{"id":1599,"date":"2026-06-10T08:31:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-10T08:31:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599"},"modified":"2026-06-10T08:31:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-10T08:31:23","slug":"its-been-crazy-crowds-are-flocking-to-this-italian-restaurant-in-coral-gables","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It\u2019s been crazy\u2019: Crowds are flocking to this Italian restaurant in Coral Gables"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>These days, busy is a way of life for Marcelo Chopa.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The chef and restaurateur, who just opened Casa Vialetto on Alhambra Circle in Coral Gables, can\u2019t quite believe the flurry of diners flocking to his new restaurant.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1597\">DeSantis, Cabinet greenlight $90 million for local immigration enforcement<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been crazy,\u201d he admits. \u201cIt\u2019s been nonstop. I need to catch up on paperwork! But I\u2019m happy, so happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The rush shouldn\u2019t be much of a surprise for Chopa, who has been a Gables fixture since he moved to Miami-Dade from Buenos Aires more than 30 years ago. After working in restaurants around the city, in 1999, he and then-partner Ernie Fernandez opened the incredibly popular Italian restaurant Caffe Vialetto, which became a go-to spot for family milestones and friendly gatherings. Patrons raved about the food and the hospitality, praising the genuine family-style feel of the place.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Chopa and Fernandez sold the property and closed the restaurant last summer, setting off widespread mourning. Now, Chopa has opened Casa Vialetto, his first restaurant on his own, a sister to the original Caffe Vialetto. It\u2019s still Italian, still warm, still hospitable. And Coral Gables (and beyond) is responding enthusiastically to its opening.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>You can see it in the way Chopa greets every guest at the door, shaking hands or embracing them like old friends, grinning and eager to show off the new space.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlmost all of them have been clients from Caffe Vialetto,\u201d Chopa says. \u201cThere are a few new clients, and they have repeated already. But I can say 90 percent of them are old clientele.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Casa Vialetto \u2014 the name is similar to its predecessor for obvious reasons \u2014 is smaller than Caffe Vialetto, but its size makes it feel warm and cozy.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Maybe a little <i>too<\/i> cozy.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the inside of the last restaurant wasn\u2019t as nice as this,\u201d Chopa says, laughing. \u201cOne thing I\u2019ve realized is people come to Casa Vialetto, and they don\u2019t want to leave! They stay forever at the table even if I need that table for someone else!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The menu is more or less the same as it was at the original restaurant, not surprising when you realize the kitchen crew is the same as it was at Caffe Vialetto. You\u2019ll find carpaccio and calamari, all sorts of pasta and risotto, as well as insanely good short rib dishes.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1596\">Coral Gables firm strikes deal to send fuel to Cuba\u2019s private sector via tankers<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>And in a nod to one of Caffe Vialetto\u2019s favorite specialties, Chopa and his kitchen serve up an inspiring mango-glazed hogfish, not too sweet, not too sticky, with firm, perfectly sauteed fish. It will always be on the menu, Chopa says \u2014 unless he runs out of mango because the restaurant is so busy.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe had to serve a lycee mojito the other night instead of mango,\u201d he admits. \u201cWe ran out of mango.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Fortunately summertime means mangoes in Miami, so that\u2019s unlikely to happen again any time soon. So far, though, the onslaught of diners shows no signs of slowing. The restaurant, which serves lunch and dinner, was going to be open daily, but Chopa plans to close on Mondays for now.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy kitchen needs to rest,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a good excuse to take a little break.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s another reason Chopa is thrilled to be back in the restaurant business: He can work with his children. His son Lucas, 27, started working night shifts at 16 at Caffe Vialetto and is now making the transition to front-of-house manager.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe told me he didn\u2019t want to cook anymore, and I said, \u2018OK, whatever position you want,\u2019\u201d Chopa says. \u201cI trust him. It\u2019s natural, to want to be with my son. My two daughters help with the social media, too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Despite the workload, he\u2019s where he wants to be.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m tired, but I\u2019m smiling,\u201d he says. \u201cI\u2019m so happy in the place I wanted to be for a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1594\">Broward teachers get no new raises and must pay for insurance amid budget strains<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<h2>Casa Vialetto<\/h2>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p><b>Where:<\/b> 276 Alhambra Circle, Coral Gables<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p><b>Hours:<\/b> Noon-11 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p><b>Reservations:<\/b> OpenTable<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p><b>More information:<\/b> www.casavialetto.com or 305- 926-1928<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!