Piazzetta brings pizzas, pastas & house-made gelato to Acqualina in Sunny Isles

Sara Liss4/8/2012

The goods: Sunny Isles Beach’s ritzy Acqualina hotel stays up-market with Piazzetta Marketplace and Restaurant.

Ambience: Located in an opulent salon flanking the lobby bar, Piazzetta features a Romanesque patio and a small indoor shop with house-made gelato.

The grub: Regional Italian plus a short sushi menu. Prices are reasonable: starters $7-$16, pizzas $14, mains mid-$20s and wines $7 by the glass. Dinner starts with house-made bread batons, Italian olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar. From there, enjoy small cutting boards of ricotta crostini and colorful roasted beet salad. Pizzas are made with mushrooms, truffle oil, Gorgonzola, roasted eggplant and green olives. Small crocks of mac and cheese satisfy pasta cravings, and mains include braised short ribs, grilled shrimp and grilled skirt steak.

The adjacent market offers dessert classics like chocolate éclairs, mille-feuille, apple strudel and must-try hazelenut and zabbaliogne gelatos.

Verdict: Acqualina’s new spot marries an Italian food hall with oceanfront al fresco seating.