BISCAYNE TIMES

Published April 2007

Casa Toscana Italian Gourmet Store to Open in Miami Shores

Sandra Stefani, owner of Casa Toscana restaurant, 7001 Biscayne Blvd., announces the opening of her new gourmet shop, Casa Toscana Fine Foods & Wines, in downtown Miami Shores. Opening festivities, featuring discounted prices, will take place April 21 and 22.

Stefani, a native of Pisa, Tuscany, will offer the finest epicurean delights from her homeland, including select Italian wines and wine accessories, rare cheeses, pastas, breads, sweets, and gifts. Freshly prepared foods from her restaurant’s kitchen will also be available. Affordable lunch and dinner selections in individual and family portions will allow customers to “have it all,” according to Stefani, who says, “People want and should have restaurant-quality food at home.”

The new store will also feature hand-painted Italian ceramics from the town of San Giovanni by master craftsman Guido Nesti. Among the items available will be olive-oil cruets and bowls and platters in the Bacini Pisani style, based on Moorish-influenced details of many churches in Pisa and surrounding areas.

Casa Toscana Fine Foods & Wines will be a welcome addition to Miami Shores, whose downtown currently offers few gastronomic destinations and is just now beginning to reflect the diverse surrounding community. “Miami Shores is beautiful,” says Stefani, “but the downtown is not complete. There aren’t enough services. I want to help fill this need.”

Casa Toscana Fine Foods & Wines is located in Miami Shores at 9840 NE 2nd Ave. Grand opening is Saturday, April 21, from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, April 22, from noon to 5:00 p.m. For further information call 305-757-4454 or visit www.casatoscanamiami.com.