Miami has seen an impressive expansion of its Italian restaurant scene over the past few years, and one notable retraction. In Coral Gables, Daniel’s Miami replaced Fiola nine months ago, becoming a steakhouse that showcases Florida beef.
CEO and co-founder Thomas Angelo, an Italian-American with family roots in Puglia, made the former restaurant into a hub for exclusive wine events featuring important winemakers such as Gaia Gaja and Emanuela Baldi of Antinori Prunotto. Last year, Angelo expanded into Fort Lauderdale with Daniel’s Steakhouse. As he tells us below, the concept's success led Angelo and his daughter Kassidy to want to bring it to Coral Gables.
Now, the elegant space offers the best of both worlds: It’s a steakhouse with something of an Italian soul (including housemade pasta on the menu), and a continued devotion to bringing the world’s best winemakers to Coral Gables for memorable pairing dinners. It has already earned accolades, ranking no. 40 on the World’s Best 101 Steak Restaurants list.
Below, in a lightly edited Q&A, Angelo tells Appetito about what excites him about Daniel’s Miami, its Italian influences and why the restaurant takes a Texas-style approach to highlighting its local beef program.
What prompted the change from a high-end Italian restaurant to a Florida steakhouse?
My daughter and co-founder, Kassidy, and I saw an opportunity in South Florida to create a steakhouse experience centered around an exceptional steak program, outstanding seafood, and genuine hospitality. Daniel's had already proven successful in Fort Lauderdale, so bringing that concept to Coral Gables felt like a natural next step.
We also felt there was an opportunity to create something that celebrated Florida itself. Too often, the best steakhouse experiences are associated with places like New York, Chicago or Texas. We wanted to build a restaurant that could stand alongside those destinations while showcasing the quality, character and ingredients that make Florida unique.
While the focus is certainly on steaks and seafood, my Italian heritage still influences many aspects of the restaurant, from the menu and wine program to the way we welcome guests. That influence is reflected in details like our olive oil sourced directly from Puglia, my family’s region in Italy. The Italian influence isn't something we intentionally left behind; rather, it evolved into one piece of a much larger story.
At the end of the day, our goal is simple: create an experience that guests want to come back to. Whether it's a perfectly cooked steak, fresh seafood, a great bottle of wine, or simply feeling genuinely cared for when you walk through the door, every decision we make is centered around creating a restaurant that reflects who we are and the community we're proud to serve.
Why do you emphasize Florida beef?
Along with exceptional steaks from places like Texas, Australia, and Japan, Daniel’s showcases Florida beef because we believe a great restaurant should honor its local heritage. Florida has an incredibly rich ranching history and some of the finest agricultural resources in the country. Yet many people are surprised to learn just how exceptional the beef raised here can be.
From the beginning, part of our vision was to help put Florida beef on the map and showcase the quality being produced in our own backyard. Working with producers like Suwannee River Wagyu, Arrowhead Beef, Quincey Cattle, and Providence Cattle, allows us to highlight cattle that is raised with extraordinary care while supporting Florida ranchers who are deeply committed to their craft.
Additionally, we are focused on sourcing with purpose. In addition to Florida-raised beef, we serve seafood from the Keys and North Florida, along with produce from Homestead to Orlando. We want guests to understand where their food comes from and why it's on the plate. We believe the best dining experiences tell a story, and Florida's story is one worth sharing.
For us, showcasing Florida beef isn't just a sourcing decision; it's part of our broader mission to create a restaurant that feels authentically connected to Florida and helps elevate the state's growing culinary reputation.
What can you say about the famed wine program you've developed, and how has it changed to adapt to the steakhouse environment?
Wine has always been a major part of our identity, and under the leadership of our Wine & Beverage Director, Daniel Bishop, we've built a program that appeals to both serious collectors and everyday wine enthusiasts.
In addition to the wines in our cellar, we have worked diligently to create memorable experiences for our guests by welcoming winemakers from around the world. Over the eight years we have operated on this property in Coral Gables, we are proud to have hosted more than 100 wine dinners featuring renowned winemakers such as Pablo Álvarez of Vega Sicilia, Gaia Gaja of GAJA, Alessia Antinori of Antinori, and, most recently, Priscilla della Rocchetta, of the acclaimed Tenuta San Guido estate. We were also honored to host The Rare Tour’s first-ever stop in the United States at Daniel’s, showcasing the wines of Vega Sicilia and Gaja.
The philosophy hasn't changed with the move to a steakhouse. We're still focused on showcasing great producers and creating memorable guest experiences. The steakhouse environment simply creates even more opportunities for exceptional pairings and shared moments around the table.
