“Chopped” chef to open Glass & Vine in Coconut Grove

Giorgio Rapicavoli and a sketch of Glass & Vine

Miami chef and restaurateur Giorgio Rapicavoli, along with Grove Bay Hospitality Group, will open a new restaurant in Coconut Grove’s Peacock Park in January.

Glass & Vine

Rapicavoli, who was also a winner on the Food Network’s “Chopped,” will helm the kitchen at Glass & Wine, a 200-seat, 4,600-square-foot restaurant in the former Coconut Grove Library space at 2820 McFarlane Road.

The space will include a waterfront, 2,320-square-foot outdoor patio with white quartz tabletops and orange chairs; a 24-seat bar with sliding accordion and garage-style glass walls; an open kitchen; a 600-square-foot open patio area; and a vine-covered roof. The indoor space will span 1,680 square feet.

Rapicavoli will create the menu and cocktails for the restaurant, which sits on a 7-acre property. “No other restaurant is located in a park so I wanted to capture the atmosphere with vibrant, fresh dishes,” he said in a statement.

The menu will feature small and family style dishes, including fried cauliflower with chickpeas, black sesame and dehydrated olives; local fish tartare with frozen leche de tigre; and grilled sweetbreads with celery root and celery chimichurri.

Lease details were not disclosed.

Grove Bay Hospitality Group is also developing a restaurant and retail project on the Coconut Grove site called the Harbour. It’s slated to begin next fall, according to a press release. Grove Bay has a 50-year lease with the city of Miami, beginning in 2013, for the waterfront property. When completed, the Harbour will include two high-end restaurants, a casual outdoor eatery, an indoor and outdoor event space, a 400-slip marina, retail and a bay walk.

Rapicavoli is the chef and owner of Eating House in Coral Gables, which originally opened as a pop-up.

Coconut Grove has seen a resurgence in commercial and residential activity. Tenants such as Buro, Panther Coffee and Harry’s Pizzeria have moved in at the Engle Building. Earlier this year, restaurateur Michael Schwartz announced he will open a 3,500-square-foot restaurant at Park Grove, which is being developed nearby. – Katherine Kallergis