by Victoria Pesce Elliott

A narrow, unmarked alley off Commodore Plaza leads to Strada, the sexy new Italian in the Grove. The wall is lined with hanging pots filled with basil, thyme, tarragon, rosemary and tiny tomatoes.

"It is my little passion," says owner Maurizio Farinelli [cq], the Torino native who once owned South Miami's popular Trattoria Sole and Blu. He is back in business, this time in the barren culinary landscape of Coconut Grove, where he has planted more than just aromatic herbs. Farinelli is quickly growing a following of Italian food lovers who have found their way to this intimate, casual hole-in-the-wall for exquisite cuisine that is at once homey and elegant.

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Source: http://www.miami.com/