Along the Adriatic Sea, in the port city of Brindisi, Italy, a 10-year-old boy rose early to help his mother in the kitchen. Together, they made bread and cookies for their family of five. This was the beginning of him realizing that food is made with love, the extra ingredient that makes it good. It’s a philosophy that would later inspire his restaurant, Soya e Pomodoro.
The Miami cityscape is full of new and shiny buildings, but that’s not what Cristian D’Oria was looking for when deciding to set up his own restaurant in 2004.
Having trained in Italy to be a chef, D’Oria grew up surrounded by centuries old architecture — arches in Rome and columns in Milan. He wanted his restaurant in Miami to remind him of his home. That’s how he ended up in Flagler Street, close to the history of Miami, the beginning of it. He settled in the Shoreland Arcade, built in 1924 — once a bank, then an office and now a dining experience.
“I tried to do this artistic thing. From the food to the music to the paintings, and this old arcade is a plus,” D’Oria said. “Coming from Italy, we like history, old stuff. So, we found this place, this little café, and made it a ‘Little Italy.’”
Soya e Pomodoro, located at 120 NE 1st St in Downtown Miami, harbors its own character, reminiscent of summertime Europe. As you step inside, the archway is sculpted with cherubs, vines and flowers, all painted brightly in pink, green and blue. It’s a one story-building, but it feels grand, especially with its high ceilings.
True to its Roaring ’20s era, there’s no air-conditioning. Instead, the doors are left open to allow gentle breezes through. And funny enough, a clothesline hangs above the tables from what looks to be two windows, complete with laundry items, like soccer jerseys, undergarments and a hat.
“We tried to bring a little folklore,” D’Oria said. “Typically, if you are in small-town Italy or Naples, you see things hanging outside, since dryer machines are rare. And we love soccer.”
In case you’re wondering what Soya e Pomodoro means, in Italian, it translates to soy and tomato. The name is a blending of cultures. When D’Oria opened the restaurant, he did so with his friend Armando Alfano, who was married to a Thai woman. Soy is an essential ingredient in Thai food, and tomato is a main ingredient in Italian food.
Alfano stayed at the restaurant for 10 years before returning to Europe. Afterward, Rosario Magrelli partnered with D’Oria to run Soya e Pomodoro for five years, before stepping down during the pandemic. At age 50, D’Oria is the sole owner of the restaurant now and said he’s happy with how far it’s come with the help of his manager Gianni Festa since the restaurant’s beginning.
D’Oria keeps his lunch menu affordable — the highest priced dish is $20. During dinner time, menu prices increase, and dishes can range from $20 and $42. But no matter your budget, Soya e Pomodoro has classic Italian food that is sure to spark your interest.
For bread lovers, the bruschetta appetizer is a safe choice. It’s toasted bread, piled with chopped tomato drizzled in olive oil and sprinkled with basil. The Mediterranean-style plate it’s served on is artistically pleasing, and the bread slices are displayed in the shape of a star for some added fun.
This is what many dishes at the restaurant are like, simple yet delicious. As the motto goes, the food is made with love. It’s meant to come from the kitchen of a friend.
“My pasta was really good,” sophomore Ximena Hidalgo said after dining at Soya e Pomodoro for the first time. “When I go to restaurants and they are serving pasta, I usually think I’m going to feel heavy after. But it didn’t feel that way. I felt refreshed.”
Hidalgo never tried pesto sauce with her pasta before but said she was impressed by it. This should be expected — pesto sauce is an Italian staple. It’s made of pine nuts, garlic, basil, parmesan and olive oil. Another nutty flavor dish at the restaurant is “ravioli in salsa di noci,” or ravioli in walnut sauce. It’s a great vegetarian option, since the ravioli is stuffed with cheese and spinach.
Junior Christopher Perez, who dined with Hidalgo, ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with mozzarella. He has traveled to Italian cities, such as Rome and Florence, and said his dish was similar to dishes he ate overseas.
“I would come here again,” Perez said. “The food reminds me of other European cultures, too.”
While couple Hidalgo and Perez visited Soya e Pomodoro during the daytime, Student Affairs executive assistant Jeanine Ocon checked out the night scene, which only operates Thursday through Saturday.
“I loved the entertainment, the Italian songs,” Ocon said. “The atmosphere was nice, like a romantic adult dinner.”
The ambient lighting that takes over Soya e Pomodoro at night is unique. It’s comprised of charming, mismatched lamps and string lights. But Ocon’s favorite decoration was the bookshelves in the back. It was too dark for her to read in the restaurant, but she was curious to see them during the day.
As for her food, Ocon had “stinco d’agnello brasato ai carciofi,” or braised lamb with artichoke. Her dish also came with a side of mashed potatoes.
“It tasted like a homemade meal,” Ocon said. “The lamb was very nice and juicy. It was filling. For dessert, I loved the cappuccino and the “panna cotta,” which is a kind of flan.”
Another interesting detail Ocon noted was how, at night, if you order a Coca-Cola, it’s served in a classic glass bottle, whereas during the day it’s served in a can. She said it added to the old-fashioned look of the restaurant and could make a nice souvenir.
Fine art majors may also get a kick out of the colorful paintings that don the walls, mixing modern art with the historical building.
Graduate student Natalie Galindo found Soya e Pomodoro not for its food, but for its collaboration with Raw Figs Pop-Up, which hosts figure drawing events at various locations across Miami, where artists of any skill can practice figure drawing with live models.
“I’ve been there twice. And it really felt like you were in Italy,” Galindo said. “There was this old feel to it. I’ve taken friends that are intimidated by it but, in this environment, they feel safe and it’s a big group. And the energy is good.”
Pursuing a master’s degree in fine arts, Galindo said she was grateful to practice her favorite subject at Soya e Pomodoro. Nowadays, she said she most enjoys drawing her friends and family because she learns to appreciate them more.
Singer Yamit Lemoine has been playing at Soya e Pomodoro for the past 12 years, performing 1920s through 1960s classic jazz. She sings in five languages and learned one song in Italian especially for Soya e Pomodoro. It’s called “Guarda Che Luna,” which means look at the moon.
She said it’s a sad song about lost love, but it’s well-known to the Italian people.
“Singing there has always felt like home. It’s where I started singing jazz in Miami,” Lemoine said. “Cristian has always treated me and the performers like family.”
D’Oria said he welcomes new musical talent, new generations, to sing at his restaurant too. He said he wants people to connect with each other, to appreciate the world around them and not get lost in their phones.
It has been 20 years since D’Oria opened Soya e Pomodoro and he’s proud of the piece of history he’s adding to the Shoreland Arcade.
“There is history in Miami, and where I come from, we don’t destroy the old. We renew the old,” D’Oria said.
words_sabrina catalan. photo_ethan dosa. design_marita gavioti.
This article was published in Distraction’s Spring 2024 print issue.
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