is a perfect way to describe what Chef Andres does at Piccolo Ristorante.  He has curated a menu of exquisite flavors that you won't find in other Italian restaurants in Fort Lauderdale.  By definition, molecular gastronomy is a subdiscipline of food science that seeks to investigate the physical and chemical transformations of ingredients that occur in cooking; it includes three axes, as cooking was recognized to have three components, which are social, artistic and technical.

Through his daily and weekly specials, Chef Andres is constantly introducing new dishes and flavor combinations.  You won't want to miss any of these so make your reservations and transcend the ordinary with a dining experience at Piccolo.  Salute!

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Chef Andres to cook for Tortuga Music Festival for 4th year in a row

For the 4th year in a row, Chef Andres will be cooking up a delicious seafood dish for the Tortuga Music Festival goers.  Each year, Rock the Ocean puts on a "Conservation Village" at the Tortuga Music Festival to help raise awareness about ocean and marine conservation.  Part of the Conservation Village is the "Green Gourmet" tent - hosted by Sea Delight, which offers concert-goers the opportunity to sample sustainably sourced seafood dishes prepared by local chefs.  

Being avid scuba divers, both Chef Andres and his wife and co-owner Alison are huge supporters of ocean conservation.  That's why this is one of their favorite events to do.  

You can find out more here.

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It's all in the family at Piccolo Ristorante

If you haven't dined at Piccolo Ristorante before, you may not know that we are a small, family & Chef-owned and operated restaurant.  If you have dined with us before, then you most likely know that Chef Andres is the mastermind in the kitchen while his wife Alison works the front of the restaurant with the help of her brother Josiah.  

Pretty soon - Piccolo will be gaining another family member as Chef Andres and his wife Alison welcome their first child into the world sometime this month.  We pride ourselves on being a small family owned and operated restaurant and believe that our guests appreciate the personalized touch and care we give to each dining experience.  It is always a pleasure to share our family story with our guests and we love creating and developing relationships with our diners.  We love what we do and love sharing our passion with others.  Being able to connect with our guests on a personal level is part of what makes our restaurant so special - something you won't find at many other restaurants in Fort Lauderdale.

So stay tuned for the big announcement and don't be surprised if we are closed for a few days so Chef and Alison can adjust to the new addition.  

And of course - no need to worry, Josiah will be holding down the front of house while Alison is on maternity leave, but she will most definitely be back!

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#thankyou @wholefoodsbroward for the #lionfish! Stay tuned for details on what @chefandresavayu is up to next! #piccolofl #foodies #food #ftlauderdale #ocean #conservation #hammerheadnation #rocktheocean #seafood @wholefoods (at Piccolo Ristorante)

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Transcend the ordinary......

Our lives are jam packed with everything from work to school to family responsibilities.  Many Americans don't have time, or can't make time, to take a vacation.  We get so wrapped up in our daily lives we forget to cherish the moments - the quiet time in the morning before the day gets started, the feel of the rain on our skin when we get caught in a rain shower, the taste of a great bottle of wine or even the flavors in our dinner.

Here at Piccolo Ristorante we strive to "transcend the ordinary".  There are over 1,000 restaurants in Fort Lauderdale; many of the locals and foodies go out to eat multiple times per week.  With so many places to choose from, how does one decide where to eat?  What If we told you there was a small, "Piccolo", locally owned "hidden gem" featuring made-from-scratch dishes that you truly won't find somewhere else.  Chef Andres' curated menu of exquisite flavors is something you won't want to miss.  From Rabbit Confit, Venison Osso Bucco, Homemade Angolotti with Black Garlic Truffle Butter to Veal Skirt Steak....he is always pushing the limits and creating fabulous and unique dishes.  

Not only do we pride ourselves on Chef Andres' decadent menu of specials - but we offer something even more....we offer our guests the ability to hit pause and savor the moment.  We don't rush people in and out just so we can "turn the tables".  You can find that anywhere - we want you to sit back, relax and enjoy your dinner over a couple of hours and maybe even open a 2nd bottle of wine if you feel like it. Life is short and moments with family and friends should be cherished. So go on, make a reservation and transcend the ordinary.

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Transcend the ordinary; experience @chefandresavayu's curated menu of exquisite flavors! #piccolofl #foodies #culinary #art #dining #experience #restaurant #food #instafood #cookit #gloobyfood #foodartchefs #chefsofinstagram #buzzfeast #eatsofeverywhere #instafood #foodyfetish #FTLfoodies #hungryposting #thankyoumiami #foodlove #mmtm #nevernoteating #fortheloveoffood (at Piccolo Ristorante)

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Join @chefandresavayu, #HelloSunny & #SOBEWFF at Seaside Eats hosted by @chefanneburrell on Weds 2/23! Tix: https://goo.gl/M7J9KI #piccolofl #foodies #tastefortlauderdale # #seafood @sobewffest (at Piccolo Ristorante)