The Miami food scene continues to thrive, and the new menu at The Deck At Island Gardens is a big reason for it. With a resume and portfolio cultivated in some of New York City’s and Chicago’s most prestigious dining destinations, spawning from a Sicilian-American food family, new chef Joe Bonavita brings a truly innovative and unique spin to The Deck’s Mediterranean-meets-Miami fresh from the sea menu.

Chef Bonavita’s love for cooking and the sea began at an early age. Hailing from a Sicilian family with epicurean roots, Bonavita’s family first lived in Smithtown, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island. He can attribute some of his early successes from his creative culinary experience staging at two of New York City’s iconic dining destinations: Per Se and Le Bernardin. 

From one noteworthy kitchen to another, in some of America’s top food cities, to now South Florida. Here Bonavita has led the sweet and savory teams at The Tideline Ocean Resort, as a chef/partner in Trophy Room Restaurant, and most recently STK Steakhouse, based in Miami Beach.

Moving to Florida has been inspirational for him. The high-quality, local produce and sustainable seafood have given him an opportunity to showcase his talents. He refers to his style as “ingredient-driven, global cuisine,” and is palpable and ever-present in his new public and insider’s menus at The Deck at Island Gardens.

“The New Deck,” takes a culinary journey down chef’s exceptional culinary perspective, sampling new food, cocktail, and dessert menus.

Chef considers himself immersed in the Mediterranean; Greece, Turkey, South of France, and Sicily, when working at The Deck. Being oceanside with beautiful ingredients at hand inspires a fresh-from-the-sea approach to menu development. Bonavita expresses “the way (he) creates innovative dishes honestly; I just take the best ingredients possible and highlight them in a way that makes them shine best!” Always in a whimsical and fun way that is solely unique through his dynamic professional background.

One of chef’s personal favorite dishes on the menu is The Deck’s spaccatelli de vongole. What makes his clam pasta unique is that it’s inspired by a family recipe spanning generations back to Sicily. Chef describes his special dish as a beautiful light pasta using the spaccatelli noodle, calamari, conch, and manila clams sauteed with wilted green onion, garlic, and pepperoncinis. The sauce is lobster stock, thickened with herb butter, and garnished with fresh uni and basil. “It’s awesome,” he exclaims, and “goes very well with our Spicy Seas cocktail.”

Chef has become known to create a variety of off-menu items, sourcing ingredients daily and made fresh, from sea-to-table. Some of The Deck’s new and most innovative items, like the tableside Salted Crusted Snapper, Truffle Shaving Pizza, as well as the Black Angus Filet, The Deadliest Catch, Skull Island Prawns, and Tomahawk Ribeye (see below), may claim origin from The Deck’s“Insiders Menu,” which is completely “off-menu.”

What can you expect from Bonavita’s innovative kitchen in the coming weeks: more fish specials, whole fish, and seasonally relevant dishes. Do you love a beautifully balanced savory menu, but only truly satisfied by a sweet treat? You’re in luck! Chef recently brought on board the very talented pastry chef Joyce to the team and has already added to the dessert menu. Sink your teeth into a Strawberry Panna Cotta, a flourless chocolate cake to die for (The Chocolate Nemesis), and other cheat-day worthy delicacies to come.

For more information visit www.islandgardens.com