-- --><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Casa Vialetto on Alhambra Circle in Coral Gables has been nonstop busy since opening, drawing diners midday to late night. Reservations via OpenTable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1598,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1599","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>\u2018It\u2019s been crazy\u2019: Crowds are flocking to this Italian restaurant in Coral Gables - Florida Moving Chronicle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018It\u2019s been crazy\u2019: Crowds are flocking to this Italian restaurant in Coral Gables - Florida Moving Chronicle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Casa Vialetto on Alhambra Circle in Coral Gables has been nonstop busy since opening, drawing diners midday to late night. Reservations via OpenTable.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Florida Moving Chronicle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-10T08:31:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=1599#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=1599\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/482f60b6a0b7cc84b37966d78057552f\"},\"headline\":\"\u2018It\u2019s been crazy\u2019: Crowds are flocking to this Italian restaurant in Coral Gables\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-10T08:31:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=1599\"},\"wordCount\":726,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=1599#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/77af24af32e3d857a8d63fd5c65f384f.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Food\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=1599#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=1599\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=1599\",\"name\":\"\u2018It\u2019s been crazy\u2019: Crowds are flocking to this Italian restaurant in Coral Gables - Florida Moving Chronicle\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=1599#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=1599#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/77af24af32e3d857a8d63fd5c65f384f.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-10T08:31:23+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/482f60b6a0b7cc84b37966d78057552f\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=1599#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=1599\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=1599#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/77af24af32e3d857a8d63fd5c65f384f.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/77af24af32e3d857a8d63fd5c65f384f.jpg\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":675,\"caption\":\"Restauranteur Marcelo Chopa posed in the dinning room of his recently opened Casa Vialetto Italian restaurant, in Coral Gables after closing Caffe Vialetto, (he co-owned) last summer, on Tuesday June 09, 2026.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?p=1599#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"\u2018It\u2019s been crazy\u2019: Crowds are flocking to this Italian restaurant in Coral Gables\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Florida Moving Chronicle\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/482f60b6a0b7cc84b37966d78057552f\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/floridamovingchronicle.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u2018It\u2019s been crazy\u2019: Crowds are flocking to this Italian restaurant in Coral Gables - Florida Moving Chronicle","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"\u2018It\u2019s been crazy\u2019: Crowds are flocking to this Italian restaurant in Coral Gables - Florida Moving Chronicle","og_description":"Casa Vialetto on Alhambra Circle in Coral Gables has been nonstop busy since opening, drawing diners midday to late night. Reservations via OpenTable.","og_url":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599","og_site_name":"Florida Moving Chronicle","article_published_time":"2026-06-10T08:31:23+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/482f60b6a0b7cc84b37966d78057552f"},"headline":"\u2018It\u2019s been crazy\u2019: Crowds are flocking to this Italian restaurant in Coral Gables","datePublished":"2026-06-10T08:31:23+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599"},"wordCount":726,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/77af24af32e3d857a8d63fd5c65f384f.jpg","articleSection":["Food"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599","url":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599","name":"\u2018It\u2019s been crazy\u2019: Crowds are flocking to this Italian restaurant in Coral Gables - Florida Moving Chronicle","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/77af24af32e3d857a8d63fd5c65f384f.jpg","datePublished":"2026-06-10T08:31:23+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/482f60b6a0b7cc84b37966d78057552f"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/77af24af32e3d857a8d63fd5c65f384f.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/77af24af32e3d857a8d63fd5c65f384f.jpg","width":1200,"height":675,"caption":"Restauranteur Marcelo Chopa posed in the dinning room of his recently opened Casa Vialetto Italian restaurant, in Coral Gables after closing Caffe Vialetto, (he co-owned) last summer, on Tuesday June 09, 2026."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?p=1599#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"\u2018It\u2019s been crazy\u2019: Crowds are flocking to this Italian restaurant in Coral Gables"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/","name":"Florida Moving Chronicle","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/#\/schema\/person\/482f60b6a0b7cc84b37966d78057552f","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com"],"url":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1599","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1599"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1599\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1599"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1599"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/floridamovingchronicle.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1599"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}